Press Release: Bacik opens Global Justice festival

Bacik Opens Global Justice Festival

Kilmallock, a small town of 800 people situated in the pastoral landscape of the Golden Vale, Co. Limerick, this week hosts a unique, week long event that includes a gathering of national and international speakers on human rights issues who have all been invited by transition year students from schools in the county. The Global Justice Festival which commences on Monday May 9th and is officially opened by Senator Ivana Bacik on Tuesday morning at 11.30 is the culmination of a year long programme implemented in 4 post primary school transition years by Friars Gate Theatre, Kilmallock. The programme which investigates global issues such as Poverty, Human Rights, Gender, HIV and Aids was developed by Friars Gate's Education and Outreach Director Fiona Quinn, who has over 20 years experience working with young people in the drama field.

‘The starting point for this development education programme,' explained Ms. Quinn, ‘was a quote from Julius Nyere, former President of Tanzania when he said “Take every penny you have set aside in aid for Tanzania and spend it explaining to people the facts and causes of poverty.” With funding support from Irish Aid and Limerick County Council Arts Office,' continues Fiona, ‘arts facilitator Kate Hammond and I worked with transition years in Scoil Pol, Kilfinane, John the Baptist Community College, Hospital, Colaiste Iosaf, Kilmallock and St. Mary's Community College, Charleville. The school programme included 2 sessions each week in each school, with the first session investigating and fact finding on global issues and in our second session the young people were engaged in drama to assist with exploring and understanding of these issues.'

‘One of the objectives of the course was developing an action with the students on one of the global issues,' says programme facilitator Kate Hammond, ‘with the aim of empowering the young people to promote change locally and globally as opposed to charitable action. These actions, some which have been developed collectively or in solidarity, will feature in the Global Justice Festival and include plays, poetry, speakers, exhibits and films. The week long festival programme,' continues Ms. Hammond, ‘will highlight and challenge our perspectives on human rights through a mixture of creative and imaginative activities and formal responses to the young peoples' actions by leading experts in various fields of human rights.'

The first event of the Global Justice Festival on Monday 9th is a ‘Skills4Life HIV & AIDS Awareness Workshop running from 12.00 to 5.00 pm in Friars Gate Theatre, which part 2 of the international programme Dance4Life using the power of dance to inspire, educate and mobilise young people to take action against HIV and AIDS. Over the coming week, other events include the creation of a shanty town; the dramatisation of child labour with pupils from Bulgaden National School, discussion on Child Brides and performance of John B Keane's Sive, speakers and workshops on child labour, the global drugs trade, inequality and migrant rights, gender equality, human rights, fair trade etc...

‘I know all the students are delighted with the positive response to our festival from the organisations working in the various human rights field,' say Megan Clery, a student of Scoil Pól Kilfinane, who has persuaded her proud father to play the role of the groom in the Child Brides presentation. ‘During the Global Justice Festival we will have the opportunity to meet and speak, as will the audience with Senator Ivana Bacik who officially opens the festival, Dee Clare from Concern, Detective Garda Sandra Heelan from the Garda Drugs Unit, Jess Angland from ADAPT, Bart Storan from Amnesty International and Anooshah Faraakish who is Equalities Specialist with the trade union UNITE who is travelling from the UK to be part of our festival. All of our guest speakers are making themselves available free of charge which affirms for us the generosity of the organisations and people working in the human rights field.'

All the events of Global Justice Festival Week, Kilmallock which is being hosted from the 9th to 13th May in Friars Gate Theatre, are a subsidised €5 and everyone is welcome. Global Justice Festival Programme is available on www.friarsgate.ie or by telephone 063 – 98727



For Further Information Contact:
Fiona Quinn
Global Justice Festival – Kilmallock May 9th – 13th

We are the first generation ever who is technologically and economically capable of solving global problems, we just lack the will - take action for a more just and equal world!