TODAY of all days, Fintan O'Toole wrote about the Irish people's failure to rise up and protest and lamented the lack of activism. He's correct to a point but he took no account in his article of activism that is happening and tomorrow just happens to see one of the biggest activist gatherings in years.
John Monaghan from Pobal Chill Chomain in Erris is going to appear in front of 2000 people at the 'Possibilities' event in Dublin tomorrow. Maybe most people are turning up to hear/see the Dalai Lama, Mary Robinson and Kila. But this gig is sold-out and the message is that taking action for change is something we all have a duty to do. It's about activism, led by some of most notable activists of our era. The Government is interested in nurturing entrepreneurship in our schools, but there are many others in civil society interested in nurturing a sense of real civic responsibility and a duty to engage, to protest, to stand up for people's rights.
Tomorrow's gig is intended as an event that's part of a movement (www.possibilities.ie) like the many others we've listed in Changing Ireland magazine - Claiming Our Future, 2nd Republic, New Beginnings, Direct Democracy, People's Convention, New Vision and more. However, the Possibilities movement may be the biggest to emerge from the collapse of financial capitalism yet.
If only the enemy - greed/ignorance/oppression - lived in a house in Dublin and people could lay siege outside, Egyptian style, taking direct action that the Dalai Lama and John Monaghan would be proud of.
Don't write off the people in Ireland yet!
People may one day go to jail for all that went on.
By the way, one of the guests making a presentation tomorrow is community development worker Rita Fagan from St. Michael's Estate in Inchicore, Dublin. The project she co-ordinates is funded under the Local and Community Development Programme.
The event has been organised by three not-for-profits, namely AfrI, Spunout and Children In Crossfire.
- Allen Meagher, editor, 'Changing Ireland'
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