Afri Famine Walk County Mayo

by Ciaron Sun May 18, 2008 22:07

Approx 400 people participated in the Afri 20th. annual Doolough to Louisburgh (Co. Mayo) Famine Walk.

As folks gathered, this year's speakers linked Ireland's experiences to contemporary issues of Water, Oil and Weapons.

Muireann de Barra, a documentary film maker from Dublin, spoke to the global and growing Irish water crisis and the impact of water privatisation on developing countries. She spoke of the "water wars" in Bolivia, the tensions over water in Paletine/Israel and recent water crisis in parts of Ireland.

Mick McCaughen, author of "The price of Our Souls: Gas, Shell and Ireland" spoke from his experiences in Latin America & Ireland of resistance and disobedience.

John Rodsted an Australian activist presently deployed in Ireland for the upcoming "Campaign to Ban Cluster Bombs" Conference spoke form experiences in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lebanon of the terrible legacy of this weapon. He emphasised that the eyes of the world will be turned towards Dublin over the next two weeks as representatives from 100 governments assemble to discuss a ban on Cluster Bombs and the importance for Dublin based activists to prioritise this issue in the coming weeks.

The walk was joined by Kevin who lost a leg to an Israeli mine in southern Lebanon while working on clearing a minefield. Kevin will also be based in Dublin around the conference in the coming weeks.

Both Kevin and John stuck me as sincere, passionate and committed people
who need our solidarity over the next couple of weeks. There is march next week in Dublin, consider joining them there http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87558
and around the conference at Croke Park

Also on the walk were members of the Karen community exiled form Burma, recently arrived in Ireland from refugee camps on the Thai border.

The 10 mile walk takes place in a beautiful setting and there was plenty of scope to chat with activists form around the country and meet some new people.