Tuesday, 6 October, 2005

Dear Friend of the PFC,

This is an urgent appeal for donations! We are in the red!

The Pat Finucane Centre, though Derry based, has had an impact far beyond the north west of Ireland. Earlier this year a reception was held at the Guildhall in Derry to honour the work of the Centre. Families and individuals travelled from 11 of the 32 counties in Ireland, and from Scotland and England, in itself ample testament to the respect felt in the wider community.

The work of the centre over the last year has included;

• organising public meetings with the Mayor of London on the End Impunity Campaign,
• research on collusion which has resulted in a number of cases currently being heard before the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg,
• participating in the Advisory Group on the Sean Brown murder investigation,
• logging all sectarian /racist incidents from June 2005 to September 2005 (the log will be available soon)
• giving evidence to Committees of both the Irish and British parliaments,
• initiating a number of investigations into conflict related deaths by the Police Ombudsman’s office,
• reinacting closed meetings of the Policing Board as street theatre and …

• applying to the Guinness Book of Records to have Rosemount PSNI barracks logged as the least used police station in the world!

The ongoing day-to-day advocacy on behalf of families is largely confidential and hidden from view but the Centre works with over 120 families who have lost relatives in the conflict. In addition individuals approach the Centre with complaints and are referred to solicitors and/or to the Police Ombudsman.

Against this background it will come as no surprise to realise that the centre deliberately steers away from official funding that is linked to the NIO. Stubbornly independent as it is the Centre is largely dependent on individual donors. The Pat Finucane Centre website carries the following quote from Geraldine Finucane,

‘If you believe in shaping stronger human rights protection then invest in the Pat Finucane Centre and those who find themselves in the frontline in their work to defend human rights.’

The Centre urgently requires donations in order to continue that work. There is no money in the bank! Please respond this week!

Note. Donations can be made by cheque or online (today!) through the secure Paypal system at www.patfinucanecentre.org