News 

The Eco-Schools programme, a renowned global initiative led by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that aims to create environmental awareness and action, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Northern Ireland. The milestone was marked with a celebration event at Stranmillis University College this week with over 500 people attending including teachers and pupils. Established in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges, the programme is operated locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), local authorities and a range of other partners.

Northern Ireland’s record of success in the programme over the last three decades is significant. The Green Flag, an international accreditation for the environmental education and performance of schools, has been awarded to 2253 schools across the region to date. Northern Ireland was also the first in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools - Downpatrick Nursery in 1994. The 1000th Green Flag was awarded to Walker Memorial Primary School in Dungannon in 2017.

Over the course of the two-day event, supported by RiverRidge and Translink, a variety of awards were presented to schools, recognising their outstanding achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

The Green Flag Awards accredited and reaccredited schools with Green Flag Status, whilst the Wheelie Big Challenge Awards funded by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Belfast City Council, Mid and East Antrim Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and Natural World Products was given to schools with strong waste management initiatives.

The Eco-School of the year Award was sponsored by Nexus, whilst the Eco-Teacher of the Year and the Eco-Pupil of the Year was sponsored by Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Pupils who participated in the international Young Reporters from the Environment (YRE) programme were also acknowledged.

Carol Forster, Head of Business Development at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “Our journey over the past 30 years has been remarkable. I commend our schools across Northern Ireland for their steadfast commitment in inspiring young people to care for the world around them. We’ve seen countless young people grow into environmentally conscious citizens, equipped with the knowledge and passion to make a difference.

“The Eco-Schools programme aligns with our wider organisational vision. We believe that through education, engagement and empowerment, we can change behaviours so that everyone can enjoy a beautiful, resilient, and healthy environment.

“This event not only serves as a platform to celebrate our continued achievements, but also as an urgent reminder on how important it is to continue to inspire and invest in our youth to ensure that future generations actively participate in environmental stewardship. We’re grateful to all our partners for their continued support and strongly encourage more schools to join the programme to give every child in Northern Ireland the opportunity to get involved.”

Rob Belt, Eco-Coordinator at Bessbrook Primary School who has been delivering his school’s programme, said, “Eco-Schools has changed how our young people see and engage with their environment. It integrates environmental awareness and action into all fabrics of day-to-day school life. Retaining our Green Flag status is tremendously important to our school as it is the benchmark that tells us we’re doing good by our students and by the environment.”

A key highlight of the anniversary event was the launch of Generation Nature – a new outdoor learning demonstration site at Stranmillis University College which will provide trainee teachers with the hands-on experience and practical skills essential for continuing the success of the Eco-Schools programme. The project has been developed in partnership with the college and is supported by Energia’s Greener Possibilities Fund.

Dr David McKee at Stranmillis University College said, “It's essential we continue to integrate environmental education into teacher training in Northern Ireland, to ensure that new teachers are equipped with the tools and the knowledge needed to strengthen our collective performance in Eco-Schools. Generation Nature will play an essential role in this endeavour – it’s a wonderful addition to the teacher training experience.”

Leo McKillion of RiverRidge, Northern Ireland’s leading waste and resource management company said, “We were delighted to be involved in this event. It is vital that we continue to both educate and listen to the next generation as we all strive to live in a more sustainable world. RiverRidge believes that schools play a key role in changing the environment by reducing waste and treating it as a valuable resource. Let’s keep working together to spread the word and change behaviour.”

For more information, please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org

The Eco-Schools programme, a renowned global initiative led by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that aims to create environmental awareness and action, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Northern Ireland. The milestone was marked with a celebration event at Stranmillis University College this week with over 500 people attending including teachers and pupils. Established in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges, the programme is operated locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), local authorities and a range of other partners.

Northern Ireland’s record of success in the programme over the last three decades is significant. The Green Flag, an international accreditation for the environmental education and performance of schools, has been awarded to 2253 schools across the region to date. Northern Ireland was also the first in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools - Downpatrick Nursery in 1994. The 1000th Green Flag was awarded to Walker Memorial Primary School in Dungannon in 2017.

Over the course of the two-day event, supported by RiverRidge and Translink, a variety of awards were presented to schools, recognising their outstanding achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

The Green Flag Awards accredited and reaccredited schools with Green Flag Status, whilst the Wheelie Big Challenge Awards funded by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Belfast City Council, Mid and East Antrim Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and Natural World Products was given to schools with strong waste management initiatives.

The Eco-School of the year Award was sponsored by Nexus, whilst the Eco-Teacher of the Year and the Eco-Pupil of the Year was sponsored by Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Pupils who participated in the international Young Reporters from the Environment (YRE) programme were also acknowledged.

Carol Forster, Head of Business Development at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “Our journey over the past 30 years has been remarkable. I commend our schools across Northern Ireland for their steadfast commitment in inspiring young people to care for the world around them. We’ve seen countless young people grow into environmentally conscious citizens, equipped with the knowledge and passion to make a difference.

“The Eco-Schools programme aligns with our wider organisational vision. We believe that through education, engagement and empowerment, we can change behaviours so that everyone can enjoy a beautiful, resilient, and healthy environment.

“This event not only serves as a platform to celebrate our continued achievements, but also as an urgent reminder on how important it is to continue to inspire and invest in our youth to ensure that future generations actively participate in environmental stewardship. We’re grateful to all our partners for their continued support and strongly encourage more schools to join the programme to give every child in Northern Ireland the opportunity to get involved.”

Rob Belt, Eco-Coordinator at Bessbrook Primary School who has been delivering his school’s programme, said, “Eco-Schools has changed how our young people see and engage with their environment. It integrates environmental awareness and action into all fabrics of day-to-day school life. Retaining our Green Flag status is tremendously important to our school as it is the benchmark that tells us we’re doing good by our students and by the environment.”

A key highlight of the anniversary event was the launch of Generation Nature – a new outdoor learning demonstration site at Stranmillis University College which will provide trainee teachers with the hands-on experience and practical skills essential for continuing the success of the Eco-Schools programme. The project has been developed in partnership with the college and is supported by Energia’s Greener Possibilities Fund.

Dr David McKee at Stranmillis University College said, “It's essential we continue to integrate environmental education into teacher training in Northern Ireland, to ensure that new teachers are equipped with the tools and the knowledge needed to strengthen our collective performance in Eco-Schools. Generation Nature will play an essential role in this endeavour – it’s a wonderful addition to the teacher training experience.”

Leo McKillion of RiverRidge, Northern Ireland’s leading waste and resource management company said, “We were delighted to be involved in this event. It is vital that we continue to both educate and listen to the next generation as we all strive to live in a more sustainable world. RiverRidge believes that schools play a key role in changing the environment by reducing waste and treating it as a valuable resource. Let’s keep working together to spread the word and change behaviour.”

For more information, please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org

The Eco-Schools programme, a renowned global initiative led by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that aims to create environmental awareness and action, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Northern Ireland. The milestone was marked with a celebration event at Stranmillis University College this week with over 500 people attending including teachers and pupils. Established in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges, the programme is operated locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), local authorities and a range of other partners.

Northern Ireland’s record of success in the programme over the last three decades is significant. The Green Flag, an international accreditation for the environmental education and performance of schools, has been awarded to 2253 schools across the region to date. Northern Ireland was also the first in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools - Downpatrick Nursery in 1994. The 1000th Green Flag was awarded to Walker Memorial Primary School in Dungannon in 2017.

Over the course of the two-day event, supported by RiverRidge and Translink, a variety of awards were presented to schools, recognising their outstanding achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

The Green Flag Awards accredited and reaccredited schools with Green Flag Status, whilst the Wheelie Big Challenge Awards funded by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Belfast City Council, Mid and East Antrim Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and Natural World Products was given to schools with strong waste management initiatives.

The Eco-School of the year Award was sponsored by Nexus, whilst the Eco-Teacher of the Year and the Eco-Pupil of the Year was sponsored by Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Pupils who participated in the international Young Reporters from the Environment (YRE) programme were also acknowledged.

Carol Forster, Head of Business Development at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “Our journey over the past 30 years has been remarkable. I commend our schools across Northern Ireland for their steadfast commitment in inspiring young people to care for the world around them. We’ve seen countless young people grow into environmentally conscious citizens, equipped with the knowledge and passion to make a difference.

“The Eco-Schools programme aligns with our wider organisational vision. We believe that through education, engagement and empowerment, we can change behaviours so that everyone can enjoy a beautiful, resilient, and healthy environment.

“This event not only serves as a platform to celebrate our continued achievements, but also as an urgent reminder on how important it is to continue to inspire and invest in our youth to ensure that future generations actively participate in environmental stewardship. We’re grateful to all our partners for their continued support and strongly encourage more schools to join the programme to give every child in Northern Ireland the opportunity to get involved.”

Rob Belt, Eco-Coordinator at Bessbrook Primary School who has been delivering his school’s programme, said, “Eco-Schools has changed how our young people see and engage with their environment. It integrates environmental awareness and action into all fabrics of day-to-day school life. Retaining our Green Flag status is tremendously important to our school as it is the benchmark that tells us we’re doing good by our students and by the environment.”

A key highlight of the anniversary event was the launch of Generation Nature – a new outdoor learning demonstration site at Stranmillis University College which will provide trainee teachers with the hands-on experience and practical skills essential for continuing the success of the Eco-Schools programme. The project has been developed in partnership with the college and is supported by Energia’s Greener Possibilities Fund.

Dr David McKee at Stranmillis University College said, “It's essential we continue to integrate environmental education into teacher training in Northern Ireland, to ensure that new teachers are equipped with the tools and the knowledge needed to strengthen our collective performance in Eco-Schools. Generation Nature will play an essential role in this endeavour – it’s a wonderful addition to the teacher training experience.”

Leo McKillion of RiverRidge, Northern Ireland’s leading waste and resource management company said, “We were delighted to be involved in this event. It is vital that we continue to both educate and listen to the next generation as we all strive to live in a more sustainable world. RiverRidge believes that schools play a key role in changing the environment by reducing waste and treating it as a valuable resource. Let’s keep working together to spread the word and change behaviour.”

For more information, please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org

Northern Ireland has already lost opportunities afforded by the Northern Ireland Climate Act to tackle the climate emergency due to Stormont being suspended for two years and the consequent lack of resources. Meeting targets to reduce emissions will be incredibly challenging, and changing behaviour to enable that will be even more difficult.

Yet it is critical that we put our best foot forward and make sure that we have the right frameworks in place at both UK-wide and Northern Ireland levels and that the resources to properly implement the necessary changes are available.

Northern Ireland cannot operate in isolation; it needs to work with the UK government, the Irish government, and the governments in the other devolved regions. It is critical that in the next mandate our Members of Parliament press for this cooperation and ensure that Northern Ireland is properly resourced in its efforts to fight the climate emergency. In this election, the climate and environment must be a top priority for our politicians, not just during the campaign but for the years ahead. If we take the right actions,

A Better Tomorrow is possible.

The local winners of the international Blue Flag Award and the UK-wide Seaside Award have been revealed for 2024. 

Five council areas have been rewarded for their work in maintaining environmental excellence. 

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful announced that 9 beaches and 7 marinas earned the prestigious Blue Flag Award distinction after meeting world-class standards in criteria such as safety, accessibility, cleanliness, environmental education and, for beaches, water quality. 

The local success does not end with the Blue Flag. A further 6 beaches received Seaside Awards, the UK’s mark of quality that ensures visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive, and well-managed coastal stretch. 

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: 

‘We are incredibly pleased to see so many local beaches and marinas have been successful at this year’s awards. Each flag shows the public that these are sites worth visiting and cherishing. Keeping our beaches tidy is essential to our environmental and economic future. 

I want to thank the many workers across winning sites who helped make this happen. Their work is critically important in making Northern Ireland a place with the best European beaches and marinas.’ 

The Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir said: “I am delighted that once again so many of Northern Ireland’s beaches have received the coveted Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, and that our first-class marinas have also been recognised. These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of those who manage our beaches. The awards let our citizens and people around the world know that Northern Ireland is open for business and that our beaches and marinas are clean, well-managed and safe to enjoy.” 

Mayors from across councils, and beach and marina operators were invited to collect the awards at a presentation ceremony at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, on 7th May. The occasion was organised by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, who manage the accreditations locally.  

This year’s awards ceremony was sponsored by the Slieve Donard Hotel, and supported by DAERA. 

The award-winning locations will now have their respective flags in place for the Northern Ireland bathing season, which runs from 01 June to 15 September. 

Notes to editors

Blue Flag Beach Award winners – Benone Beach, Castlerock Beach, Cranfield Bay, Downhill Strand, Murlough Beach, Portrush East Strand Beach, Portrush West Strand Beach, Tyrella Beach, Whiterocks Beach. 

Blue Flag Marina Award winners –Ballycastle Marina, Ballyronan Marina, Bangor Marina, Belfast Harbour Marina; Coleraine Marina, Portrush Harbour and Marina, Rathlin Marina. 

Seaside Award winners – Ballycastle Beach, Ballywalter South Beach, Cloughey Beach, Groomsport Beach, Millisle Beach, Waterfoot

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is a charity working towards the vision of a world where people and nature thrive, by running environmental-education programmes and awareness-raising campaigns, increasing volunteering opportunities and reporting on local environmental quality. Programmes include the national civic-pride campaign Live Here Love Here, Tackling Plastic NI, Tackling Textiles, Carbon Literacy training, and local environmental quality programmes, such as Eco-Schools NI, Blue Flag Award, Seaside Award, Green Flag Award, Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Marine Litter surveys. For more information, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org. 

DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division monitors Northern Ireland’s bathing water quality during the bathing season, which runs from 1 June through 15 September. During this time, water quality is assessed on 20 different occasions at each location.  The DAERA water quality assessment is used to determine which award is applicable.  The Blue Flag requires ‘Excellent’ status whereas the Seaside Award requires at least ‘Sufficient’ under the Bathing Water Regulations. 

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is launching our manifesto for the 2023 Local Elections.

In our manifesto you will find concrete ideas for how local government can help fight the climate emergency.

We have designed six simple steps for how you and your colleagues can lead the change for our planet.

Northern Ireland can become leaders in how we protect our environment and this manifesto helps chart the way.

We would be delighted to have your support for our ambitious proposals. Please help spread the word.

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has today launched a Plastic Free Events Guide. The manual aims to support positive change and build momentum to tackle the plastic problem here in Northern Ireland.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the guide provides wide-ranging actions that go beyond decreasing individual plastic consumption and focuses on how events, regardless of their size, can implement practical achievable measures for long-term change.

The guide is geared towards encouraging local businesses, councils, clubs, and all events organisers to reduce their dependence on single-use plastics, highlighting reusable alternatives that minimise unnecessary waste and pollution.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollution Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments, “Our aim is to increase awareness of the issues surrounding the use of plastics and in particular single-use plastics, which are typically thrown away after just one use. We want to motivate action to reduce consumption and get people to reuse and recycle. So, if you are an event organiser or venue, this guide is most certainly for you.”

The electronic booklet ensures that with some creative planning and practical steps, groups can work together on a journey to reduce their plastic footprint and create low – or zero – plastic events. It comes complete with 10 simple steps that organisations can follow along with two inspirational case studies from right here in Northern Ireland.

Chris continues, “Changes don’t have to cost a lot; in fact, by cutting down on some plastic-riddled giveaways, you would actually be saving money. But most importantly, by cutting down on single-use plastic, you are working towards repairing our environment and protecting our future.”

The Plastic Free Event Guide is available to download from www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/businesses-tackling-plastic

Environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has released its annual Cleaner Neighbourhoods report, which reveals a snapshot of the local environmental quality of all eleven council areas across Northern Ireland. While the overall picture of the streets has slightly improved after a worrying spike during the lockdowns of 2020, drinks packaging, including plastic bottles and disposable coffee cups, continues to be a major problem, with rural roads being disproportionately affected.

The report also recommends the use of nudge behaviour from councils to encourage the public to use bins where available. The number of areas surveyed that failed to meet acceptable standards of cleanliness is revealed within the report, down 3% from last year’s results with 15% of the areas surveyed now below standard. Dog fouling has also returned to pre-pandemic levels, following a dramatic increase in 2020, with instances of dog fouling recorded down 7% from last year to 6%.

Commenting on the report, Charmaine Beer from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said, “Whilst payments for ground litter by producers of packaging are not currently planned for Northern Ireland, they will pay costs for the management of packaging in street bins and will also pay for prevention activity for littered packaging such as communication campaigns targeting litterers. Under the new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme payments will be made by packaging producers to NI councils for management of household packaging waste from 2024, which will amount to £35million per year in NI. There will be clearer binary labelling on all packaging from 2026 to help consumers recycle correctly and plastic flexibles and film will have household collection for recycling from 2027. All of these will provide a great incentive to do the right thing.”

The findings from this year’s survey took a close analysis of litter related to food packaging, particularly drinks, with plastic bottle, hot drinks cups, lids and straws found in 50% of the areas surveyed. Most surprisingly, 90% of rural roads featured littered drinks packaging and cigarette butts remained the top item of litter found in NI, with 65% of all areas surveyed having so form of cigarette litter present.

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said, “With the environment once again on the top of the agenda as COP27 is underway, we are reminded that action is required globally and here in Northern Ireland.

“The amount of litter we are now having to deal with is extremely concerning – it’s not only unsightly but it has a real impact on council budgets, wasting money that could be spent on other public services and helping deal with the cost-of-living crisis. There’s no evidence to suggest that human nature has fundamentally changed over the past number of decades, but what has changed is the amount of plastic packaging being produced, which grown exponentially over the past 15 years, which is why it’s misleading to lay the problem entirely at the feet of the public. We need to have an honest conversation about this issue and that is why manufacturers and retailers need to step up and take their share of the cost of cleaning up the mess on our streets.”

Although the report reflects the army of litter-picking volunteers across Northern Ireland doing their best to keep our streets free from litter and a safe place for the public to come together, Charity CEO says more needs to be done to try and stop litter at the source.

Ian added, “We are very disappointed in the recent announcement that litter will not be retained in UK wide Extended Producer Responsibility legislation. This means the loss of millions of pounds annually which would have funded clean-up operations and alleviated the pressure on ratepayers. We believe this is a missed opportunity to ensure that packaging producers take on their share of the responsibility for this societal problem.”

For more information and to read the full Cleaner Neighbourhoods report visit: Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report (keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org)

Environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has released its latest Marine Litter Report, which reveals more than double the amount of litter on Northern Ireland’s beaches from the same period last year.

The 2021 Marine Litter Report (reports are published retrospectively) shows that, on average, 762 items of litter were found per 100 metres of beach surveyed; up from 375 items the previous year. A total of 36,587 items of litter were found throughout the survey period on Northern Ireland’s twelve survey beaches.

The surveys in Northern Ireland are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the data collected is fed into the International OSPAR Commission database to help in developing a global scientific understanding of this significant problem and to inform actions to address the issue.

Community-based campaign, Live Here Love Here is supporting communities across Northern Ireland to pitch in and help tackle the issue at local level and has issued a final call to apply for its Marine Litter Capital Grants Scheme. Funded by DAERA, applications are open to organisations and groups from across Northern Ireland until 16 September 2022.

Now in its second year, the scheme is making £198,000 available for ideas that help to prevent litter from entering Northern Ireland’s waterways, including lakes, coastlines and riverbanks.

The Marine Litter Report once again names and shames the worst culprits in terms of the type of materials found at the beach. Of the top ten most recorded items, five were made of plastic and polystyrene, many of which were broken down into small pieces. 81% of all litter recorded was plastic, which commonly includes drinks and fast food or snack packaging and lids.

Other commonly found items included discarded PPE as well as short pieces of string, cord and rope, and heavy-duty gloves, which saw a resurgence during the survey period, despite having decreased steadily in previous years.

Commenting on the Marine Litter Report, Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA said, “Naturally, I am disappointed that the levels of litter recorded on our beautiful coastline increased during 2021. It is especially disappointing considering the downward trend which started back in 2018.

I remain optimistic, however, that the coordinated approach my Department has adopted, including forthcoming legislation to increase the maximum fixed penalty available to councils for litter offences to £200, will ultimately be successful and the blight of plastic pollution will one day be a thing of the past.

I am proud that my Department has sponsored initiatives such as the Marine Litter Capital Grants scheme which is managed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The scheme funded a range of novel and interesting projects during 2021. The 2022 scheme is now open for applications and I would encourage everyone to get involved.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has removed litter from our environment and would encourage everyone not to litter; please leave no trace.”

Helen Tomb, from Live Here Love Here partnership, which is managed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, and which administers the marine litter grants, added:

“Marine litter, particularly plastics, has an incredibly negative effect on animals and eventually on humans, as it proceeds up the food chain. We are proud to deliver the Marine Litter Capital Grants scheme for a second consecutive year. Funded by DAERA, it was extremely successful last year with a real mix of practical and creative entries. The overall aim is to prevent litter from reaching the marine environment, and as 80 per cent of marine litter comes from land-based activities, grants are available for projects right across Northern Ireland. The deadline for applications is fast approaching, so we would strongly encourage those eligible to apply and help us to make Northern Ireland cleaner, greener and safer.”

Read the full Marine Litter Report at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/marinelitter. More information on the Marine Litter Capital Grants is available at www.liveherelovehere.org/marinelittergrants.

Ends.

For more information and interview requests please contact Navigator Blue:

Annette McCormick

a.mccormick@navigatorblue.com

075 6387 4593

Today Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful launches its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections. The manifesto outlines specific proposals to help MLAs make improvements to our environment over the next five years. This year our message is simple; Better is Possible.

Speaking about the launch of the manifesto, our Chief Executive Ian Humphreys said;

“We want Northern Ireland to become a leader in fighting the Climate Emergency. Instead of feeling like this problem is too complex or impossible to solve, we believe that Better is Possible. We have made some important strides forward with the passage of Climate Change legislation but there is still so much more work to do. Our manifesto sets out some of the next steps forward.

"I would encourage all candidates to support our positive plans to help make a real difference. Better is Possible for Northern Ireland and our organisation is committed to playing its part to make that happen"

Read our manifesto below.