May 2007 Human Rights Conference to celebrate Africa Day with focus on Irish Peace-Keeper

A conference to celebrate Africa Day and International Peace-Keepers day, entitled Conference on Africa and Peacekeepers: Positive Impact? will take place at the National University of Ireland, Galway on Saturday, 26 May, 2007.

Organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University in conjunction with Amnesty International, and supported by Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs; the conference will address the impact of peace-keepers in general and Irish peace-keepers in particular in Africa.

"With Ireland's tradition of United Nations peace-keeping, it's involvement in the mission in Liberia coming to an end and the world's attention focusing on the dire situation in Dafur this conference is timely," said Dr Ray Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.

"This event offers a rare opportunity for practitioners, activists, non-governmental organisations, the African community in Ireland, governmental departments and the academic community to discuss policy in relation to Africa and peace-keeping in particular."

A wide range of international experts will address the event including Dr Noel Kinsella, Speaker of the Canadian Senate, international human rights advocate and academic. Other key speakers include representatives from Trócaire, the Irish Defence Forces, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Irish Aid and the Liberian Refugee Community. The conference will also hear from a representative of the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre, a research centre based in Ghana, West Africa that looks at the causes and subsequent management of conflict and the promotion of peace.

A major focus of the event will be the Irish mission in Liberia and the current situation in Darfur.

The Conference on Africa and Peace-keepers: Positive Impact conference takes place in the Fottrell Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, from 11.00am to 4.30pm. This free conference is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

For further information or to obtain full programme details log on to www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ or www.amnesty.ie