Join creative Human Rights workshops in the North East Inner City!

On the 20th of February ATD Ireland launched the project ‘Your Rights are Written in Stone’.

The project, which is funded by the North East Inner City community fund, aims to creatively make a connection between community members and the Human Rights and Poverty Stone. The Human Rights and Poverty Stone is located in Dublin 1 beside the famine statues and celebrates its 10th birthday this year. Through a traveling exhibition of banners the project illustrates the history of the stone in Dublin while also outlining the international context of the Human Rights and Poverty Stones found all over the world.

The project aims to organize 10 workshops in community groups in the Dublin 1 area. Up to date information about the workshops can be found on the project Facebook page! Do like it!

The project was officially launched by Seanie Lambe who remarked that he had a personal connection to the stone and its story over the last 10 years. He spoke about his first encounters with ATD in Ireland and upon hearing the message engraved on the Human Rights and Poverty stones throughout the world he was motivation to begin the process of ensuring Dublin would have one of its own. Seanie along with many others successfully negotiated with the council and secured the necessary funding for the stone in 2008. The rest as they say is history!

The official launch of the project formed part of the latest, in a series of singing events organised by ATD in recent months.

The signing event was coordinated by the reigning ‘best voice in ATD’ award winner Elaine Whelan – who, along with contributions from members of the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir and of the Brother Kevin’s Choir  joined by the sound of a pipe, successfully encouraged those in attendance to find their signing voices and have great fun while doing so.  Joined by community activists, friends and even a group of children from the neighborhood, we sang “We shall overcome”, “In the name of love”, “How can a poor man stand such times and live”, “Keep your Eyes on the prize”… and many other social justice songs. The children joined us with their guitars to sing a beautiful version of “Molly Malone”.

Now, ATD is looking forward to organize workshops with people from the North Inner City. The ‘Your Rights are Written in Stone’ will run from March 2018 to June 2018. For more information visit about workshops and how to get involved visit the project Facebook page or contact Coraline!

A first ‘pilote’ workshop was held Thursday 8 March, International Women’s Day, at the ATD office in Mountjoy Square. Discussion focused on the message of the Dublin 1 Human Rights and Poverty Stone and what it represents for people. Friends of ATD and the team created beautiful and meaningful stones! A second workshop took place the next day Friday 9 March with friends from the Inner city now living in Ballymun.

 

Follow updates of the project Facebook page!Discover here the banners from the exhibition! Download the exhibition booklet here!

This project is supported by the Dublin City Council and the Department of the Taoiseach via the North East Inner City Programme!