A visit to Ireland by two leaders of the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community from Western Colombia ended on Tuesday night August 9th. As Jesus Emillio Tuberquia and Maria Brigida Gonzalez left from Dublin Airport they were satisfied that their six days in Ireland had been productive.

According to one of the speakers, Jesus Emillio:
"The Colombian Government is going around the world talking about peace, while it is supporting the intimidation and massacre of our community leaders. It is vital that the Irish Government is aware that the Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's much-acclaimed demobilisation of right-wing Paramilitary Groups is a SHAM. It amounts to nothing more than the legalisation such groups and the legitimisation of the terror, which they have inflicted on the Colombian civilian population over the years. A terror which they continue to inflict, in clear collaboration and co-operation with the Colombian Army, despite their supposed demobilisation. A collaboration, which is no great, surprise given President Uribe himself actually started up the right-wing paramilitaries."

Elsewhere on the newswire:

Colombia Solidarity Network describe how "One month has elapsed since the murder of the leader of the Committee for Social Integration of Catatumbo (CISCA), JOSÉ TRINIDAD TORRES MUÑOZ carried out by members of the FARC [allegedly - IMC Editor]. Up till now the FARC haven't given any explanation to the communities of the region..." ...continues here.

IMC IRL Stories Mentioning Colombia | ZNet Watch On Colombia | View All Counter Punch Articles On Colombia | Website Of Comunidad de Paz | Peace In Colombia | Latin America Solidarity Centre Ireland

Welcome to the Ireland of the 21st century. A country where ordinary folks are locked up in prison for deciding to stand up against a multinational corporation hell bent on exploiting both people and finite resources for their own personal gain. The fact that Micheál Ó Seighin, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin, Vincent McGrath, and Philip McGrath are still in prison suggests very clearly that our justice system and our ‘leaders’ are much more interested in maintaining close friendships with multinational business criminals, than they are in ensuring that justice, equality and sustainability are central and practical values at the core of society.

In Ireland like much of the western developed world, we’ve almost become so cynical and tired of our political ‘leaders’ that we hardly bat an eyelid about the gombeen politics of corruption, about the stealing of the wealth we all help create and of the resources we all share. But the courage and conviction of the Rossport five, their families and supporters suggest that people are not afraid to take back democracy and put it where it belongs, with the people.

The Soundmigration Files

On a day when thousands of leaving cert students celebrate the end of years in school, acrimonious debate has broken out in UCD Student Union circles over accusations that the union is about to scrap its use of Oscailt as the content management system for its web presence. Indymedia regulars will be aware that Oscailt is the content management software developed to run the Irish Indymedia site and made available as Free Software using the copyleft GNU General Public License.

A document criticizing the new James Carroll led administration was published on Indymedia late last night after a claim it was “temporarily hidden ” on the UCDSU.net website, a website described as “Indymedia in blue” by some of its harshest critics. The final issue of last year's UCD based student paper, University Observer also contained an editorial accusing sites like Indymedia of having a "crucial missing ingredient" - that of "editorial control and responsibility." The document, published by Enda Duffy, a former deputy president candidate in last year's union election, strenuously defends the use of Oscailt before moving on to attack recent increases in sabbatical wages alongside other bouts of recent expenditure. Finally it calls for disaffiliation from USI calling it a “political play ground”. Earlier in the month a thread expressing concerns over the handling of interviews for three union staff positions was also “deleted by person or persons unknown.”

The five new sabbatical officers issued a response last night claiming there were factual inaccuracies contained within the original article”

Analysis On Education:
Modularisation In UCD: What Exactly Does It Mean For Us? | Travellers in Education: A Very Irish Aparthied | OECD Report Critique | Kathleen Lynch On OECD Report

Related News: "Why don’t you just fuck off and mind your own business, we don’t care about you" | Shell Hell Comes To Donegal

Edited Extract From Open Letter:

"Our imprisonment was only made possible by the granting of a compulsory order for our lands to Shell by Frank Fahey T.D. while Minister for Marine and Natural Resources. Without that order we would be free men today at home with our families. Instead we are confined in prison cells. . . .

To date the dealings of the Irish government in this project have seen our land rights given to a private company, our families and neighbours very lives endangered and the natural resource of the Irish people given away. This is to such an extent that the Norwegian people, through the (majority) state (owned) oil company STATOIL holding 38% of the Corrib Field, will receive more from this project than the Irish people who have a 0% holding.

In addition the government has provided 400 acres of Coillte land and committed the Irish people to finance a gas pipe from Mayo to Galway to facilitate the outward transport of gas to the UK and Europe. The national interest is a myth that has been fabricated by the Irish government and their partner Shell. The minister Noel Dempsey and his Department are not and have never been innocent bystanders in this crisis but have played a full role alongside Shell in its creation.

Despite all of this we, in good faith, acknowledge the attempts of Shell and their government partners to create a period of calm by halting all work on the project in north Mayo and their call for dialogue. We wish to immediately accept this offer and enter into talks to resolve the impasse. To that end we ask Shell and their government partners to immediately stand down their injunction at this time so that we can leave prison to attend these talks.

We have been betrayed by our government, marginalized by sections of the media and ignored by the “alternative” government. Instead it has been the people of Ireland who have sustained us during this time of crisis and personal trauma and who have rallied and continue to rally to our aid – thank you. All we demand is for our families and neighbours to be safe in their own homes - no more no less.

Full Text Of Open Letter At Link Below

"Whilst Tara relies on its rich literature and associations, those that are insistent on this route rely on our ignorance of this same rich literature and associations. Whilst there is an almost unique abundance of history and lore associated with Tara, our Government has neglected it whilst sites such as the Céide Fields and Brú na Boinne have flourished, been respectfully developed and protected. Hopefully Cú Chulainn may yet be saved from turning in his grave, literally, during the valley's excavation."

Despite widespread opposition from hundreds of academics worldwide, from the Director of The Irish National Museum and from those activists bringing upcoming legal challenges (which have experienced delays) to the routing of a new tolled motorway through the Tara-Skryne complex, the Irish Government is creating facts on the ground by pushing ahead with hasty and crude excavations of the many sites of archeological interest on the proposed route.

The Tara-Skryne Valley Group, the main activist group opposing the planned motorway have called on the government to halt their pre-emptive work and to stop wasting Irish taxpayers money on wanton destruction of a whole area which they believe should be protected as a National monument.

Meanwhile the mainstream media here looks away and has largely failed to let the people of the country, who according to a recent poll are absolutely against this motorway, know that digging at the Tara complex has already begun.

Campaigning against government sanctioned heritage destruction at the Tara complex will continue on Monday 15th August when concerned citizens are being invited to express their opposition to the proposed twice-tolled Motorway through the Gabhra (TaraSkryne) Valley. The event, dubbed 'Tara Day' by campaigners, marks the 162nd anniversary of Daniel O'Connells famous Repeal Association 'Monster Meeting'. Information will be available at the event on the 38 sites along the proposed route, including those presently being excavated and others that may be investigated in the future.

Some Activists who are involved in the campaign link the issue to peak oil, the countdown to $100 per barrel oil, and criticise the insanity of massive private investment in tolled motorways at the expense of public transport which is severely underfunded at the present time.

Others adopt a more pragmatic approach and ask straightforwardly why a 2 1/2 km shorter and uncontentious alternative route (see orange line on this map), which would cost less, avoid costs associated with hasty archeology and which would most likely not be subject to delay and public expense due to court challenges was not chosen. This question remains unanswered in any coherent way and has led to the increased voicing of suspicions that vested interests have driven the route selection for commercial gain.

Some activists also believe firmly that corrupt officials and property speculation are behind this almost unbelievable slicing up of one of the most ancient and key symbols of the Irish nation.

Full Indymedia Ireland Archive On This Issue
Map 1: Note Huge Bevy In Current Route Between Dunshaughlin And Navan
Map 2: Note More Direct And Cheaper To Build Alternative Route In Orange
Essay: The White Mare Of Tara
Crazy Cut MP3: Tara Tune From Coscan