Buy Nothing Day 2005 to be celebrated in Galway on Saturday

galway | politics / elections | event notice Sunday November 20, 2005 18:30 by Kerry E'lyn Larkin - Galwegians for Buy Nothing Day activationkerry at hotmail dot com

Buy Nothing Day 2005 to be celebrated in Galway on Saturday with street theatre, a mini film fest, art installations, and a barter fair.

With the seasonal shopping frenzy now upon us, Galwegians are being asked to resist for one day the pressure to shop, and join in the international celebration of Buy Nothing Day on Saturday 26th November. Buy Nothing Day was founded in 1993 and is celebrated in over 55 countries worldwide today, and its message is more relevant than ever in Celtic Tiger Ireland.
“Buy Nothing Day is a simple idea – it’s a 24-hour consumer fast that allows us step back and look at the role consumerism and materialism play in our lives,” says Kerry E’lyn Larkin, one of the organisers of the Galway events. “Why do we buy what we buy, and how much control do advertisers have over us? Where does what we buy come from and where does it go when we’re finished with it? Who profits from our consumption? What do we really value in our lives anymore? In other words, what impact does our consumption have on other people, the planet, and ourselves? BND is a chance to focus on these really important questions.”
A variety of events are planned to mark the day in Galway. Street theatre will be staged on (where else?) Shop Street at 2 pm; a Barter Fair will take place in the Galway One World Centre (beside Fat Freddy’s) from 2-6 pm, to which people should bring items to swap such as clothes, CDs, books, etc.; an art installation will be exhibited in the Fishery Tower all day; and films focusing on advertising, corporate control, and consumerism will be shown at NUI, Galway, during the afternoon. All events will be free and open to the public. For more information, ring 087 911 16 24 or email activationkerry@hotmail.com