A story exchange to share stories about home for women living in Direct Provision in Donegal.

What makes a home?

What are your hopes for the future?

You are all welcome to join us for a story exchange and discussion workshop facilitated by Francine Blaché-Breen and Eve Li.

Here, we will look at the topic of home as a local, national and global issue to raise understanding, awareness and empathy as global citizens.

Exact location in Ballybofey to be announced, places limited to 6 to 8 people.

Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/2y39vtsz

📌 Our May Film Club screening is the exceptional ‘Machines’ directed by Rahul Jain, a portrait of the daily life of the workers in an Indian textile factory, revealing its beauty as well as its shameful working conditions. 🎦

May 6th 7.30pm The Market House, Clonmany. Admission is €7.50 🎟️

Many thanks to Clonmany Community Centre for providing this wonderful venue.

As usual, our club is brought to you with our partners at Change Makers Donegal & Concern Worldwide 🌍

This is another one not to miss. ✅

🎥Our monthly Film Club in association with the Disappear Here Film Festival and funder, Concern Worldwide, is back. Change makers are invited to attend our screening of Leave No Trace on Saturday 8 April at 7.30pm in Clonmany at The Market House, Clonmany. Admission is €7.50 and you don’t need to book in advance.

Post Show Discussion

For the post show discussion, we will have a special guest speake,r Eric Ede from Disappear Here Film Festival’s sister festival Black Rock City Film Festival, at Burning Man in Nevada, USA. Leave no Trace is one of the 10 principles of Burning Man and we will open the floor to questions afterwards.

What is this month’s feature film about?

Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie), have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland.

The film is directed by Debra Granik from a script adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini and based on the novel My Abandonment by Peter Rock.

Trailer: https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/leave-no-trace

Film Club Update

For this year’s Club, we have changed the day to Saturdays (usually the first Saturday of every month) and we have changed the format to include feature films on important topics (such as housing) and documentaries, we will retain the post-show discussion.

Thank you to everyone who took part in our March Film Club during which we presented Black Gold, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee followed by a great post-show discussion about all things Fairtrade.

We look forward to seeing you there.

THREE INISHOWEN towns are aiming to secure Fairtrade status ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight 2023.

Buncrana is currently in the running to be named Inishowen’s third Inishowen town [Carndonagh and Moville have already received the prestigious title], with Ballyliffin and Clonmany setting their sights on ‘Fairtrade Community’ status.

As part of the campaign, ChangeMakers Donegal has been working with volunteers in the local communities and is now inviting Inishowen shoppers to buy fair trade products this February during Fairtrade Fortnight which runs from 27 February to 12 March.

Myra McAuliffe, Project Coordinator with ChangeMakers explains how encouraging people to buy Fairtrade products, such as tea, coffee, bananas, chocolate and even flowers and cotton with the Fairtrade mark can make a difference.

“Most of us enjoy a cup of tea or coffee but did you know everyday items such as these provide an opportunity to act in solidarity with the people who produce the goods?” explained Myra.

“The Fairtrade movement works with farming co-operatives, businesses, and governments to make trade fair for farmers and workers. It provides safer working conditions and fairer pay while for shoppers it means high quality, ethically produced products.”

To support the Buncrana efforts, ChangeMakers are inviting Ugandan Tea Farmer Innocent Owomuhangi to Inishowen to speak to the community about how important it is to them that we buy Fairtrade items where possible.

The first of these events will take place on Monday 6 March at 1pm in the Exchange Buncrana. This is a public event and everyone is invited to come along and listen what Innocent has to say and how local people’s shopping choices make a difference to the people in his community in Uganda.

Buncrana councillor Jack Murray, who is also chairperson of the Fairtrade Buncrana committee said they have small changes within the council, ensuring that fairtrade tea and coffee is available in all Donegal County Council buildings. It will also be available in local restaurants and cafes, where possible.

“This Fairtrade Fortnight we encourage Inishowen people to buy Fairtrade,” said Cllr. Murray.

“We look forward to welcoming Innocent Owomuhangi from Uganda to Inishowen for events in Buncrana and Clonmany.

“Everyone in the community; whether you are a shopper, a chef or business owner, is welcome to come and meet Innocent who is a worker on the Kayonza Growers Tea Factory Limited in Uganda and an Ambassador for Fairtrade International.”

Cllr. Murray added: “While buying Fairtrade is an act of solidarity with people in places like Africa and Colombia, it is also another step towards being a sustainable region.”

Meanwhile other Inishowen events as part of the Fairtrade fortnight include:

• On Sunday 5 March at 7:30pm, the monthly Disappear Here Film Club is back with a climate change themed film planned and a post film community discussion with Innocent Owomuhangi, Fairtrade International Ambassador.
• Carndonagh residents can attend the Carndonagh Fairtrade Coffee Morning, in association with Spraoi agus Sport Mother and Toddler Group on Saturday 4 March at 11am.
• Fairtrade Dunfanaghy are organising a Fairtrade Coffee morning on Thursday 9 March, location and time to follow on our social media pages.

Local Schools to embrace Fairtrade

Local schools are also getting behind the campaign; Crana College in Buncrana is applying for status as a Fairtrade School. Its students will present a stall at SuperValu Buncrana showcasing Fairtrade products and they will partake in an education workshop with ChangeMakers Donegal, the Irish Aid funded community project, which champions the cause to think global and act local in Donegal. Primary school students at Scoil Phadraig, Rasheeny, will learn about Fairtrade too in a workshop with Patsy Toland of ChangeMakers Donegal and WorldWise Global Schools.

For more information and resources visit www.changemakers.ie & or contact changemakers@inishowen.ie.

Donegal Businesses; Start Your Sustainability Journey Today

Sustainability for Everyone – start your journey today and gain your passport to a better tomorrow.

ChangeMakers is looking for six local businesses in Donegal to take part in our new certified Sustainability Passport programme.

What is it?

A certified, guided, free programme designed to help businesses take more sustainable actions in their workplaces and communities.

Made up of five ‘how to’ guides providing key facts and figures, suggested actions and their measurable impacts, and an online link to resources across five routes:

Route 1.          Water and Energy

Route 2.          Reusing and Recycling

Route 3.          Ethical and Responsible consumption

Route 4.          Biodiversity and Gardening

Route 5.          Equality and Inclusion in our communities

How Does It Work?

Embark on your Sustainability Passport journey in three easy steps:

Step 1 ­- Attend an engaging and informative ‘how to’ webinar for Social Enterprises (time to be decided in consultation with the local businesses that sign up).

Step 2 – Consult with a designated mentor who will guide you on your chosen route and what actions to take.

For example, if your chosen route is Water & Energy, then you could take simple actions such as adjusting eco setting on appliances to power-saving mode, installing sensors and timers throughout your premises and switching to LED lighting to reduce usage, decrease emissions and save money.

Step 3 – Share your actions (via an ‘easy to use’ online platform) to gain certification, while creating a resource of local-based knowledge, tips and learning that helps your whole community progress along their sustainability journey, with local and global benefits.

To start your Sustainability Passport journey today and ensure a better tomorrow for you and your community, click on the SIGN UP button below to contact Kate at ChangeMakers Donegal.

Sign Up

Fairtrade Fortnight is 27 February to 12 March this year.

Celebrate Fairtrade in Inishowen with a special event featuring Jose Daniel Aguilar, a coffee farmer/coop manager from Honduras, who will speak to the local community about how our choices impact the lives of many.

Where: The Exchange Inishowen Buncrana.

Date: Monday 6 March 2023 at 1pm.

Grab a Fairtrade Coffee on your lunchbreak.

All welcome.

RSVP: changemakers@inishowen.ie.