THE BIG NOISE IS DELIVERED IN IRELAND
Minister Ahern TD (right) accepts the BIG Noise petition from
Colin Roche of Oxfam Ireland (left).
In Belfast the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain MP, was presented with our Big Noise signatures. Carmel Hanna MLA and David Ford MLA from the All Party Group for International Development supported the call to Make Trade Fair. In Dublin, a Chinese dragon signifying the WTO's host venue, Hong Kong, added colour to the petition's handover on a cold winter's morning. This time Minister for Trade and Commerce, Michael Ahern TD, was the recipient of the huge petition. Mr Ahern was part of the Irish delegation to attend the talks. Oxfam Ireland's Advocacy and Campaigns Executive, Colin Roche, was another member of the delegation.
COLDPLAY ROCKS TO MAKE TRADE FAIR
Coldplay arrived in Belfast for the final date in their sell-out European tour in December. Oxfam Ireland was once again given the opportunity to campaign at the gig. Twenty campaigners did a great job in persuading around 2000 people to sign up to the Big Noise petition to Make Trade Fair in less than 2 hours! One of the campaign volunteers, Billie Phipps, said "The Coldplay concert was one of the most memorable nights of my life so far. It was great to raise awareness of the Make Trade Fair campaign and it was brilliant to see people genuinely interested in the work Oxfam Ireland is doing".
MARY ROBINSON SUPPORTS OXFAM IN HONG KONG
the Big Noise petition in a show of unity with
representatives of all the developing country trade
blocs at the WTO talks.
Photograph: David Vinuales/Oxfam
BELL X1 GIVE FULL SUPPORT
TO MAKE
TRADE FAIR
Not only did they get dumped in rice to highlight unfair trade rules but Dublin based band Bell X1 has gone a step further and let Oxfam Ireland get sign ups for the BIG Noise at their sell out RDS gig in January 2006. The band also donated the door charges from their Portlaoise "warm up to RDS" gig to Oxfam Ireland.
Brian Crosby of the band said "Oxfam's campaign to improve world trade laws is very important to the band. A change in international trade has the potential to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty."
