ACTIVIST GROUP GAELS Against Genocide has hit out at the GAA for retaining its controversial Allianz sponsorship deal following an Ethics and Integrity Commission report.
They say “the content, tone and utter lack of human empathy in the (GAA) press release is telling”.
“The GAA executive has adopted a ‘business as usual’ approach in a time of genocide,” Gaels Against Genocide add. “The ethics that the Executive concerned itself with was not the genocide rather, the ethics of ending a commercial contract.
“It is now up to the grassroots of the GAA to make their position known at Congress. We have faith in the great goodness and decency of the people of the Association.”
The GAA last night said that terminating the sponsorship would make it “impossible to secure an alternative insurer that would not have similar links” and “could expose the Association to legal consequences apart from loss of sponsorship”.
Advertisement
Several county boards had previously passed motions calling on GAA Central Council to terminate their commercial partnership with Allianz Insurance Group.
A United Nations report published in July identified Allianz’s German parent company, through its subsidiary PIMCO, among the companies and corporations which hold Israeli Government Bonds.
The GAA’s current National League sponsorship deal with Allianz’s Irish division was renewed this year and is set to continue until 2030. The partnership is one of the longest-running in Irish sport, having been in place since 1993.
Allianz are the underwriter for all the GAA’s clubs and grounds, while their sponsorship portfolio also covers the All-Ireland senior football championship and Cumann na mBunscol competitions.
In August, a petition signed by close to 800 current and former GAA players called on the Association to drop Allianz as a sponsor, which led to the GAA referring the issue to their newly constituted Ethics and Integrity committee.
Gaels Against Genocide describe themselves as “a grassroots collective of people from GAA, Irish language and cultural backgrounds” on their social media accounts.
The full Gaels Against Genocide press release reads:
“It was important to give the GAA an opportunity to show us where they stand. The content, tone and utter lack of human empathy in the press release is telling. The GAA executive has adopted a ‘business as usual’ approach in a time of genocide. The ethics that the Executive concerned itself with was not the genocide rather, the ethics of ending a commercial contract. It is now up to the grassroots of the GAA to make their position known at Congress.
“Allianz is the title sponsor of our games and contributes to the economy of genocide. In the absence of any human rights statement or remedial action by Allianz since October 2023, it is clear that the Company’s human rights commitments do not extend to the Palestinian people. The GAA must align with international legal institutions and the law and assert that human rights are universal and that no group of people should be dehumanised in this manner.
“Our contribution to building a more peaceful world that affirms the dignity of all people, is to end the partnership with a company that prioritises profit over human suffering. Given the history and values of the GAA, it should adopt a human rights based approach in its commercial dealings. This requires contracts to be screened for human rights violations in times of conflict.
“System change is vital and we remain dedicated to our aim. We have faith in the great goodness and decency of the people of the Association.
“Nollaig faoi Shíocháin daoibh.”
Additional reporting by Emma Duffy, Paul Fennessy and Stephen Barry
Activist group slams GAA's 'business as usual approach in time of genocide' after Allianz decision
ACTIVIST GROUP GAELS Against Genocide has hit out at the GAA for retaining its controversial Allianz sponsorship deal following an Ethics and Integrity Commission report.
The Association announced its decision in a statement on Friday evening, and Gaels Against Genocide have since responded.
They say “the content, tone and utter lack of human empathy in the (GAA) press release is telling”.
“The GAA executive has adopted a ‘business as usual’ approach in a time of genocide,” Gaels Against Genocide add. “The ethics that the Executive concerned itself with was not the genocide rather, the ethics of ending a commercial contract.
“It is now up to the grassroots of the GAA to make their position known at Congress. We have faith in the great goodness and decency of the people of the Association.”
The GAA last night said that terminating the sponsorship would make it “impossible to secure an alternative insurer that would not have similar links” and “could expose the Association to legal consequences apart from loss of sponsorship”.
Several county boards had previously passed motions calling on GAA Central Council to terminate their commercial partnership with Allianz Insurance Group.
A United Nations report published in July identified Allianz’s German parent company, through its subsidiary PIMCO, among the companies and corporations which hold Israeli Government Bonds.
The GAA’s current National League sponsorship deal with Allianz’s Irish division was renewed this year and is set to continue until 2030. The partnership is one of the longest-running in Irish sport, having been in place since 1993.
Allianz are the underwriter for all the GAA’s clubs and grounds, while their sponsorship portfolio also covers the All-Ireland senior football championship and Cumann na mBunscol competitions.
In August, a petition signed by close to 800 current and former GAA players called on the Association to drop Allianz as a sponsor, which led to the GAA referring the issue to their newly constituted Ethics and Integrity committee.
Gaels Against Genocide describe themselves as “a grassroots collective of people from GAA, Irish language and cultural backgrounds” on their social media accounts.
The full Gaels Against Genocide press release reads:
“It was important to give the GAA an opportunity to show us where they stand. The content, tone and utter lack of human empathy in the press release is telling. The GAA executive has adopted a ‘business as usual’ approach in a time of genocide. The ethics that the Executive concerned itself with was not the genocide rather, the ethics of ending a commercial contract. It is now up to the grassroots of the GAA to make their position known at Congress.
“Allianz is the title sponsor of our games and contributes to the economy of genocide. In the absence of any human rights statement or remedial action by Allianz since October 2023, it is clear that the Company’s human rights commitments do not extend to the Palestinian people. The GAA must align with international legal institutions and the law and assert that human rights are universal and that no group of people should be dehumanised in this manner.
“Our contribution to building a more peaceful world that affirms the dignity of all people, is to end the partnership with a company that prioritises profit over human suffering. Given the history and values of the GAA, it should adopt a human rights based approach in its commercial dealings. This requires contracts to be screened for human rights violations in times of conflict.
“System change is vital and we remain dedicated to our aim. We have faith in the great goodness and decency of the people of the Association.
“Nollaig faoi Shíocháin daoibh.”
Additional reporting by Emma Duffy, Paul Fennessy and Stephen Barry
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Gaels Against Genocide none