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About Afri - AfrI
Vision Statement
Afri ( Action from
Ireland) is a small
justice peace and human
rights organisation which
was founded in 1975. We
in AfrI operate, at base,
from a particular vision
of how the world should
be. We believe in, and
work towards, a more just
world characterised by
greater equality and respect
for human rights. This
vision incorporates an
end to hunger and poverty,
to discrimination, violent
conflict and repression
and their replacement
by a fair distribution
of the earth's resources
and the peaceful resolution
of disputes. This vision
is, of course, utopian,
but progress towards its
realisation is possible.
We believe that a first
step towards such realisation
is the identification
of the causes of existing
global problems. There
are many causes - including
the neoliberal model of
economic globalisation,
with its attendant features
including unequal trade
and debilitating international
debt repayments - but
the one that has long
engaged the attention
of AfrI is militarisation.
The militarisation of
the global economy and
polity contributes to
poverty and injustice
in a number of ways, including:
- The direct diversion
of resources from social
to military expenditure.
- The tendency for
military industries
to encourage violent
conflict in order to
reap profits.
- And the way in which
the presence and deployment
of military resources
discourages (or directly
prevents) people from
claiming their rights.
While not suggesting
that a reduction in international
militarisation would act
as a panacea for global
ills, it would nonetheless
be a major step forward.
AfrI's organisational
goal is, therefore, the
progressive reduction
of global militarisation
as one step towards greater
global justice and equality.
Afri has a long
standing association with
county Kildare through
the Féile Bríde
Conference which it holds
in Kildare Town every
Year, and
it's Hedge School/ Scoil
Chois Claí which
takes place in The Old
Mill, Victoria Bridge,
Naas.
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