PAGE 10 OPINION


BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR AN EQUAL, SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING IRELAND


Over a thousand people met in the Industries Hall of the RDS on 30 October. Not many of them knew each other. They came from all corners of Ireland and from all parts of civil society. People from voluntary groups, environmental organisations, community groups, trade unions, global justice groups and many more were present. Some were angry, others were curious, all were looking for a new way to respond to the crises we are experiencing. It could have been a disaster.


I


nstead it was an experience that gave hope and offered potential for finding new ways through the crises to a different and better Ireland. People took up the challenge of an event that could only work with their participation. There were no speakers, no


presentations, no workshops, no feedback sessions. People sat around a hundred tables, each table with a mix of different backgrounds, and the discussion began. Claiming our Future was born.


Values were first to be discussed. Participants


were asked to agree the values that would reflect the type of Ireland they wanted, that would unite the different parts of civil society and that would challenge the values currently dominating public debate. Technology and new software allowed the deliberations of the whole hall to be considered and the consensus of the hall identified. Equality,


environmental sustainability, accountability, participation and solidarity were the values chosen for Claiming our Future.


A menu of policy choices was then debated to establish an initial agenda for Claiming our Future. Two sets of options were discussed under the heading ‘Making the economy work for the people’. The policy agenda agreed from the first set of options was to change the current development model to reflect economic security and social and environmental sustainability, and to regulate the banking system to change


the culture of banking to focus on guaranteeing loans to local enterprises and communities.


The policy agenda agreed from the second set of options was to achieve greater income equality through policies


that support maximum and minimum income thresholds, and to maximise job creation in a green/ social economy.


Two further sets of options were then discussed under the heading ‘Making the state work for the people’. The policy agenda agreed from the first set of these options was to reform representative political institutions and to develop participatory forms of citizen engagement in public governance. The policy agenda agreed from the second set of these options was to provide universal access to quality healthcare and to invest in equality in access to all levels of education.


Le Chéile


Vol 9 • Issue 3 • Winter 2010


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