Photo Series of Dublin's Make Poverty History Rally

Millions of people around the World are trapped in bitter, unrelenting poverty because of man-made factors: a glaringly unjust global trade system which favours the most powerful countries and punishes the poorest; demands from rich countries and global institutions for vast sums of money to service old debts, even those incurred by oppressive regimes and insufficient aid which never gets to where it is most needed. The gap between the World's rich and poor has never been wider. Malnutrition, AIDS, conflict and illiteracy are a daily reality for millions. But it isn't chance or bad luck that keeps people trapped in bitter, unrelenting poverty. It's man-made factors like a glaringly unjust global trade system, a debt burden so great that it suffocates any chance of recovery and insufficient and ineffective aid.

Back in 2001 the governments of the eight wealthiest nations on the planet said that they were going to do something about it. In what was seen as a breakthrough, they promised to halve World poverty by 2015. Four years later the World’s leaders are failing dismally to reach those targets.

The event will start at Parnell Square at 6.30 pm and lead to the main rally at Merrion Square at 7.15 pm. Everybody is urged to support this event and stand in solidarity with the poorest people around the world who are suffering the consequences of the debt burden, unjust trade rules and the failure of world leaders to meet their international commitments to deliver more and better aid.

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• Dublin Rally	• Belfast Rally	• Cork Rally

Photo Series: RAR's National Day of Action Against Racism

On the 16 June 2005 the UNHCR's 3rd Annual World Refugee Day was celebrated at the Dublin City Council office on Wood Quay and awards were given in five categories to fourteen people living in Ireland who are actively involved with asylum seekers and refugees. Presentation of the awards was by Dublin Lord Mayor Michael Conaghan and South African Ambassador to Ireland, Melanie Verwoerd. Rosanna Flynn, of Residents Against Racism, was one of the winners of the award.

Rosanna Flynn: '...things have moved on, or rather, I'm afraid things have moved back. We are now integrating people for deportation [....] The time for tip-toeing around the Irish Government is over. I'm afraid we have a 'Bogus Minister of Justice' - he talks about 'Bogus Asylum Seekers' all the time - we must confront him and Bertie Ahern, who after all keeps him in the job. And it verges, in Michael McDowell's case, on incitement to racial hatred. He talks of 'Cock and Bull Stories,' he says if not for the United Nation's Human Rights rules he'd be out at the airport to send them back immediately. [....] We are entering a new phase of Anti-Racism activism in Ireland - it's got to be confrontational. If you play things by the book and keep your head down you are almost certain to be deported. You have got to make noise about it....''

UPDATE: (June 25th) 'Translated into English this means this multi-national corporation is seeking the imprisonment of these five men for defending their homes, families, livelihoods, land and very lives from an unprecedented high pressure upstream untreated gas pipeline....' Read More... (June 26) Corrib Gas Pipeline Development - in a nut shell

The scenario is this is a very narrow road, not passable by both village traffic and the 60 to 70 trucks the developers want to bring on it everyday. So there isn’t so much a blockade as there is parking. This has gone on since Tuesday at 3pm…over 72 hours and counting of continual vigil.

As a result of the actions of local residents and their supporters most transport to the Shell compound at Rossport has ceased.

At mid-day today (June 24th) some Shell and associates top brass started poking around, and seeing that the numbers of residents and their supporters had thinned they attempted to make their move. By 2pm today, Friday, a flurry of Shell henchmen was at the scene waving the High Court Injunction order they had got in Dublin that morning. This named Willie Corduff, Vincent McGrath, Philip McGrath and enjoined them, and anyone acting in concert with them, from “interfering” with traffic. However the only obstruction to traffic is from the contractors hired by Shell, normal traffic can transit the road with little difficulty. At the moment any obstruction is from the now very stationary lorry which was bringing pipes to the Shell compound.

At around 3.30pm Garda were called and served the injunction, reading it out to the assembled crowd of around 30 people, who were unimpressed at the law not being applied to the developers, while local residents are tried in absentia in Dublin.

The police were told straight out they would have to cart people off the road in wagons, that they would have to arrest everyone in sight. The legal situation with lorry, which is unlicensed to carry materials, was pointed out to them, but they said that it could be driven off and that the new driver had ten days to produce the necessary documentation. Mostly the Garda just pleaded that they had orders from the High Court, the highest court in the land and so on…

Negotiations began, the three-way debate ended inconclusively as Coffey, on behalf of Shell and co., didn’t have the power to organise a full scale public meeting open to all the people who use the road, rather his brief was, he claimed, only to organise a meeting of 3 Shell reps and 3 local residents, moreover he aimed to restrict participation to the owners of the land where the pipeline is planned to go.

Frustrated the Garda left, and, according to what is by now legend, worked out their stress issues by pulling over some Eastern European migrants for having no tax and insurance.

Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim then attempted an abortive move of the lorry, unsuccessful in this, they then tried parking it further off the road, in order that the road be passable for their other lorries. Not the smartest of moves as this then got the truck bogged down. So the main-contractor successfully sabotaged the sub-contractors machinery, one would say – only in Ireland, but as there are Italians, Germans, Englishmen, Norwegians, Americans etc… with a slice of the development cake here perhaps such happens everywhere, but it is sure a new one on me.

The mood here is very positive and has been the last few days, there was a bit of a party last night with the bonfire for St.John’s Eve, with the Wolfe Tones making a change from some radio station that only seems to play country.

Volunteers are needed and welcome to travel up and join the struggle, see the Shell To Sea contacts page here: