Responding to injustice in the world caused by war and other violent conflict
Afri will once again begin our calendar year with an informal gathering at the bench in Stephens Green commemorating Louie Bennett and her companion Helen Chevenix. All are welcome to meet there at 1 pm on her birthday, on Sunday, 7th January. Continue reading “Louie Bennett Commemoration”
For the third year in succession, at noon, on Thursday, February 1st, ‘Brigid of Kildare’, accompanied by members of Afri and StoP, will deliver a letter, a copy of the Downpatrick Declaration and a St. Brigid Peace Cross to Tánaiste Micheál Martin at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.
Continue reading “Brigid to bring message of peace to Foreign Affairs on Feb. 1st”
Open Letter from Irish Civil Society Organisations representing over 1 Million People to US President Joe Biden
The Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign for Palestine (IAAC-P) is a coalition of 23 Irish civil society organisations representing a collective membership of over one million people across the island.
We mourn, without reservation, the taking of all civilian life, in Gaza, in Israel and across the occupied Palestinian territory; and we condemn all unlawful acts which deliberately target or recklessly endanger civilians, including all acts of collective punishment against a population under siege. Continue reading “Statement by the Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign for Palestine on Gaza and Israel”
Afri supports the call by the Citizen’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss to insert the ‘Rights of Nature’ into the Constitution, which was recently discussed at a meeting of the |Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action. Continue reading “The Rights of Nature”
Continue reading “Send some love and solidarity to Sunny Jacobs”
Afri joins with the broad range of peace groups in roundly condemning the latest move by the Government to involve Ireland further in NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine, against the letter of our Constitution (Art 29) and against the expressed will of the Irish people. Afri is appalled at the arrogance of this government and the contempt that it shows for the views of the majority of Irish people.
In its recent ‘Consultative Forum’, assurances were given that Ireland would not formally join NATO but this is shown to be no more than empty rhetoric given that we are involved in doing almost all that NATO membership would entail. Given the proud record of former Fianna Fáil Minister Frank Aiken in promoting peace and disarmament Micheál Martin should hang his head in shame for his utter betrayal of this policy and his willingness to jump to the command of the pushers of war in Europe. Given that war presents the greatest threat to the survival of our planet, the Green Party’s collusion in this policy makes a mockery of any proposals they make regarding tackling global warming and climate change.
In the wake of the Irish Government’s imbalanced, ‘Consultative Forum on International Security Policy’ this film provides a vital contribution to the discussion on the importance of Irish neutrality and its role as the bedrock of Irish foreign and defence policy. Even today – especially today – as war rages in so many areas around the world and as two nuclear armed ‘superpowers’ actively engage in a proxy war, the world urgently needs voices calling for, and countries working towards, de-escalation, demilitarization and disarmament.
Ireland should be that voice! A Force For Good ?
Online book link: https://www.afri.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Irish-Neutrality-WEB.pdf
The online launch of A Force for Good? Reflections on Neutrality and the Future of Irish Defence took place on Tuesday, June 20th 2023. The book is a collection of essays by people with long and deep experience of working for peace and against militarism on this island and in the wider world.
Contributors include Nobel Peace Prizewinner Máiréad Maguire; Thomas Pringle TD; UCC Emeritus Professor John Maguire; Dr Karen Devine of DCU; Carol Fox of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance; and Tarak Kauff, former paratrooper with the US Army and now active member of Veterans for Peace.
The book is available from Afri for €10, including postage.