Meet our Trustee- Dónal Rooney

“My primary reason was to give something back – and to reconnect with a deeply held purpose of helping to make a positive impact on the lives of others,” notes Dónal.

“Whilst Ireland no doubt has its problems, for me they pale in comparison to the problems of third world countries where extreme poverty, inequality and injustice are still unfortunately rampant,” he continues. 

“And it shouldn’t have to be this way. “There is a pathway to solving these problems and I really liked the Oxfam approach which, for me, is a nice blend of addressing both the long-term structural issues that are at the root cause of inequality and poverty and the short-term critical needs that just cannot be ignored. 
 

“Oxfam Ireland’s work is fundamentally about helping our fellow human beings who through no fault of their own must put up with abject poverty and injustice.” Dónal notes that with the influx of news and information at people’s fingertips every day, it can sometimes be difficult to keep the issue of poverty at the forefront of our minds.

“The devasting famine crisis in the horn of Africa does not appear to be capturing the hearts and minds of people in the same way as similar famine conditions (e.g., in Ethiopia) made the world rally together a generation ago,” says Dónal.

“I think the most challenging aspect is having to accept that causes of poverty, inequality and injustice are structurally deep-rooted and embedded in society which makes them extremely challenging to solve” notes Dónal. "They demand a patient, developmental approach. Climate change is a good example – it is frustrating to witness the slow progress but we, as a world, must never give up. We cannot afford to give up.