The contribution of a local charity to life in Galway was celebrated at an event in the city this afternoon.
COPE Galway provides services to those experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence and older people across the county.
Since it was founded 60 years ago, the organisation has assisted thousands of people, largely through the work of a team of volunteers wanting to contribute positively to the social fabric of the area.
Today's event, in the Druid Theatre, featured panel discussions, reminiscences and a keynote address from the former deputy head of the World Health Organisation, Dr Mike Ryan.
Former president, Michael D Higgins, a patron of the charity, was the guest of honour.
The Chair of COPE Galway, Padraic Timon, told those in attendance that the success of a country should not be measured materially, but in how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.
He said that there was a person behind every statistic and that this was the guiding principle behind the work carried out by the organisation.
Originally known as the Galway Social Service Council, COPE says it is focused on bringing about lasting change in the lives of those it works with. Deputy CEO Martin O'Connor said this meant greater equality and having an environment where human rights were upheld and promoted at every opportunity.
He said there had been an acknowledgement of the need for such ambition, allied with some improvements, in the six decades since the charity was established.
"Coming into the seventh decade, it’s definitely still very challenging but there are very positive things that are happening. We now have a far more, agile and professional organisation.
"There's a recognition from the State of the need to put their hands in their pocket to provide the funding and provide the resources that are necessary," he said.
Mr O’Connor cited an increased awareness of domestic violence as one of the big developments in recent times.
"This is something that is age-old, that has always been there. Very often it was hidden, where women continued to live feeling unsafe and being unsafe. Now it's far more out in the light, far more out in the open. And that's a very positive development, alongside all of the challenges that are still there."
As part of his contribution to the gathering, Dr Ryan said the "spectre of child homelessness in this country" was something everyone needed to consider. He said that while universal measures were effective at achieving certain goals, there was a need to target assistance and target resources, to fix the worst problems.
"I think right now, having children living in emergency accommodation, learning to walk in hotel rooms with no social or no environmental stimulation, that’s something I think we want to be very specific about. I think that can be solved if everyone puts their minds to it," he said.
Dr Ryan contended that the example provided by COPE Galway shows individual actions can lead to collective improvements.
"Each and every person needs to ask themselves, what's most important in my life? What can I do today? Who can I write to? What can I join? Can I become a volunteer? Can I visit homeless people? Can I visit homeless children and provide some support? What can I do to address this problem?
"Because we're othering the problem. It's somebody else's fault. We live in a rich, diverse economy. We're smart and intelligent people. Surely we can solve this problem. Surely we can solve this problem collectively, together, not by blaming others, but by putting our shoulder to the wheel and actually getting the job done.
"When we want to address fundamental problems in our society, sometimes we push them to the government and say, well, that's their job. That's the politicians, and it is their job, but it's also our job. And COPE represents that coming together of professionals with community to deliver these services together, co-design, co-delivery and co-accountability by everyone, to do the job," added Dr Ryan.
COPE Galway CEO, Michael Smyth, also honed in on that theme. He said it was "important to recognise that the organisation hadn’t just grown over the last 60 years. It's been built by volunteers who just wouldn't look away when they saw something they didn't want to see.
"It's built by the people of Galway, the community that stepped forward when there was a need. By people who shared [a] common goal for the common good across all society," added Mr Smyth.
