Trócaire tapestry highlights causes of global poverty

If you are visiting Belvedere over the coming weeks, keep an eye for a tapestry created by Trócaire volunteers that highlights the causes of poverty across the globe.

Launched by Cllr John Shaw, mayor of Mullingar on Friday week last, this powerful work will be on display at Belvedere until October 25, and aims to raise awareness of how western production practices affect the rest of the world, driving climate change and conflict, and creating poverty.

Joe Murphy, a Galway native and Trócaire volunteer living in Castlepollard for more than 30 years, organised the exhibition, in conjunction with Westmeath County Council.

“Our environment and how we treat it affects the whole world, and all these issues that Trócaire are involved in, whether it’s environmental issues or climate change, they’re all connected to our world,” Joe told the Westmeath Examiner at the launch event.

“One of the reasons I’m involved with Trócaire all these years is they spend a lot of effort on education and awareness on what causes poverty and how the western world is contributing to it. Sometimes we can do more here in our own little corner, creating awareness and education young people about these issues.

“We have to look at ourselves and see what we’re doing, because most climate change is due to factors in the western world, not in the developing world – they have been very low contributors.”

Cllr John Shaw, cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, remarked that as children, “we can all remember the Trócaire box”, and said the best way to understand the message conveyed by Trócaire tapestry was to come and view the work. “I think this tapestry both shows the varied work that Trócaire do, as well as highlighting the injustices operating in our world.

“I’d like to say well done to Joe and all those who have taken part in this, it’s a wonderful way of engaging with people right throughout the country. We get lots of footfall through Belvedere so hopefully people will stop and take notice of this over the next couple of weeks.”

Marieanne Michel, volunteer and outreach officer with Trócaire based in Galway, said the idea for the tapestry began during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We met on Zoom with two ladies from Conflict Textile, who do tapestries and who gave us a bit of guidance, and we were a bit overwhelmed at times because none of the volunteers have any sewing experience or anything of that nature,” she said.

“We’re usually out there with placards and doing our bit. We thought about what we were going to create, each one of us, together, and mainly the volunteers felt really strongly about environmental issues, about how people are affected by our actions, or actions of businesses around the world.

Joe Murphy, Castlepollard, Trócaire volunteer, and Pat Murtagh, Local Community Development Committee, Westmeath County Council at the launch in Belvedere.

“They spent countless hours creating those pieces and you can see the passion that they have put into this tapestry,” said Marieanne. “They felt really strongly about it, and they held events like this one in their own communities, so this tapestry has been around the country, to Dublin, Wicklow, Cork, Galway, to the North.

“You can see that everyone wished to highlight different issues, from fair trade and kitchen industries, to anti-fracking and the imbalance of justice. I would encourage everyone to look at the little details and see how beautiful it all is.”

Marieanne spoke about what drives poverty. “In Trócaire we always talk about what the people in this world are going through. This year during Lent, you heard the story of the drought in Somalia, and how a family had to leave their home because of the it – this family didn’t have anything to eat, and they had to go and find a place where they could get food. Unfortunately, they are now living in an IDP Camp, an International Displaced People’s camp.

“There are so many people like that today and our volunteers really feel strongly about stopping poverty and hunger around the world and helping all those communities. The fact that you are here today is helping, we are all working together for a just world. Please tell everyone to come here and see the tapestry,” urged Marieanne.

Others at the exhibition launch included members of Castlepollard and Collinstown Tidy Towns, Castlepollard Historical Society, as well as Fr Barry White and students on two-year placement at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar from Notre Dame University. “It’s great to get the word out and to have this exhibition here,” said Joe Murphy. “This is the 50th anniversary of Trócaire, it was set up by the bishops of Ireland, not just to address emergencies, but to address and educate on the causes of poverty.”

Joe said that it was his time spent as an training officer with Macra na Feirme that led to him first becoming involved with Trócaire.

“There was about seven or eight clubs in Westmeath at the time and they got involved in awareness of worldwide issues because we are all connected. What happens in Westmeath and in Ireland affects what happens in other countries, as we can see now with the environment and climate change.

“We need that global thinking, and I found it informative to be involved in Trócaire because 92% of their money goes directly to people on the ground in the developing world. They win awards for accountability regularly, and they work through the groups in the developing world – the community groups and church groups – and I think that self-help approach is really good,” he says.

“We do educational programmes informing people of the causes of poverty in developing countries, and how we can help in the Western world. It’s practical, educational, we go into schools and we have displays like we have here today in Belvedere, and highlight the causes of poverty, whether climate change, deforestation in the Amazon, or mining.

“Unfortunately, a lot of the big corporations can exploit some of the developing countries for their minerals or their resources, so sometimes Trócaire has to campaign and support people to help themselves and to be able to hold onto their livelihoods. That’s a big part of our work.

• The tapestry exhibition runs until October 25 and it is free to enter Belvedere to view it.