Afri Doolough Famine Walk: Remembrance and Solidarity
The annual – since 1988 – Doolough Famine Walk in Co Mayo organised by Afri takes place on Saturday 17th May with the theme ‘Sowing Seeds of Change: In Remembrance and Solidarity’. The walk brochure states that the theme “calls on us to honour the lives needlessly lost during An Gorta Mór—the Great Hunger—by confronting the enduring injustices of our time in solidarity with communities affected today.” Walk leaders are Clare O’Grady Walshe, Paul Laverty, Eman Mohammed and music is by Farah Elle. The Walk just goes one way Doolough-Louisburgh (17 km) compared to the 1849 famine walk when people died by the score going to Doolough from Louisburgh looking for relief from the Poor Law Commissioners, being refused, and attempting to return. The participation fee, including bus to Doolough from Louisburgh, is €30, €20 concessions, and registration is from 11am in Louisburgh and the opening ceremony takes place at 12 noon. More information and booking at https://tinyurl.com/mvsk6ppn and the Afri website is at www.afri.ie
The Legacy Of Frank Aiken – and the role of small countries
An hour long video of the inputs at the Dublin seminar on ‘The Legacy of Frank Aiken and the role of small countries in times of danger and uncertainty’, which took place on 2nd April 2025, organised by Lex Innocentium and the Irish School of Ecumenics, is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0HP1qNtUSg The talks are by Dr. Stephen Kelly (Liverpool Hope University), Dr. Patrick Bresnihan (Maynooth University) and Dr. John Maguire, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at University College Cork and provide a valuable input on Ireland’s non-aligned and peacemaking past and compares it with the current attempt to fully integrate Ireland into an EU-NATO militarist alliance.
European Peace Project launch 80 years after Europe war end
9th May sees the launch of a European Peace Project including the declaration “We are ashamed of our governments and the EU, which have not learned the lessons of the 20th century. The EU, once conceived as a peace project, has been perverted and has thus betrayed the essence of Europe! We, the citizens of Europe, are therefore taking our destiny and our history into our own hands today, on May 9. We declare the EU a failure. We start with citizen diplomacy and refuse the planned war against Russia! We recognize the co-responsibility of the “West”, the European governments and the EU in this conflict.” https://europeanpeaceproject.eu/ Lex Innocentium 21st Century is backing this and will launch an Irish manifesto at the GPO in Dublin at 4pm Irish time on 9th May while other readings of the manifesto may take place, e.g. Newbridge (Co Kildare) and Galway. https://lexinnocentium21.ie/
AVP/Alternatives on Violence Project: 50, 30
This year AVP celebrates 50 years of work internationally – and has been running in Ireland for over 30 years (in the Republic – sadly attempts to get it going in the North have not come to fruition). It is defined as is a network of volunteers running workshops for anyone who wants to find ways of resolving conflict without resorting to violence. Workshops explore the underlying causes of anger and violence with empathy and are experiential, creating a safe space for sharing; they take place both in prisons and the community. In the first quarter of the year AVP Ireland ran 8 workshops with over 70 participants. The AVP Ireland website at https://avpireland.ie/ gives much more information including portraits of the board members, information on volunteering and contacts. The email address is info@avpireland.ie You can also support the work financially at https://donate.stripe.com/14kaFy5l15GH70QdQQ
ICCL: New director, know your rights on protest
The new executive director of ICCL, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, is Joe O’Brien who has a wide variety of experience in the community and voluntary sector for over twenty years. He is a former Green TD and Minister for State. The upcoming conference on policing on 19th May in Dublin looks at Policing Far-Right Intimidation in the Republic of Ireland and includes contributions from CAJ and the North; details on www.iccl.ie Meanwhile in the current environment ICCL has been publicising its Know Your Rights – The Right to Protest (2019) https://www.iccl.ie/your-rights/#protest Points they give include that you can film interactions with Gardaí, that is allowed, and that you can’t be moved on without reason – Gardaí must give you a reason when asking you to move.
l The Know Your Rights to Protest guide for Northern Ireland is available to download at https://caj.org.uk/publications/submissions-and-briefings/know-your-rights-the-right-to-protest/ It is produced by CAJ (Committee on the Administration of Justice), Public Interest Litigation Support (PILS), Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI) and Friends of the Earth (FoE) .
Roger Cole retires as PANA chair
Roger Cole, veteran campaigner for Irish neutrality, recently retired as the Chairperson of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA). Roger co-founded PANA in 1996 with peace campaigner Carol Fox, who originally thought it was to be a Neutrality/peace study group! However, Roger had plans for a more activist peace organisation and for nearly thirty years he has overseen the development of PANA into one of the main anti-war groups in Ireland, with membership and affiliation across the island. However Roger has now stepped down and the new elected Chairperson will be announced in June.
PANA has been highlighting the value of Ireland’s neutrality, our role as UN peacekeepers, and our history as initiators and supporters of various arms control and disarmament treaties. The threats posed to neutrality by the ongoing militarisation of the European Union have been a major focus of PANA’s campaigning and the group vigorously opposed both the Nice and Lisbon Treaties, helping to ensure their defeat and the need for the Government to rerun the referendums with assurances attached to address the Irish voters concerns about neutrality being compromised. PANA also helped organise opposition to the Iraq and Afghan wars and is currently campaigning on both Ukraine and Gaza. The issue of Shannon Airport’s use by the US military has been constantly highlighted, exposed and opposed, and the war in Gaza has witnessed the transport of US weapons to Israel through Shannon and through Irish airspace.
Currently the Irish Government is intending to eliminate Ireland’s Triple Lock (Roger Cole authored a campaigning leaflet on the TL), which ensures that Irish troops serving abroad must have a UN mandate as well as Government and Dail approval. This is being done in order to facilitate Irish involvement in evolving EU military initiatives, including full participation in EU Battlegroups. The Government is refusing to have a plebiscite/referendum on this important policy change and also refused to have a People’s Assembly (a procedure it has used successfully with other important public issues) to discuss its implications. Instead, a Consultative Forum on International Security Policy was established in 2023 to address such issues as neutrality, cyber security, relations with NATO and the triple lock. There were a number of panel discussions across the country with Questions and Answers sessions. The panels were heavily biased and PANA’s Roger Cole was one of the few pro-neutrality speakers. The Government now points to this ‘consultative’ process as supporting the elimination of the Triple Lock.
The Government knows from constant public opinion polls (some commissioned by PANA) that neutrality is strongly supported by the Irish people (over 70%). And PANA will continue its strong campaigning work to hold the Government to account on this issue. Roger has left a strong legacy in his retirement and we’re sure PANA will continue to promote the anti-war message.
Contacts: +353 87 2611597 +353 87 2937558 contactpana3@gmail.com or info@pana.ie website www.pana.ie
Creativity in cultural peace work, Feminists and military power
Upcoming sessions run by the Mitchell Institute at QUB, Belfast, include 1) ‘Creativity in Cultural Peace Work: Opportunities and Challenges’ from 12 noon to 4pm on 15th May; this workshop aims to bring together various people to examine the significant relationship between creativity, culture and peace in Northern Ireland. https://tinyurl.com/2pkmupy5 2) On 17th June from 6.00 – 7.30 pm there is a lecture on ‘What feminists reveal when they investigate masculinities: the case of military ‘manpower’ ’ with Prof Cynthia Enloe as speaker; this “will explore how and why military recruiters – in Myanmar, Fiji, UK, Russia, Ukraine, US – wield popular hopes and anxieties about “manliness” to build their forces. Feminists have shown that governments depend on (and worry about!) women in their often-failed efforts.” https://tinyurl.com/5cdfdrww
VSI: Summer opportunities, volunteer positions
For 2025, VSI/Voluntary Service International has over 200 short-term volunteer projects happening across Europe including promoting nonviolence and veganism in Finland with Food Not Bombs, running activities for children in Poland, or helping preserve Ireland’s native woodlands in Killarney National Park. These short term projects are usually two weeks and an opportunity to see and learn about places while contributing in a very different way to being a tourist. See https://www.vsi.ie/latest/volunteer-for-peace-with-voluntary-service-international-in/ for more details. VSI have many other opportunities including longer term volunteer projects in Europe and the Global South and global citizenship activities.
lMeanwhile VSI are seeking two full-time volunteers for funded positions on its staff team for one year, a Programmes Officer and a Marketing and Communications Officer. Applications can only be accepted from residents in the Republic (because of the funding) aged 18 – 30. See https://www.vsi.ie/latest/join-the-vsi-team-as-an-esc-volunteer-two-roles-available/ and closing date is 5th May.
FOE Youth Climate Gathering
Friends of the Earth Ireland is hosting a Youth Climate Gathering from Friday 18th July to Sunday 20th July 2025 at Brú Moytura Eco Lodge, County Sligo. It is open to people aged 18 – 30 and the aim is to swap campaign tips and sharpen organising skills. More info at https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/events/youth-climate-gathering/
Rochtain workshops; Lobbying, political structures, communication
ICCL’s Rochtain training programme has different online workshops coming up. 1) Thursday May 8th 11:00-12:30 Understanding Your Obligations Under the 2015 Lobbying Act – Training Being Delivered by the Standards in Public Office Commission. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jezGD5zBQoWWi872vkr47Q 2) Thursday May 29th 11:00-13:00 The “New” Oireachtas, Understanding Irish Political Structures and Where to find Information
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wil0cb7RSTWLArldh7yD3Q 3) Wednesday June 4th 11:00- 13:00 Effective Political Communications for NGOs https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xeq5c4INQ3q2qkQuKfdrIw See also https://www.iccl.ie/activism-protest/rochtain/
Pope Francis on nonviolence
A 73-page compilation or compendium of the thoughts and writings of Pope Francis on nonviolence, compiled by Ken Butigan, appears on the Pax Christi International website at https://paxchristi.net/thank-you-your-holiness/ (scroll down to “Pope Francis’ Legacy on Nonviolence”). This includes statements, references and full documents on or referring to the topic and is a valuable resource both for Christians and in general.
Sudanese work for peace
An account by a Sudanese peace activist, Mamoun, of work for peace in the incredibly difficult situation there appears on the WRI/War Resisters’ International website at https://wri-irg.org/en/story/2025/resilience-times-war-how-wri-members-sudan-are-sustaining-their-work-peace
EU rampant rearmament
For a quick run down on further militarisation efforts by the EU, see page 10 of the QCEA/Quaker Council for European Affairs publication ‘Around Europe’ for March, download at https://www.qcea.org/ See also ENAAT/European Network Against Arms trade at https://enaat.org/
Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance: Past….and future?
Marking UN Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day on 26th April, Chernobyl Children International and its voluntary CEO Adi Roche issued a statement on current dangers there: “…on St Valentine’s Day 2025, the world woke up to news that Chernobyl had been attacked and the sarcophagus that is meant to protect humanity – once deemed impregnable – was breached. This emboldened act heightens the risk of another devastating nuclear catastrophe demonstrating that nuclear facilities, once considered off-limits, are now pawns in geopolitical warfare……Since the beginning of the war and the invasion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in February 2022, CCI have been advocating for all nuclear facilities be deemed a ‘No War Zone’ and for World Leaders to invoke the Hague Convention which defines any attack on a nuclear facility to be a ‘war crime’. However, with the weaponising of nuclear power at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia, the country falls further and further away from the confines of safety……” https://www.chernobyl-international.com/