21st Afri Famine Walk on 30th May
The Afri Famine Walk 2009 takes place from Doolough to Louisburgh, Co. Mayo on Saturday 30th May 2009, beginning at 2pm and the theme is ‘Power concedes nothing without demand’. The Walk Leaders are Willie and Mary Corduff (Erris), Philip Ikurusi (Niger Delta), Gary Whitedeer (Choctaw) with Donal O'Kelly and Sorcha Fox performing a short extract from the writings of Frederick Douglass. Read more about the annual Famine Walk on the Afri website - the famine walk retraces ‘a journey of horror’ which local people made through the Doolough Valley on the night and morning of 30-31 March 1849. Organised by Afri, with Louisburgh Community Project. Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7. Ph 01 - 882 7563/7581, fax 01 - 882 7576, e-mail: afri@iol.ie, web http://www.afri.ie and go to Development Education page.
Feasta: New Emergency Conference
Feasta are organising a major conference from 10th – 12th June at All Hallows College, Dublin, on the theme ‘Managing risk and building resilience in a resource constrained world’. Drawing a parallel with 1939, they state that the world is facing a ‘new emergency’. This conference, marking Feasta's tenth anniversary, will analyse the systems and the mindsets that have steered the world onto its grotesquely unsustainable current path. Discussions will focus on the new systems (financial, energy, food) and ways of thinking that are urgently required to correct the situation and bring about a rapid transition to a more secure future. Many of the ideas explored are Feasta's.
Others will be presented by international speakers who broadly share Feasta's analysis of what needs to be done to build a truly sustainable world. Speakers include Eamon Ryan, Dmitry Orlov, Richard Douthwaite, Chris Vernon, Julian Darley, David Korowicz, Dan Sullivan, Emer O’Siuchru, Ludwig Schuster and Bruce Darrell. Early Bird Rates until May 22nd (after which c.15% increase): Conference Fees for the three day event including public lecture - Corporate/Government Rate €360, NGO Rate €170, Feasta Member Rate €150. Corporate Day Rate €180, NGO/Feasta Day Rate €100. With Conference Dinner (on June 11th): €35 - Deadline for booking Conference Dinner is May 22nd. Limited number of scholarships available.
Kerry Earth Day, 10th anniversary, 10th May in Tralee
Kerry Earth Day is an opportunity to enjoy, and experience ways to live lightly & responsibly within God’s creation. It is an initiative of the Kerry Diocesan Justice, Peace & Creation Committee (JPCC) and has been held annually since 1999 in different venues: Tralee, Béal, Gortbrack, Miltown, & Lyreacrompane. This year, its 10th Anniversary, the Day is being organised by the Kerry Earth Day Committee in association with the Kerry Diocesan JPCC and local voluntary and environmental organisations, with the theme ‘Living Sustainably in the Kingdom’. It takes place on Sunday 10th May in Tralee with a wide range of workshops to suit all interests. Venues are St John’s parish centre in Castle Street and KDYS in Denny Street. Numbers limited on some events so booking advisable. Further info: website http://www.dioceseofkerry.ie (click on Justice and Peace) or e-mail: ritakelly2009@hotmail.com or phone 087 745 6681 (Anne).
Corrymeela – director sought, events
The Corrymeela Community is currently advertising for a Centre Director who will take responsibility for the overall management and development of the Corrymeela Centre; closing date is 18th May and you can get an application pack from Anne McDonagh, Corrymeela House, 8 Upper Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT, ph 028 – 9050 8080 or e-mail annemcdonagh@corrymeela.org
Meanwhile there are two open events at the Ballycastle Centre on the weekend of Friday 15th to Sunday 17th May: 1. Corrymeela Friends Weekend - An opportunity to learn more about peace-building in Northern Ireland and Corrymeela's work for reconciliation, and to consider the lessons for our own local churches and communities. 2. Radical Love - A retreat for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, to explore issues of faith and spirituality in context with personal sexuality. Anyone interested in these can contact Anne McDonagh as above.
Irish neutrality – meeting and seminar
Quaker Dublin Monthly Meeting Peace Committee and the Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE), Trinity College Dublin, are organising a meeting on Friday 8th May and a day seminar the following day, Saturday 9th May, on "Neutrality and Irish identity: lessons from international experience". The Friday evening meeting takes place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin from 6 – 8 pm, chaired by Maurice Hayes with Irish and European speakers. The seminar is on Saturday 9th May from 9 am – 4 pm at ISE, Bea House, Milltown Park, Dublin 6; Irish speakers include Senator Deirdre de Burca, Professor Ivana Bacik, Dr Noel Dorr and Professor John Maguire, with European speakers from Austria, Sweden and Switzerland, and there are also themed working groups in the afternoon. People in Ireland are proud of being neutral, but very uncertain about what that means - this seminar will discuss the current state of Irish neutrality in its European context. Book if you intend to be present at the seminar - this is important because of restricted space. A light lunch will be provided. Contact: smccrum@eircom.net or phone 01-679 3279 / 087-947 4459.
Amnesty Human Rights handbook
Amnesty International Ireland has produced 'Building Ireland's Future: A Human Rights Handbook.' The Handbook is a new tool to help community & voluntary organisations to put human rights based approaches (HRBA) into practice. It focuses on the principles of HRBA and how they can be used in organisational development, service provision, lobbying & communications. It aims to be a practical resource for organisations working on a wide range of issues. The handbook is for Irish voluntary and community sector organisations which have a basic knowledge of, or interest in, human rights based approaches and want to apply them in their organisations. It should be viewed as a starting point in the process of applying HRBA, rather than a complete guide to becoming an HRBA organisation. Copies will be available to buy at a cost of €10, while a free version is available for download at the Amnesty website For information please contact Rosalind McKenna, HRBA Coordinator at rmckenna@amnesty.ie or ph 01 - 863 8300.
Why Violence? Including Alternative Turner (Cartoon) Prize
Why Violence?, the campaign for violence reduction, is organising a cartoon competition for second-level students. Students are asked to create a cartoon conveying the idea that violent behaviour is unacceptable. Each school is encouraged to run its own internal cartoon competition, from which the top three entries will be selected locally and then submitted by email for display in the national contest.
Final adjudication will be by Martyn Turner of the Irish Times. The winning entry will receive a prize of €500, and the cartoon will be circulated to the media for publication, and may also be used in Why Violence? promotional material. The teacher who organises the school contest that produces the winning entry will receive a framed original Martyn Turner cartoon. Entries in black and white and not exceeding A4 size should be emailed to whyviolence@gmail.com Student’s, teacher’s and school’s names should be stated on the covering email. The closing date for submission of artworks is September 21st. Meanwhile Olive Hobson of Quaker House is acting as a Northern contact for Why Violence? So if you're in the North and have any queries or issues you can get in touch with her at mobile 07779597647 or e-mail is olivehobson@btinternet.com For background, see news items in NN 167 and 163 and text of their leaflet in e-mail and web editions of NN 168.
Day of action against Shell at Glengad
Rossport Solidarity Camp has called the first of what they say will be many days of action against Shell this year for Saturday 9th May and are calling for people to come to Erris; see here. The Rossport Solidarity Camp is being rebuilt near the shore and there is also space to sleep and work at the house and office. Come and help us rebuild the camp and take direct action against Shell. For information about the upcoming Summer Gathering at the camp from 29th May to 1st June see here
Peace People discussions
The Peace People are hosting a series of discussion evenings in Belfast. The May events are Thursday 7th May, 7.00 – 8.30 pm on “What are the distinctive characteristics of Protestant culture in NI?” and Thursday 28th May, same time, “Is it possible to talk about peace when money is short?”. Both events take place at Peace House, 224 Lisburn Road, opposite Roast Café. Contact Marianne Jacobs for info or to confirm attendance; 07775452393, e-mail M.T.Jacobs@students.uu.nl
Oppose Dublin airport expansion
We don’t have any information beyond a flyer advertising the website www.euroflashmob.com which in turn promises more info on the Dublin event ‘soon’. ‘Europe United Against Airport Expansion’ is organising demos at various cities at 12 noon on Saturday 16th May – the day of the Eurovision Song contest (!) Wear a red t-shirt and party at the airport….
Knock Peace Academy
Marking the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul’s 1979 visit to Ireland, in this the UN Year of Reconciliation, Pax Christi is organising a three and a half day conference-retreat, from 9th – 13th August, and the cost has come down to €290 per head. The aim is to learn peace skills, and be inspired by personal journeys of hope from speakers including Nuala O’Loan, Fr Alex Reid, Bishop Donal McKeown, Rev Ruth Patterson, Ann Patterson, Fr Brian O’Toole and Sean O’Boyle. Contact Pax Christi Ireland for information or booking form: Gearóid Duffy at 086 - 129 33 84. Please e-mail to both addresses: cultureofpeace@gmail.com (Gearóid Duffy, Chairperson) & conference@paxchristi.ie (Tony D’Costa, General Secretary, 01-496 52 93).
WRI: Support for conscientious objectors
Currently more than 450 conscientious objectors are in prison, usually for 18 months, in South Korea. International Conscientious Objectors Day is on 15th May this year, and War Resisters International (WRI) is calling on people to write a letter protesting South Korea’s failure to recognise conscientious objection; President Lee Myung-bak, 1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, or by e-mail to foreign@president.go.kr WRI is also working in support of Israeli, and many other COs and related organisations. You can financially support WRI’s work with COs; WRI, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, e-mail info@wri-irg.org and http://wri-irg.org
A T-shirt, not an ARAN jumper
ARAN, the Animal Rights Action Network, has a new black t-shirt with the ARAN logo emblazoned across the front of the t-shirt. In various sizes, the t-shirt costs €25.00 including postage and packing and your donation will be used wisely and efficiently to educate children to be kind have respect and compassion towards little animals. Contact ARAN at arancampaigns@eircom.net For more information about ARAN see http://www.aran.ie
New on our Flickr photo site: Disarmament 2001+
This is a set of a couple of dozen photos, currently all Northern, of various disarmament activities and events since 2001 and the start of the Afghan war, including a variety of focuses. As always, we are happy to take suggestions and additions for our photo sets.
INNATE networking group meets next at 7pm on Friday 22nd May in Corrymeela House, 8 Upper Crescent, Belfast – all welcome, enquiries welcome.
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