The 35th annual Famine Walk took place via the Doolough Valley in County Mayo on Saturday, May 20th. Renowned singer turned Independent Senator Frances Black, was among this year’s walk leaders. A strong advocate for social justice, Senator Black is the first female Independent from the Seanad’s panel system in the history of the state. Frances is the founder of the RISE Foundation and also the Chairperson and a founder member of the recently launched Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign for Palestine.
Just A Second! Teacher Training, 26th February 2018
Just A Second! Teacher Training for Secondary School Teachers
Monday 26th February 2018, 11am-3pm in the Irish Writer’s Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Afri’s annual teacher training for secondary school teachers takes place in February 2018. The training is an energetic, creative and informative experience, demonstrating effective ways of bringing global issues into the classroom. The training is led by global education expert Gráinne O’Neill together with Pete Mullineaux, a leader in the field of combining drama and global education, and author of Just A Second! Exploring Global Issues Through Drama and Theatre.
“I enjoyed the workshop very much. What was most valuable to me was demonstrating how necessary participative methodologies are in teaching Dev Ed (global education). This is something that I haven’t really explored before and it will be very useful to me in the future.” – Participant in the 2017 Afri Teacher training workshop.
This year’s training takes place in the Writer’s Museum, Parnell Square in the heart of the city on February 26th 2018. Teacher substitution cover is available – be sure to book early to ensure a place on this important training event. Contact Afri at admin@afri.ie or 01 8827563.
Pathways of Peace
Afri joined with St. Columb’s Park House in Derry for the launch of their ‘Campaigning Communities’ initiative on December 3rd 2015. This project aims to support communities who are campaigning around a broad range of justice and peace issues. As part of the launch, Donal O’Kelly performed his award winning play Fionnuala about the community resisting Shell in Erris, Co. Mayo, who are an inspiration to many communities throughout Ireland.
Director of St. Columb’s Park House, Helen Henderson, opened the proceedings with a profoundly insightful reflection entitled ‘Spaceship Earth’, which was followed by an introduction to the ‘Campaigning Communities’ initiative by its co-ordinator Nuala Crilly. Joe Murray also spoke, referring to some of the significant campaigns in which Afri have been involved – such as the Dunnes Stores Strike, East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign and supporting the community resistance in Erris. The evening concluded with a rousing medley of protest songs performed by Paddy Nash and Diane Greer.
The following day, Afri’s former Development Education Co-ordinator, Rose Kelly, travelled from Moville to St. Columb’s Park House with around 30 pupils from Rang a 4 to launch her book Pathways of Peace and to plant a tree, donated by the Woodland Trust, in honour of the occasion. These were an exceptionally talented group of students who had written and performed their own song as well as sharing their own reflections and poetry on care for the planet. They even drew inspiration from the haka – made famous by the New Zealand rugby team – to convey a message of hope and peace!
Pathways of Peace is an excellent development education resource, comprising stories of the lives of inspirational young people and the example of peace and justice that they have embodied. The resource includes their stories as well as suggested activities for use in the classroom. This resource is now available to buy from Afri.
Just A Second!
Dublin launch of an Afri development education resource by
Pete Mullineaux
featuring 5 short plays on global justice themes with suggestions for follow up activities suitable for school groups, youth theatres, college students and others
And release of ‘Turned Away’ – a specially composed instrumental piece by the multi-talented
Imogen Gunner
“A beautifully evocative melody” – Tom Sparkes
Live music with Imogen Gunner & Friends and reflections by Pete Mullineaux
Imogen’s CD and Pete’s book will be available to buy on the night.
When: Wednesday August 5th 2015
Time: 6.30pm – 8pm
Where: Liberty Hall, Dublin 1
Please book in advance: Tel: 01 8827581 or email: admin@afri.ie
Find out who’s going on facebook here
Funded by Irish Aid’s World Wise Global Schools
‘Just A Second’ Book Launch in Galway
The Wave
The Wave
(after Hardy)
They gathered up the guns and tanks,
divided the soldiers into ranks,
turned to face the enemy –
make a new date for history.
Prepare to fight – the order came
as the foe came into sight –
horizon-filled: a mighty wave
sent them all into their grave.
All the bullets, guns and bombs,
nuclear missiles impotent.
What use these weapons made by Man
with humanity an also-ran.
What use now the hunger and greed,
the makers of superfluous need.
What use those forgotten goals
for climate change and ozone holes?
What use the trillions spent on arms –
while dust and drought sucked up the farms,
as consequences grew in turn
enough to wither, drown and burn.
All the bullets ever made, every gun
every grenade, every cluster or barrel bomb,
laser rays, loud battleships, whispering drone –
secret weapons until then unknown,
gathered up in proud array –
for once all pointing the same way –
(although no silver saucer spun
beneath the unforgiving sun)
singing from the same hymn sheet, as they say.
recording the Earth’s sad lament –
a planet came a planet went.
~Pete Mullineaux, October 2014
Pete Mullineaux’s latest book Just a Second! Exploring Global Issues through Drama & Theatre has just been published and is available to buy from the Afri office.
Just A Second! – New Development Education Resource Published
Just A Second! Exploring Global Issues Through Drama and Theatre is a development education resources offering school groups an accessible guide to exploring global issues through drama and theatre. The book opens with coverage of Afri’s 2013-2014 ‘Just A Second!’ project which focused on the theme of militarisation. This is followed by the full texts of five mini-plays that were devised with young people taking part in Afri initiated development education projects in primary and secondary schools during the years 2005-2011.
These plays can be read or acted out, but more importantly are designed to act as a stimulus for further drama exploration, discussion and debate. With this in mind they are accompanied by multiple suggestions for follow-up activities, linking across the curriculum so that schools groups, youth theatres, college students and others can explore the themes and issues raised for themselves.
Pete Mullineaux is an Arts facilitator currently working on Afri’s ‘Just A Second!’ schools programme in secondary schools in Galway.
If you are interested in this publication please contact the Afri office: ph: 01 8827563 or admin@afri.ie
This publication received funding from Irish Aid’s WorldWise Global Schools and Concern WorldWide.
Development Education in Action
Developmenteducation.ie and the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) have created a new, online space to showcase projects, advocacy, campaigns and actions in development education for schools, community and youth groups. Afri’s 2013 Famine Walk is one of the case studies that you can now read about: http://www.developmenteducation.ie/taking-action