To all our North American friends (expecially those between Seattle and Washington) if you see these guys give them your support. Eoin, William and Mark are doing a 49 day 6,000km cycle across america in aid of both Irish and US cancer charities.
So far they have raised just in excess €20,000, and they’d love to reach their €30,000 target. They’re covering the cost of the venture themselves and each have their own personal reasons for wanting to help cancer organisations.
Shane and his girlfriend Victoria Clarke had the idea, Shane’s friend Gerry O’Boyle helped pull it together, and one week later a bunch of pals were recording in a rigged up headquarters in the back of The Boogaloo, Highgate, London.
Great song and all proceeds go to Haiti relief via Concern, an international humanitarian organisation originally started by Kay and John O’Loughlin Kennedy back in March 1968 and operating in Haiti for the last 15 years.
The ladies, the gents, and the ruffians…!
Shane MacGowan – vocals
Nick Cave (The Bad Seeds) – vocals
Johnny Depp – guitar
Eliza Doolittle – vocals
Terry Edwards (The Scapegoats) – sax
Carwyn Ellis – Hammond organ and piano
Paloma Faith – vocals
Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream) – vocals
Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) – vocals
Mick Jones (The Clash) – fire hydrant!
Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) – vocals
Cait O’Riordan (Pogues collaborator) – bass
Rob Walbourne – drums
I’ll write more about Chuck Feeney and The Atlantic Philanthropies another time (a story that deserves justice), but for all our friends across the pond just a brief note that Mr Feeney is planning on making $100 holiday vouchers available for up to 50,000 people visiting Ireland from the US next year (source: The Sunday Times).
Tourism minister Martin Cullen was contacted by Mr Feeney after the Global Irish Economic Forum in September when he offered to match government funds for boosting tourism.
This is a great gesture and sits well with other efforts in the pipeline, e.g, the plan to offer older visitors free off-peak rail travel all over Ireland.
We’ll keep an eye on these initiatives and post more information when details are available.
In the meantime a simple thank you to Mr Feeney for his kind generosity.
If you’re not aware of The Ireland Funds read on to get to know about them…
They are a charitable organisation operating in 12 countries that has raised over $300 million for worthy causes. Founded in Pittsburgh in 1976, they manage over 100 events annually in 39 cities around the world making them one of the largest global organisations helping Ireland.
Extremely well versed in the area of diaspora philanthropy they have funded over 1,200 organisations in Ireland and beyond, and as a thought leader in the area of diaspora engagement are actively contributing to the body of knowledge in the field of diaspora studies.
Their mission is ‘to be the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland’.
They are a highly effective organisation that are at the heart of great projects such as this.
‘A Comparative Review of International Diaspora Strategies’ is the title of their new report, and it is an in-depth study of strategies from other countries, most notably Israel and India. The report provides guidance and recommendations on how Ireland can best engage with its diaspora in the 21st century.
The timing coincides with the Global Irish Economic Forum to be held in Farmleigh this coming week-end (18th – 19th September), and given The Ireland Funds wealth of knowledge the guest list would do well to have a copy in their hands.
I was going to try and summarise the report whilst trying to reflect its excellence, but it’s hard to do this and still do it justice. The document is approximately 100 pages in length, and the depth it goes into makes each of the sections highly informative. There is a focus on economics and mutual benefit, but it also keeps sight of cultural ties and Irelands relationship with its diaspora at a broader level.
You can download the report here, and i’ve included the contents below to give you an idea of the scope:
Section 1
Background to diaspora strategies
Defining diaspora: common trends and recent developments
Section 2
Ireland’s current context
The Smart Economy – a role for the diaspora?
Section 3
Ireland and its diaspora
A long history of migration
Capturing the Irish diaspora: extended citizenship
The diversity of our diaspora
Examining and redefining the relationship
A diffuse and diverse national asset
Where can the diaspora help?
Section 4
Key lessons from other countries
Section 5
International diaspora initiatives
Developments in diaspora engagement: a comparative review of strategies and initiatives
Research and data
Capital flows – remittances
Capital flows – bonds
Capital flows – philanthropy
Capital flows – foreign direct investment
Capital flows – venture capital and support for indigenous industry
Diaspora knowledge networks
Importance of educational exchange
Visits to the homeland
Engaging various generations
Recognition and awards
Section 6
Differing roles of government
Section 7
Culture matters
Section 8
Global best practices: conclusions for Ireland
You’ll need to put aside a bit of time, but if this is an area that interests you it’s well worth the read. And well done to The Ireland Funds for producing the report – it will be a fantastic development if the relevant parties take it on board, and incorporate it into a plan of action.
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.
Finnegans Irish Amber is a Minneapolis example of social entrepreneurship that turns a pint and a pub crawl into a great community service… every penny of profit goes towards fighting poverty.
If you have a story to tell, launched a new business, got an initiative off the ground, landed on a foreign shore and getting your foot on the first rung, or just have some good news with an inspirational nature let us know and we'll pass it on.
I’ll write more about Chuck Feeney and The Atlantic Philanthropies another time (a story that deserves justice), but for all our friends across the pond just a brief note that Mr Feeney is planning on making $100 holiday vouchers available for up to 50,000 people visiting Ireland from the US next year (source: 
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.
