Archive for November, 2009

Well done to everyone who took part in Ballinamore’s recent Clothes Swap Party.

It was a resounding success with lots of money raised for charity, both local and further away – sorry I don’t have details of the charities – I wasn’t involved in the organisation – only in the admiration of a job well done!

Apparently women travelled for miles to get to the party and it was a cold night so well done to all who travelled, I know that you went home with lots of goodies.

The way that the party worked was that everyone paid an entrance fee and those who brought clothes were given a voucher for each item. Those vouchers could then be redeemed to claim another item of clothing. If you didn’t bring anything to swap you could still buy a voucher in order to get some nice thing for yourself or a gift for someone else.

Everyone involved had lots of fun and said that they would do it again.

Apart from the fact that money was painlessly raised for two charities I think that one of the great achievements of the night was the fact that people who may not have otherwise ever considered wearing “second hand” or “recycled” clothing now have a new attitude as well as a new outfit.

Changing how we think is always life changing – there is no such thing as a little change – every change is important and far reaching……

Nothing has been discarded, any clothing items which were not claimed on the night have been either distributed to a charity shop in the region or boxed – ready to travel to Bosnia as part of a regular clothing run from this part of the country.

So it’s a win win situation:

many people got to declutter which always leaves you feeling great

women got together on a cold winters night to have fun

lots of clothing was saved from landfill or worse – dust gathering!

people learnt an appreciation of a sustainable way to “shop”

lots of women have some lovely new outfits

money was raised for two charities

some women in Bosnia will be a little warmer this winter

it was a success and may happen again – even elsewhere in Leitrim or the North West……..

A great evening of fun and fashion is happening in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim on Friday next – yes, it’s the much anticipated Big Clothes Swap Meet.

Come and Swap

I don’t know about how you feel – I know that I often feel angry at the blatant disregard given by world governments, my own included,  to the sizeable problem facing us all,  Global Climate Change.

I recently came across this really interesting site, set up by people who have become, as many of us have, frustrated at the way big business nods it’s head at global climate change, puts on a big old green hat and continues as normal.

This site offers us the opportunity to voice our opinion on those who are wreaking havoc on efforts to bring about any real sort of climate protection agreement.

Here I will let the Angry Mermaid people tell you more……..

Crucial UN climate talks take place in Copenhagen this December. While people, organisations and social movements around the world are calling for strong action to prevent climate change and ensure climate justice, big business has been lobbying to block effective action to tackle the problem, while also seeking to benefit from it. Lobbying is defined as attempting to influence the decision-making process.

The Angry Mermaid Award has been set up to recognise the perverse role of corporate lobbyists, and highlight those business groups and companies that have made the greatest effort to sabotage the climate talks, and other climate measures, while promoting, often profitable, false solutions.

Named after the iconic Copenhagen mermaid who is angry about the destruction being caused by climate change, the Angry Mermaid Award winner will be decided by a public poll. Read the story of the Angry Mermaid.

I would encourage you to visit this site and please, please use your chance to vote.

Please spread the word and get your friends to vote too, the more the merrier….

the message

Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity.
But silence is impossible.
Silence screams.
Silence is a message,
just as doing nothing is an act.
Let who you are ring out and resonate

in every word and every deed.
Yes, become who you are.
There’s no sidestepping your own being

or your own responsibility.
What you do is who you are.
You are your own comeuppance.
You become your own message.
You are the message.

Mitakuye Oyasin.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,

Leonard Peltier

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I found this wonderful poem on a website dedicated to increasing awareness of the situation of Leonard Peltier, who has been imprisoned for many years now.

It is widely accepted that Leonard should be free, that his case has been a travesty of justice, yet another incident of a person wrongly held captive.

In 1999, Leonard Peltier’s memoir was published—”Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance” (St. Martin’s Press). The work received wide acclaim. As a result, the European Parliament approved a resolution calling for Peltier to be freed and France’s former First Lady Danielle Mitterand—president of the French human rights organization, France Libertés—also called for the release of Leonard Peltier.

Editor Harvey Arden said, “Leonard Peltier’s powerful memoir, a Native American spiritual testament, will shake the conscience of the nation… and the world. It’s a flaming arrow aimed at the circled wagons of American injustice.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu calls it: ”A deeply moving and very disturbing story of a gross miscarriage of justice and an eloquent “cri de coeur” of Native Americans for redress and to be regarded as human beings with inalienable rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution… We pray that it does not fall on deaf ears. America owes it to herself.”