Just A Second! in Galway City, 31st May

Just a Second_WEB

Just A Second!

An early afternoon interlude of film, art, music and words

On the theme of Afri’s Education for Liberation programme with Gort Community School, Coláiste Einde and Salerno Secondary School in Galway

Saturday 31st May 2014

12 noon until 1.30pm

At Galway City Museum, Spanish Arch

Featuring the premiere of a short film by distinguished film-maker Dave Donnellan

and paintings by Choctaw artist Gary White Deer

Speakers:

 

Choctaw Gary White Deer

and

Dreamer, schemer, hitcher for hope and member of President’s Council of State Ruairí McKiernan

with contributions from

poet, songwriter and dramatist Pete Mullineaux,

educationalist and environmentalist Rose Kelly

and Galway One World Centre

Admission free, but please let us know if you intend to be there: admin@afri.ie or 01 8827563

Music and refreshments provided

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Afri gratefully acknowledges the support of WorldWise Global Schools and Concern

Shamrock Shame and Shannon: Short film

A short film made by Dave Donnellan on behalf of Afri to highlight the volume of military traffic through Shannon and the implications this has for Ireland as a supposedly “neutral” country. Afri board member, John Maguire, describes Shannon: “as much a war port as an airport”.

Hands off Our Genes!

“We are the last frontier in a Europe that is looking for GM free food” Clare Keane.

A film about the dangers of allowing Teagasc to field test GM potatoes in Ireland. With contributions from Afri chairperson Andy Storey, Clare Keane, and former Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, Denis Halliday.

Film by Dave Donnellan.

Impressions from Afri’s Féile Bríde 2012

Saturday 4th February 2012, Kildare Town

Mayra Gomez and Herman Tintaya carry the Brigid Flame
Colaiste Éinde students performing "What If"
Colaiste Éinde students performing “What If”

At the start of Afri’s Feile Bride, the pupils of Coláiste Éinde, under the direction of Pete Mullineaux, staged a remarkable drama that asked the question “what if?”. What if the world was organised differently, in a spirit of cooperation and compromise rather than of conflict and greed? I was reminded of a story told about the Irish revolutionary Peadar O’Donnell, who wrote an article critical of his erstwhile colleague Eamon De Valera and his record in government, especially the fact that half a million people emigrated from Ireland under De Valera’s stewardship. The story goes that De Valera rang O’Donnell to protest, claiming that had O’Donnell been Taoiseach half a million people would still have emigrated. To which O’Donnell replied, “Yes, Eamon, but not the same half million”. I like to think of the very different Ireland we might have now if those who had left had been able to stay, and if those we could have most done without had departed: what if? Continue reading “Impressions from Afri’s Féile Bríde 2012”

Impressions from Hedge School 2011: Climate Change, Conflict and Famine

Saturday, 1 October 2011, Kimmage DSC, Dublin 12

Christine Nalubega

The 2011 Afri Hedge School took place in Kimmage Development Studies Centre (KDSC) in Dublin for the second year running.  You can watch a short film of the highlights from the day, made by Dave Donnellan, by clicking here!

Abjata Khalif

The theme was Climate Change and how this has impacted on developing countries resulting in famine and wars. Abjata Khalif, a pastoralist from Kenya, spoke about how climate change has affected pastoralists in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, and in particular how the current famine in the Horn of Africa has caused great hardship for many, resulting in a surge in refugees and other social problems. Continue reading “Impressions from Hedge School 2011: Climate Change, Conflict and Famine”

Famine Walk 2011 – “Planting Seeds of Food Sovereignty”

Famine Walk Leader Gary Whitedeer. Photo by Derek Speirs
Famine Walk Leader Juan Carlos Contreras. Photo by Derek Speirs
Justine Nantale. Photo by Derek Speirs

Afri would like to thank the brave one hundred and fifty people or so who joined us on the stormy Saturday, 21st May to complete our Annual Famine Walk! Thanks also to all those who supported us by getting sponsorship or by giving a donation.

Continue reading “Famine Walk 2011 – “Planting Seeds of Food Sovereignty””

Food is Our Future

Keep Ireland GM Free

Press Release, 21 February 2011

Clodagh McKenna, Clare O’Grady Walshe & Ruairi Quinn advocating a ‘GM-Free Ireland’

Leading chef and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna, joined people from the food, farming, conservation and human rights sectors in Dublin today to raise awareness about the inherent dangers of new moves to allow a relaxing of laws in relation to genetically modified food and feed. These major changes are occurring in the final days of the Fianna Fáil Government, as Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith heads to Brussels tomorrow Tuesday 22nd for a vote which will have far reaching implications for Ireland’s future in Food.

Continue reading “Food is Our Future”

Famine Walk 2010 – ‘Hunger in a World of Plenty: Sowing Seeds of Hope’

Afri would like to thank the hundreds of people who joined us on a wonderful sunny day for our 22nd Annual Famine Walk from Doolough to Louisburgh on Saturday, 22 May.

The walk leaders Justin Kilcullen of Trócaire, Felicity Lawrence, writer and journalist for the Guardian, and Jo Newton of the Irish Seed Savers Association opened the event with short reflections on the walk theme: Hunger in a World of Plenty: Sowing Seeds of Hope.

The various speakers outlined how the injustices that led to the Irish Great Famine continue today in terms of unequal global food distribution and the way in which multinational companies increasingly control agriculture and the food processing system, while small farmers and food producers struggle to survive. A linking thread was that food insecurity will continue and intensify today unless we tackle issues such as loss of biodiversity, global warming, corporate control of food production, and the patenting and aggressive marketing of genetically modified seeds.

Afri Famine Walk 2010 from Dave Donnellan on Vimeo.

Continue reading “Famine Walk 2010 – ‘Hunger in a World of Plenty: Sowing Seeds of Hope’”