FAMINE WALK: Afri Annual Walk Co. Mayo

mayo | miscellaneous | event notice Thursday March 18, 2010 12:10 by R - Afri

'Hunger in a World of Plenty: Sowing Seeds of Hope'

Saturday, 22 May 2010

Doolough, Co. Mayo

Beginning 2pm

Organised by Afri in partnership with Trócaire and the Irish Seed Savers Association.

The Afri Annual Famine Walk

The first Doolough Famine Walk was organised by Afri in 1988. It was organised in the context of the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine, which we wanted to ensure would not slip by unnoticed, as had happened on the 100th anniversary. But not only did we want to ensure that the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine would be commemorated, but that it would be done in a way that addressed the injustices and inequalities that continue to create similar conditions for millions of people throughout the world today.

The famine walk retraces ‘a journey of horror’ which local people made through the Doolough Valley on the night and morning of 30-31 March 1849. The immediate cause of the death march was the arrival of two ‘commissioners’, who were to inspect the people and certify them as paupers, so entitling them to a ration of three pounds of meal each. For some reason the inspection was not made and the hundreds of people were told they must appear at Delphi Lodge (ten miles away) at 7am the following morning. They set out on foot along the mountain road and pathway in cold, wintry conditions, including snowfall. When they arrived at Delphi Lodge, they were refused either food or tickets of admission to the workhouse and so they began their weary return journey. It was on this journey that maybe hundreds of people died.

Afri has taken this story as a symbol to represent all those who died during the ‘Great Famine’ in Ireland. But it also represents all those who die of hunger in our world of plenty today. We walk the famine road to remember, as well, the causes of hunger and poverty in our world – political, economic and environmental – and our failure to learn the lessons of our own history.

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Afri is a group of committed and creative people who seek to promote debate and influence policy and practice in Ireland and internationally on human rights, peace and justice issues. Afri, in particular, responds to injustice in the world caused by war and other violent conflict.