Bruce Kent & Afri

Bruce Kent speaking at Féile Bríde in Kildare in 2015. We are deeply saddened by the death of our good friend and colleague Bruce Kent. Bruce was an extraordinary and inspirational figure who dedicated practically his entire life to the cause of promoting peace and opposing war. He was a guest of Afri on many occasions stretching back to 1984 when he shared a platform with Desmond Tutu and Sean MacBride at a memorable event in Sean MacDermott St church. He returned again in 1995 - before the Good Friday Agreement - to speak at a conference entitled ‘Militarisation and the International Arms Trade’ in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, organised by Afri and Peacewatch Ireland. He was a key contributor when we organised a Hedge School in collaboration with The International Peace Bureau in All Hallows College in 2006 and he returned again to speak at Féile Bríde in Kildare in 2008 and 2015.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to humanity and the Planet was his founding of the ‘Movement for the Abolition of War’, which clearly demonstrated his radical commitment to peace and his utter rejection of war and the war industry. Sometime in the future, hopefully, people will look back on the founding of this movement and see it as being on a par with the establishment of the movement for the abolition of slavery. This initiative represents the kind of radical thinking and action we need in a world enslaved by war and the weapons industry. Bruce’s dedication to ending war was matched only by his warmth, his wit, his sense of humour, his kindness and his unstinting encouragement. It was a real privilege to have known him and to have travelled a part of the road with him. Go raibh a anam uasal ar dheis Dé.
For over four decades Afri has been involved in opposing war, promoting food sovereignty and tackling climate change - working especially with Secondary and Third level students as well as with the general public. We organise the annual Famine Walk in Mayo, a Hedge School in TU Blanchardstown and Féile Bríde in Kildare. Thank you for continuing to support our work.
www.afri.ie