This post was contributed by blogger Hannah Watson, and focuses on where to keep updated and informed about the important up and coming Lisbon Treaty. Hannah also who writes about the taking educational classes online on her website onlineclasses.org. She welcomes your feedback at HannahWatson84@ yahoo.com.
Great Places to Learn More about the Libson Treaty Debate
The Treaty of Lisbon, otherwise known as the reform treaty, created in 2007 was intended to change the inner workings of the European Union, modifying them from the Treaty on European Union that first brought European nations together. The first drafts of the treaty were created in 2001 but were rejected by both French and Dutch representatives. The revised Lisbon treaty was originally intended to be ratified by the end of 2008 so that it would be in place for the 2009 elections, yet the treaty has not been ratified by all EU member states, even as the end of 2009 is nearing as Irish voter objections have held up its adoption. While the first vote in 2008 shot down the treaty, a second referendum is expected to be held in early October to further address the matter.
Those who want to learn more about the ongoing debate over the adoption of this treaty and whether or not Ireland will join with other European nations or remain on its own can check out these great news resources.
·Treaty of Lisbon on Wikipedia: You can learn about the history of the treaty from it’s beginnings to the present day through this site and even find country specific information.
·BBC Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty: Read through this to find answers to many of the questions you yourself might have about the treaty and the possibility (or not) of its ratification.
·The Lisbon Treaty: This site is created and maintained by the Irish government. On it, you’ll find an explanation of the treaty, legal assurances, white papers, speeches and pretty much everything you could possibly need to keep up with and understand the ins and outs of the treaty.
·The Lisbon Treaty for dummies: If politics aren’t really your thing, not to worry. This article breaks down the treaty into easy to understand portions so you can stay educated and informed as a voter.
·Independent.ie: This news site is a great place to check regularly to find updates on the latest news about everything Irish, including the debate over the Lisbon Treaty.
·Battle Lines Drawn Over the Lisbon Treaty: Read through this article from the Irish Times to get a better sense of who stands where and why.
·Lisbon Treaty.org: If you still feel like you don’t know enough about the treaty you can visit this EU site that explains all the relevant information about it, as well as links to blogs where you can read current commentary on it.
