The Galway African Film Festival, now in its fifth year, takes place May 25th, 26th & 27th at Nuns Island Theatre, Galway in celebration of Africa Day. Highlights this year include the award-winning movies Viva Riva (winner of the first ever MTV Best African Movie Award), Kinyarwanda (audience winner, Sundance) and All I wanna Do (best director, World Music and Independent Film Festival).

The Festival also offers screenings of the award-winning movie Anchor Baby for post-primary schools.

For details of films, brochures and tickets please visit http://www.galwayafricanfilmfestival.org or contact the Galway One World Centre at 091 530590 / info@galwayowc.org

The workshop takes place in the Westside Resource Centre on May 8th from 2pm to 4pm, and is free to attend.

We are all getting older. Not only in the natural sense, but as a society within Ireland, Europe and indeed the World.

Here are a few startling global ageing statistics!!

• Today almost 1 in 10 people are over 60 years old
• By 2050, people aged over 60 will outnumber children aged 0-14
• By 2050 1 in 5 people will be over 60 (80 % of this increase in developing countries)

What does this mean for us as older people now? How will it affect those who will be reaching retirement age within the next ten years?

“This workshop will look at how to share not only our experience of what it means to be older here in Ireland, but also how to build solidarity across the globe on common aims”, says Ms Charlotte Kelly of Age Action. “If you want to find out what universally accepted goals and rights deal with older people and how we can ensure that they are upheld in Ireland and elsewhere, come along on May 8th and share your thoughts over a cuppa!”

The workshop is free and all are welcome to attend. However, as places are strictly limited booking is essential, please contact Charlotte Kelly at Age Action (01 4756989 / 0857808335 Email: ckelly@ageaction.ie) for further information.

ENDS

Charlotte Kelly, Age Action, 085 7808335

Heike Vornhagen, Galway One World Centre, 086 2100547

While there seems to have been a slight shift regarding terminology being used by journalists, the majority of articles from or concerning aid agencies still give a very negative portrayal of the Global South. While not all aid agencies mentioned in the report have subscribed to the Dóchas Code of Conduct on Images and Messages, it is clear that those who do subscribe are just as liable to portray the Global South in a purely negative and stereotypical manner as are those who don’t. Taking into account the recent ‘Finding Frames’ Report, it becomes obvious that aid agencies urgently need to reconsider how they engage the public in their work.

The report also highlights that there don’t seem to be clear guidelines when it comes to reporting on crimes or the use of pictures when identifying those convicted of crimes (something that was also highlighted in the previous report). This is as much an issue for the journalists and editors as it is for designers and typesetters; and could be addressed through the drawing up of guidelines by the NUJ and specific training for student journalists as well as current staff of print media.

The GOWC calls on aid agencies to reflect seriously on the issues raised in this in report. While the GOWC notes the weaknesses of the Code of Conduct, in the absence of a better framework we call on all international development groups that haven’t subscribed to it to sign up and to carry out substantive training on images and messages; and for all signatories to actively implement the code across all sections in their organisation especially in relation to fundraising and publicity.

Come and celebrate all things Latin America!

April 18th: Beyond Survival: Building Communities with Dignity
Public Talk with Becca Mohally Renk, Centre for Development in Central America
In Nicaragua for the past 18 years, the CDCA works to respond to human needs created by poverty. Their aim is to support communities to reach their own goals through becoming self-sufficient, sustainable and democratic entities. 
7pm, Galway One World Centre, 76 Prospect Hill, Galway
All Welcome, no charge 
As space is limited, advanced booking is advisable (info@galwayowc.org).

April 19th: “La Via Campesina”
Film about the global movement of small farmers towards Food Sovereignty, with talk by Fergal Anderson.
7.30pm, Huston School of Film & Digital Media, NUI, Galway

April 20th: Capoeira with Mola and Salsa with Marcelo
5.30pm, outside Pura Vida, Spanish Arch, Galway

April 21st: Closing Conference – The Links Between Latin America and Ireland
10.00-12.30 World Cafe Discussion: Debt Issues in Latin America and Ireland; Human Rights; Colombia; Food Sovereignty.
12.30 Talk on setting up Food Sovereignty network in Connacht region
1.00-2.00 Lunch – please bring your own lunch!
2.00-3.30 Workshop: Theatre of the Oppressed
3.30-5.00 Latin American Short Films
10am – 5pm, Rowing Club, The Waterside, Woodquay, Galway

April 21st: Party!
Latin American Music, Salsa dancing and more with DJ Marcelo King
10pm, Red Square Bar, Foster Street , Galway

Date: April 5^{th (}Subject to Interest)

Time: 11am-1pm

Venue: Westside Resource Centre, Galway

For booking and further information, please contact:

Charlotte Kelly (Ageing & Development Programme) Age Action Ireland  

Tel: 01 4756989/0857808335 Fax: 01 4756011 | Email: ckelly@ageaction.ie | Website: www.ageaction.ie

“Robert Mugabe: What Happened”

Venue: Huston School of Film & Digital Media, National University of Ireland, Galway

When: Saturday 24 March 2012 at 7pm. Admission: Free

Billed as the definitive account of Mugabe’s life, it dramatically illustrates his successful liberation and development of the country but also his ruthless and cunning retention of power at all costs.There will be a Q&A session at the end of the film.

For further information please contact:
Marie-Anne Michel, Galway Organiser, Amnesty International
086 792 4095

Thursday 26th April from 10am to 5pm, Jigsaw, Fairgreen Road, Galway City (across from the new bus station)

Workshop fee €35 including lunch, early birds till April 12th for €30
Euro, pre-booking essential.

For more information and booking, please contact ALâ (Galway) at alagalway@gmail.com or 0868461270.

Saturday 10th March, 2pm on the Prom, opposite the Celia Griffin Memorial Park, Galway

Galway historian and author Willie Henry will lead a guided Famine Walk through the City, shedding light on some of the key features of local famine history. The event is being organised by the Galway One World Centre to make connections between Ireland’s history and the contemporary experiences of those forced to leave their homes, at  the rate of 1000 per week, because of today’s financial crisis. Walkers are invited to meet on the Prom at 2pm opposite the Celia Griffin Memorial Park, a  park named in honour of a young girl who died during Galway’s Great Famine of the 1840s. The park stands as a memorial to those who died during the times of hunger and those who left Ireland because of it.  The  walk will conclude at the Galway City Museum at 4pm with a brief talk on emigration,  past and present.  In the event of very wet weather, Mr. Henry will present a longer talk at the museum at accompanied by slides  starting at 4pm

This event is free of charge. Donations are welcome.

For more information on this event and on debt justice, please contact Vicky Donnelly, Development Education Worker, Galway One World Centre on 091 530590 / 0872645344.

The Galway City Fairtrade Committee presents its annual ‘Just Desserts’ fair trade competition!

Galway Fairtrade committee is organising a dessert making competition to mark ‘Fairtrade Fortnight’, which runs from the 27^th Feb to the 11^th March. This original competition will involve fond bakers from all walks of life. All of our entrants are tasked with creating a confection that uses at least two fair trade ingredients.

The desserts will be presented at our ‘Just Desserts’ tasting event on Friday 2^nd March at 7pm in the Galway City Museum café.

During this free event, which is open to all, members of the public fortified with a glass or two of fair trade wine, will taste all the desserts and decide which one is their favourite.

The tasting will be followed by an award ceremony presented by Samatha Valluri from the CHETNA group in India. The three desserts with the most votes will be receiving a luxury hamper with prizes sponsored by Galway’s retails outlets.

The night will go on with speeches from a representative of Fairtrade Ireland and from Samatha Valluri who works with small scale cotton farmers in India. Samatha will make a presentation on the impact that Fairtrade has had on communities.

The Galway City Fairtrade Committee is also delighted to have Seamus Ruttledge performing on the night.

Galway became a Fairtrade city at the end of 2005 and has a permanent committee that takes action throughout the year.

For more information on Fairtrade please contact Marie-Anne Michel at Amnesty International, 2-3 Middle Street, Galway, 0867924095, amnestygalway@amnesty.ie

GALWAY – COMMUNITY SKILLS BUILDING WEEKEND

Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th February.

Debt Justice workshop this Saturday (10.30am – 2.30pm) with one of Europe’s leading debt activists, Nessa Ní Chassaide.  This workshop will give participants a good grounding in the background to both the local and the global aspects of the debt crisis and a clear grasp of the arguments for debt justice here at home and in the Global south.

• Social Media workshop (3-5pm) with Mark C .of Contact.ie is for those in need of a kick start on the use of online tools, facebook, Twitter and the strategic uses of social media in campaigning.

• Creative Campaigning with members of Galway Occupy.  Sunday 3 – 5pm

ALL ARE WELCOME BUT BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL.  

ALL WORKSHOPS ARE BEING OFFERED BY FREE OF CHARGE….DONATIONS WELCOME.

VENUE: GALWAY ONE WORLD CENTRE, 76 PROSPECT HILL, GALWAY CITY [Between Andy’s Hairdressers and Ivory Market shop – two doors down from the post office.]

For further information on the skills building workshops or to arrange a talk on the Anglo: Not Our Debt campaign in your community, please contact Vicky Donnelly at 091 530590 / 087 2645344 / education@galwayowc.org /  http://www.notourdebt.ie/galway-public-meeting