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Buy Nothing Day 1998:
Buy Nothing Day in Derry (Northern Ireland)

From: Peter Doran [email protected]
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 20:47:37 +0000

Headlines

On International Buy Nothing Day one of Ireland's leading theological writers on the global environmental crisis challenged the churches to say no to the annual Christmas splurge of affluence and Christmas shopping. Father Sean McDonagh was addressing a conference for faith communities to explore their ethical response to the lifestyle challenges of sustainable development issues. Congratulate him and support him at: [email protected]

The media in Derry and throughout Northern Ireland covered the campaign as never before...even taking the message to local business leaders and on to the streets to seek opinion. Requests for photos of our activists can be directed to Peter Doran at [email protected]

The International Buy Nothing Day received widespread media coverage in Derry and throughout Northern Ireland this year, with a day long programme of activities marking the campaign:

picture 'aliens'

  1. Over one hundred people from all over Ireland gathered to take part in an Earth Rights conference and examine the ethical dimensions of sustainable development including lifestyle and consumerism.
  2. As part of the conference workshops, participants hit the streets dressed as aliens, a television and slavish consumers whose imaginations were captured by the lure of the screen. Our guerrilla street theatre
  3. activists even received permission to patrol the local shopping mall.
  4. In the evening a local revoluntionary pub, called Sandino's, hosted the city's first public showing of the adbusters tv commercials and the latest edition of the Undercurrents eco video news.
  5. Finally, activists retired to the dance floor at a local Irish ceili.

picture 'TV ad' Interestingly, local media followed our activists on to the streets and got shoppers and shop keepers' reactions...and discovered a lot of sympathy for the campaign. Even a leading member of the local chamber of commerce hit out at the buy, buy, buy message of the advertisers.

This campaign is going places in Derry....
see you all here next year,

Peter Doran
Green Party and Local Agenda 21 activist

"Winning these days is keeping sight of your self." (Paul Virilio)

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