Author: Afri

Dear friends and supporters of Afri,

This season provides an opportunity to look back on the year that’s gone and to look forward to the year ahead.

But it is – especially – an opportunity to thank all of you, our friends and comrades for your backing and generous support throughout 2023. This was an extremely difficult year, especially for those living with the impact of climate change and wars, including in Ukraine. But all the wars around the world are a source of immense suffering as well as deep sadness and frustration at the abuse of power by a relatively small group of political leaders and warmongers. The people of Palestine are particularly in our thoughts at this time as they, especially the children, are enduring the latest phase of a brutal assault characterised by war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Appropriately, peace is the theme of this year’s Calendar, where we highlight notable Irish Women Peacemakers, past and present.

Our climate justice work also continues through the Solar Lights Project in Kenya: together with our partner organisations Development Pamoja and Kenya Pastoralist Journalist Network, we continue to provide solar lamps – a clean and safe source of light – to families in rural Kenya, thanks to your generous support. A short film about the project is available on our YouTube channel here.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift this festive season, we would appreciate if you would consider supporting our work by purchasing our Calendar 2024 (at €10 including postage) or a Solar Lamp at €15 (when you buy your light(s) we will send you a gift card which you can retain or pass on to your chosen recipient — please make sure to include an address). Additionally, our Famine Walk CD ‘Music from A Dark Lake’, which includes 18 tracks by some of Ireland’s greatest artists all of whom have performed at the Famine Walk, is available on our website at €10 along with our recent publication on Irish Neutrality ‘A Force for Good?’ (at €10 including postage) and our An Gorta Mór badge at €3. Purchasing these gifts is another way of supporting our work as well as a way of introducing your friends and colleagues to Afri.

To find out about other gift options available and to place an order, please  go to https://www.afri.ie/donate/ (The way to purchase is by clicking the “donate” button at the top of the page ‘donating’ the cost of your purchase and indicating the gift you’ve chosen in the message box.)

Thank you again for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Joe Murray