Take a few moments to read about the Irish in Gaza…
I wrote previously about Derek and Jenny Graham and their voyage to Gaza, and how they were trying to bring attention to the suffering in the region.
Jenny wrote back to us recently with an update on the last journey, their new plans, and a call for help…
The Spirit of Humanity
“Our last boat, the Spirit of Humanity, was intercepted in international waters by the Israeli army in late June this year, and boarded after being surrounded by 5 gunships, Zodiacs, and an F16.
All onboard were held in detention accused of entering Israel illegally, even though they dragged us handcuffed and at gunpoint to Israel! We had 2 Irish citizens on board, Derek Graham and Mairead Mcguire, a nobel peace prize laureate.”
“This of course did not deter us and we are preparing to sail again. This time we hope to run a convoy from different countries travelling together. Our vessel, and the one we need support for, is an Irish boat travelling from Ireland.
We will have Irish politicians from both sides of the border and Irish musicians on board. The musicians will record an album on the journey, and once in Gaza we will invite Palestinian musicians to add their own music. We will then release the album to the public to get the plight of the Palestinians out there.
We, FreeGaza Ireland, are a small bunch of regular folk, absolutely nothing special and we need help. We don’t have much time, the weather is against us, and it is already almost a year since the invasion on Gaza. Although 5 billion has been pledged in the reconstruction of Gaza not one penny has actually been spent.”
Gaza Siege
Jenny and Derek are desperately trying to help publicise the fact that the crossings into Gaza need to be opened, and that unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials is critical. The more publicity they get from the journey the better the chance of the siege being lifted.
Whatever your politics it’s hard to deny this is a just and worthwhile cause, and to keep up the momentum they need financial support. The venture is funded from donations and if you’re in a position to help they would obviously very much appreciate it. They have a Paypal donation link on their home page if you’d like to make an individual contribution.
Fund-raising events are also particularly effective as they get the message out to more people, and if it’s practical Jenny has told us they would be pleased to help in any way possible for anyone organising an event – so get your thinking hats on! (Jenny and Graham will be back in Ireland for the next two months, but would also be very grateful of support from our Irish further afield if you’re in a position to do something).
There are plenty of disturbing images from Gaza, but maybe we should finish on a more positive and hopeful note – a video that shows you the nature of the people, some hints of the hardships and losses, and a sense of what life could be like if it’s allowed to return to normal…
Well done guys, and all who are able to support, and everyone else involved in trying to bring visibility and resolution to this catastrophe.
Congratulations to the Irish Chaplaincy in Britain on their new website.
In existence since 1957, the ICB has proven to be one of the most dynamic and innovative agencies working for Irish emigrants in the UK. They run events and publications, and their core activities focus on three key areas:
Irish Older Persons
Irish Travellers
Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas
They were there for the mass Irish emigration from the 40s and 50s, again in the 80s, and now they’re seeing the early signs of another wave, albeit difficult to predict how far this one will go.
As with any good cause they can always do with a helping hand. They already have a lively and effective team of volunteers, and if you’re reliable and have time to spare they’d welcome hearing from you.
Also keep an eye out for ‘The History of the Irish Chaplaincy in Britain 1957 – 2009’, a new book by Dr Patricia Kennedy, commissioned by the Bishops Conference of Ireland and due to be published in 2010.
From a personal view i think organisations like this are great. They very often go unnoticed helping the ‘invisible’ in society, yet what they do is so important. A true credit to that Irish humanitarian spirit.
Pathways to Palestine – Slí Phalaistín – are a team of Irish cyclists planning to do just that, and they’ll be setting off on their 4000 mile trip in just 7 hours and 28 minutes from now!
Their aim is to raise public awareness and generate funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a charity set up to counter the effects of the ongoing blockade in Palestine. The team specifically chose MAP because of their track record in delivery of aid and their commitment to long term development projects.
Gearóid, John, Eoghan and Ronan.
The cyclists, all university students in their 20s, are Gearóid Ó Cuinn, John Mayer, Eoghan Quinn, and Ronan Sheehan. Eoghan himself is a Type 1 diabetic, and the idea originally stemmed from a conversation about what it would be like to have diabetes in Palestine.
Their concern about the plight of the Gazan civilians has grown over the last months so they decided to get involved and help do something about it. They will be backed up by their able support team of two – John Lyttle and Tom Watts.
Tom Watts
John Lyttle
To be honest this is one hell of a ride. Starting in Scotland, across to Northern Ireland, down the country and over to France, the guys will then be cycling through Germany, Austria, Slovekia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, with rest breaks only after every six days – wow!
The Great Irish Famine, or ‘An Gorta Mor’ (The Great Hunger), will be commemorated this year by the first ever provincial National Famine Memorial Day, to be held on the 17th May in Skibbereen, West Cork.
A programme of famine-related events have been organised by the local community including music, drama, talks and a variety of commemorative events, and the full schedule can be downloaded from the Skibbereen Heritage Centre website here.
Communities around the Republic are also being encouraged to hold commemorations, and sporting organisations are being asked to observe a minute’s silence on National Famine Memorial Day.
The Great Famine resulted in the formation or growth of many diaspora communities, and in the 1840s and 50s as many as 250,000 arrived in Canada for example. In recognition of this Canada will also be holding its own memorial day this coming week-end on 10th May.
While the famine was responsible for a significant increase in emigration it was not the sole cause. Irish movement can be traced back to the middle of the 18th century when some quarter of a million people left Ireland to settle in the New World. From the defeat of Napoleon to the beginning of the famine between 1 and 1½ million had emigrated. However, during the worst of the famine, emigration reached around 250,000 in one year alone, with more coming from western Ireland than any other part.
Emigration from 1845 to 1850 was predominantly to England, Scotland, the US, Canada, and Australia, and by 1854 between 1½ and 2 million Irish had left due to evictions, starvation, and harsh living conditions.
In support of the Memorial Day, Eneclann is commemorating two Skibbereen doctors, (Dr. Daniel Donovan and Dr. David Hadden), who worked tirelessly to save people during these terrible times, and are also donating 5% of their CD sales to Gorta during the commemoration week. (Gorta is Ireland’s longest established overseas aid agency and has been tackling the issues of food security throughout the developing world since 1965. Gorta’s name, meaning “famine”, acknowledges its close association with extreme hunger, both historically in Ireland, and where it exists around the world today).
You can read more about the Eneclann / Gorta initiative here, and take a few moments to have a look at Eneclanns online shop as well – its an absolute treasure trove full of hidden gems!
The annual Famine Memorial Day will revolve between the four provinces of Ireland, and it is envisaged that the 2010 commemoration will take place in Co Mayo.
Derek and Jenny Graham, an Irish couple living in Limassol, will soon be traveling to Gaza with the Free Gaza Movement (FMG), and will be describing their experiences on their online blog at irishingaza.wordpress.com.
The couple will travel with the flotilla of FMG boats leaving from from Cyprus in May, and plan to stay in Gaza for somewhere between three to six months.
Derek plans to work on the rebuild of the port which was hit several times during the recent war, and Jenny hopes to work with several women’s and children’s groups, as well as editing and translating documents in English for some of the aid agencies.
The couple will be working as on a volunteer basis and will be relying on their own savings and donations.
A truly worthy cause, and we wish them the best of luck and success on their mission.
If you have a story to tell, launched a new business, got an initiative off the ground, or just have some good news with an inspirational nature let us know and we'll pass it on.
The Great Famine resulted in the formation or growth of many diaspora communities, and in the 1840s and 50s as many as 250,000 arrived in Canada for example. In recognition of this Canada will also be holding its own memorial day this coming week-end on 10th May.
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