Impressions from Féile Bríde 2014

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This year’s Féile Bríde aimed to mark the issues of “Life: Source or Resource-Enslavement versus sovereignty.”  The day started with the beautiful music of harpist Fionnuala Gill as the Brigid flame was carried into the conference hall.  The event made connections across borders, nations and nationalities, attracting speakers and partners from East Africa to the West of Ireland, in order to tackle together the unequal distribution of resources and the threats to food sovereignty.

Contributors to Féile Bríde 2014: (from left to right): Abjata Khalif (Kenya Pastoralist Journalist Network); Mia De Faoite (Turn off the Red Light campaigner); Donal Dorr (author, theologian and Turn off the Red Light campaigner); Fergal Anderson (farmer and Food Sovereignty Ireland), and Pete Mullineaux (poet, dramatist and arts facilitator). Photo: Joe Murray

Speakers included Afri’s partner Abjata Khalif of the Kenyan pastoralist Journalist Network, Fergal Anderson a small farmer from the west of Ireland, veteran writer and campaigner on issues of human trafficking, Donal Dorr, and Mia De Faoite, a survivor of prostitution speaking from her experience. Continue reading “Impressions from Féile Bríde 2014” →

Date for your Diary – Féile Bríde 2014

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Féile Bríde 2014 will take place on Saturday 8th February in the Osborne Centre in Kildare town. The title of this year’s Féile Bríde is “Life: Source or Resource – Enslavement versus Sovereignty”.

Féile Bríde 2014 will look at issues of life, light and liberty with perspectives from our partner Abjata Khalif of the Kenya Pastoralist Journalists Network; from Fergal Anderson linking food sovereignty issues locally and globally, as a ‘small farmer’ from the West of Ireland; and Donal Dorr will be joined by a woman with personal knowledge of the issue of human trafficking to explore the meaning of slavery, sovereignty and sustenance. Continue reading “Date for your Diary – Féile Bríde 2014” →

Play on Human Trafficking in Maynooth and Trinity College

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DiabloSpanner in the Works Theatre Company presents Diablo, a play on human trafficking in Ireland. Diablo is written and produced by Patricia Downey. It will be performed in NUI Maynooth (Student Common Room) at 7pm on Wednesday 16th October, and in Trinity College Dublin (ISE/Loyola Institute Building) at 8pm on Thursday 17th October. Tickets at the door: €10 (€5 students/concessions). Please note: this play contains violent sexual language and disturbing scenes. Over 18s I.D. is required.

Diablo has a small cast of 5 actors and is written by Patricia Downey, Artistic Director for Belfast based Spanner in the Works Theatre Company, which is partly funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Spanner in the Works Theatre Company was established in Belfast in September 1998 and undertakes performances and workshops throughout Ireland, touring rural and urban communities. The main aim of the company is to provide challenging productions that will deal with difficult, hard hitting and controversial subject matter.

Speaking about the play’s challenging subject matter, Patricia Downey commented: “Human trafficking is a fast growing criminal enterprise due to the fact that it is relatively low risk but with a high profit potential. Sadly, criminal organisations are increasingly attracted to human trafficking because, unlike drugs, humans can be sold repeatedly. Continue reading “Play on Human Trafficking in Maynooth and Trinity College” →