As we mourn the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, it might be helpful to ease our sadness by looking back over some personal memories the RENATE network especially enjoyed with the Pontiff. 

In this regard, you might like to read the following address from Pope Francis to us at the RENATE Assembly, held in Rome 6-12 December 2016 as follows: (and below)

https://renate-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Greeting-of-His-Holiness-Pope-Francis-to-the-Second-European-Assembly-of-RENATE-7-November-20161.pdf

No doubt many of you will have your own photos from that particular Assembly to enjoy, but here is the link to the group photo we were so privileged to have taken with Pope Francis:

https://renate-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/l.jpg (and below)

For a lot more information and photos from the photo gallery, log on to the RENATE website itself, click on 'News' and scroll down to November 2016. There are numerous links which you can enjoy and in doing so, we hope you feel blessed to have had that time together in Rome.  A report on the Assembly 2026 is attached for your information. Additionally, RENATE held a webinar at CSW65 on 16 March 2021, about the work of Pope Francis to help draw attention to the crime of human trafficking and the urgency to honour the dignity of the human person. Attached is the Flyer for that webinar, to help jog your memories. There is something really poignant about the Pope delivering his blessing yesterday, Easter Sunday and then quietly passing away on Easter Monday

Rest in Peace, Pope Francis, thank you for a lifetime of loving service. 

In prayer,  

the RENATE Core Group.

Join us on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, for our annual Doolough Famine Walk, a poignant journey of remembrance, solidarity, and commitment to action. This year's theme, Sowing Seeds of Change in Remembrance and Solidarity, calls on us to honour the lives needlessly lost during An Gorta Mór—the Great Hunger—by confronting the enduring injustices of our time.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS & STRUCTURE

11.00 AM - REGISTRATION

Walkers will gather in Louisburgh Parish Hall from 11 am for registration. All walkers, even those who are pre-registered, must go to the registration desk to check in and collect their ticket to board the shuttle bus (included in ticket price).

12.00 PM - OPENING CEREMONY

We will gather at Louisburgh Parish Hall for the Opening Ceremony, featuring conversation, live music and thought-provoking reflections on An Gorta Mór and its parallels today from renowned speakers.

Clare O'Grady Walshe – Seed Keeper, Author, and Expert in Seed Sovereignty and Globalisation

Paul Laverty – Award-winning Screenwriter, Lawyer, Humanitarian and Storyteller.

Eman Mohammed – Senior Ted Fellow and Award-winning Palestinian Photojournalist

Farah Elle - Libyan-Irish Progressive Musician Whose Distinctive Voice Reveals Something of the Beauty in the Ephemeral Every Day.

12.50 PM - SHUTTLE BUSES TO WALK STARTING POINT

Walkers will be shuttled to the walk's starting point, where a short tree-planting ceremony will take place before the walk begins. The bus takes approximately 20 minutes. Toilet facilities will be available at the starting point. Please note that no parking is available at the starting point, so walkers must take the shuttle bus.

1.30 PM - DOOLOUGH FAMINE WALK

Following a short tree-planting ceremony at the starting point, we will embark on the Doolough Famine Walk. This 17-km journey retraces the steps of those who journeyed or died in the Doolough Tragedy in 1849, honouring each one as a human with a name, hopes, dreams, and fears. On return to the Louisburgh Parish Hall, each walker will receive a Certificate of Completion.

As we walk in memory of all who died, whether by starvation or disease, not forgetting those displaced, we stand in solidarity with those all over the world for whom the experience of deprivation, destruction and death is a current reality. This event compels us to see how history is repeating itself, particularly in Palestine, where starvation is being weaponised as a tool of genocide, and urges each of us to heed the call of shared struggle for more just futures as ancestors to be. Your participation also supports Afri's vital work in education, campaigning, and solidarity. By walking, we defy indifference to injustice and commit to building a future where no one is abandoned to hunger or violence.

Book Your Place HERE

This year's Global Citizenship School One-Minute Video Campaign has seen a host of very different entries from so many different schools from all over Ireland. Each school has shown how they have been tackling world issues and in just about 1 minute they want to share with you their efforts to 'Make That Change' as they encourage others to do the same. 

Who is La Strada International?

La Strada International is a European NGO Platform against human trafficking, that works from a human rights perspective in support of trafficked persons. The platform aims to prevent human trafficking and to protect and realise trafficked persons’ rights. This is done by providing access to adequate assistance and support to victims, and via information and knowledge exchange, capacity building of NGOs and other stakeholders and cross-sectoral cooperation. Focus is on monitoring and advocacy for change to ensure accountability for the effective implementation of European Anti-Trafficking policies and regulations.

I attended the recent Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Child Trafficking. 

25th High-Level Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference on 31 March-1 April 2025 in Vienna

The recordings can be found here: 25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons | OSCE It will also be soon populated with statements and presentations as well as with the conference report.

Since there was not enough time during the discussion for all the interventions to be delivered in the room, we have uploaded them as we received them here: https://rb.gy/ue9ooi  

Justice Symposium at Marino College in Dublin 9 on April 5th last.

Dear Sisters and Friends, 

On April 5th last we held the first AMRI Justice Symposium that was attended by over 40 attendees including Sisters, Priests, Brothers and lay representatives of their congregations and indeed also representing the NGOs with which they have a deep and ongoing involvement. All attending were amazed at the breadth and extent of justice issues being covered by those attending and new lasting and valuable links, relationships and contacts were made. 

For all who attended the question of what now and what next for the issues of Justice that we all find too important was interrogated, and we have posted the results of these discussions (as promised) below. This short report HERE of our day together is a first step and can be shared with others, in your own congregations and indeed beyond if you think that they are interested. 

There are questions raised below that will be taken up by AMRI at a later stage and Lara Kelly of the Dominican Justice Office extends a kind invitation to join the Dominican Sisters HERE on Monday 19th May, 7.00-8.30pm for their Zoom Meeting on Doughnut Economics building on the workshop that she conducted at the Symposium itself. 

If you have anything that you think might expand on the conversations held then we would love to hear from you and you can contact Dr. Toni Pyke on justice@amri.ie. 

Brian O' Toole