“Whether he sings his love, pain, dreams or memory, the Human, between the lines, first sings for his thirst for dignity… Whether in the Guatemala’s aldéas, as in Haïti’s dulls, or in African, Asian and European slums, everywhere I could hear families living in extreme poverty, singing for their dignity”
Joseph Wresinski, 1987
To celebrate the dignity of people living in poverty, to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty , a series of concerts will be organised by the Irish 17 October Committee and ATD Ireland.
This project entitled “When Voices Unite: Breaking the Silence to Leave No One Behind” is supported by a small grant from Impact Joe Lucey Fund and by the French Senate (thanks to Senator Hélène Conway-Mouret)
The first event took place on Tuesday 11th April 2017! It has been a great occasion to meet and sing together! Download the event song book!
After this first concert, singers and choirs in Ireland will gradualy join a global worldwide singing session, that will be held from the 15th and 17th October 2017. Together, people from all backgrounds will sing to speak out and unite their voices against poverty and social exclusion. Hundreds of choirs all over the world will sing a repertoire of popular songs.
The final event in Dublin will take place from 7pm on Tuesday the 17th October will be broadcasted by internet & radios all over the world.
The main objectives of this project are:
- To invite choirs and citizens around the country to sing on the UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
- To invite children and teachers in schools all around Ireland to sing the song “Something Inside So Strong” all over Ireland at 11.17am sharp on Tuesday the 17 October 2017.
- To prepare with the support of a few Irish Choirs (the Island of Ireland Peace Choirs, the High Hopes Choir and the SpeakUp SingOut Teenage Choir,…) a very special singing session which will take place on the UN End Poverty Day, Tuesday 17th October 2017 in the evening in Dublin. This session will involve community members of deprived areas of Dublin.
- With the support of Rachel Dempsey (Global Harmonies), to create a small choir open to everyone and facilitated by ATD Ireland, that would gather both Irish and non-Irish foreign volunteers, including a large majority of people experimenting poverty. This choir would be able to join the singing session, organised on the 17th October 2017, and sing there a few songs.
- To liaise with the French community-driven choirs in Ireland and to create specific bonds between the ATD choir and some French community choirs. This choice of working on strengthening links with the French community is related to the fact the UN Day first began in France in 1987.
- To strengthen the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 agenda and to raise awareness on the central challenge of this agenda: To Leave No One Behind.
If you are interested to volunteer and support this project, contact Pierre at committee@17october.ie