All Aboard the Knowledge Train 🚂

A chairde,

This week, we have two sessions of exciting and in-depth training available for all members.

Facilitated by our Training Coordinator, Aisling, these sessions will look at Member Defence and Recruitment respectively.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), the Member Defence training will cover topics including how to prioritise member defence cases, meeting structures and planning actions. You can register for attendance HERE.

Then, on Thursday, the Recruitment session takes place. Topics covered will include one-on-one recruitment skills, the importance of mapping your local area/networks, and a review of the Scéal (how to talk to people on doors, at stalls etc.). You can register for attendance for that session HERE.

Both sessions kick off at 18:30 and will take place via Zoom.

At a date to be confirmed will be a session on Overthrowing the National Admin and Having Better Newsletter Titles.

An organisation called Low Rent are offering banner making workshops for CATU members. In their own words, they use “the Irish National Land League banners and iconography as a basis for the work we address the root issues of the housing crises such as landlordism, poor housing standards, lack of affordability and state investment from the current Irish government.”

The provisional date for this session is February 10th and the venue (in Dublin on this occasion) will be confirmed depending on numbers. If you’d like to participate, please send me an email confirming your availability asap.

Some good news from CATU Sligo-Leitrim, who recently had confirmation that a fellow member’s eviction notice has been rightfully overturned by the RTB. The member and the branch Member Defence team put a lot of work into gathering and presenting evidence and are delighted with the outcome! The branch also recently elected a new local committee and are gearing up for a big year ahead. If you’d like to get involved locally, contact [email protected] 

CATU Liberties-Rialto will host their next branch meeting on Thursday, February 1st in St. Catherine’s Community Centre, Marrowbone Lane, D8. If you’re new to the branch this is a great way to get introduced to local organising plans for the area, or if you’re a longer term member who hasn’t been active for a while it’s a great way to get up to date!

On Saturday, February 3rd at 1pm, a training day will be held for members of CATU in the Midlands. This will take place in the Youth Work Ireland offices at 17-18 Inis Óirr, Golden Island, Athlone.

Members in Westmeath, Roscommon, Laois, Offaly, Carlow and Longford are encouraged to join in, get to know each other and build towards a stronger union presence in the region.

Over the weekend, CATU Cork and the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign took part in a collaborative action targeting the AXA Offices in the City.

This action took place to protest AXA's investments in settlements in the West Bank through 4 Israeli banks including Bank Leumi. AXA also invests in the asset management company Alliance-Bernstein which holds a 31.7% share in the Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.

The action was successful in keeping the premises closed for business throughout Saturday and during this time, members of the public and AXA workers were given information on the basis of the action and the wider Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

In Solidarity,

Naoise Faogáin
National Administrator
Community Action Tenants Union - CATU Ireland
www.catuireland.org