A 2nd Republic ?
Jan 24th, 2011 by Chris
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There are so many things bubbling up at the moment – some of them are still a bit fuzzy and indistinct – some will coalesce with others- it is impossible to say which will make it to the top.
A lot of people in Ireland are taking inspiration from Iceland – more on that theme soon …
On January 29th in the Gresham Hotel, I am helping with the facilitation of the first AGM of ‘Second Republic’ ….
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“Second Republic is a movement of people who are organising to campaign for the establishment of a National Convention in Ireland. That convention, like one currently running in Iceland, will re-examine every facet of how we organise ourselves as a State.
The current crisis leaves no doubt that our State, as it is currently established, is unfit to properly manage our affairs. A state that becomes as indebted as Ireland is clearly in need of reform. We want to take this moment and see it not as a time of despair but as an opportunity to rebuild.”
How exactly these processes are hosted, supported and gently shaped could make all the difference.
Everything is to play for – for further details see www.2nd-republic.ie
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Chris,
Thanks hugely for your enormous contribution to our movement on Saturday. We had struggled for two months to tie the various strands of our thinking together. Saturday was seen as a make or break moment for us – YOU made the day and us with it.
Three days later, I am still flabberghasted at the enormous amount of work that we were able to do and the clarity that emerged. I know everybody in attendance came away thrilled, revived and with a sense of achievement. I spoke specifically to some who have experience of facilitated events through other corporate and community activities. They were very specific in pointing to the source of the day’s achievement: they each said that you were the best facilitator that they have ever seen!
I hope we will cross paths again shortly so that I can express my appreciation again in person.
With the utmost regards,
Oliver
Hi Chris
Thanks so much for your invaluable help on Saturday and for your advice in the lead-up on the agenda and how we should manage the meeting. It was a very successful day and you played a major part in that. People really responded and stepped up on the day which was great.
Hopefully we will get to work together again at some point and hopefully Second Republic will continue to grow and evolve with time!
Regards
Dara
Thank you Oliver and Dara.
It is an incredible moment we live within. There is a clear danger that people could think that with a new government after the election (whoever that is), the bad times are behind us and ‘they’ will now save us and then when ‘they’ don’t, we’ll criticise them as much as we have criticised the last lot.
I see your work as getting to the heart of the relationship between the people and government – voting every 4/5 years and leaving them to it is not enough.
A well-run National Convention process has in itself the potential to demonstrate some of how citizens can be involved and connected to the things that matter most to them.
A well-run 2nd Republic Campaign has the potential to demonstrate some of the way in which a National Convention might work.
And we are so lucky to have the inspiration of people in Iceland to draw on – and details of a visit by some of those people to Ireland will be released very, very soon, honest !
What motivates me most is thinking about the country, the community and the environment my children are hopefully going to be adults in.
It is wonderful to see people like yourselves attending to the processes that may lead us to some of the changes we need.