PEOPLE HERE are paying the price for a fundamental flaw in decision-making processes at home and abroad, a conference in Dublin on social justice has heard.
At the Social Justice Ireland conference, its director Fr Seán Healy said yesterday that all sectors of Ireland had a right and a responsibility to be involved in making decisions that affected them, “particularly on issues concerning the shape of the future”.
The conference, Sharing Responsibility in Shaping the Future, included contributions from Gilda Farrell, head of social cohesion research and development division at the Council of Europe, Ibec director general Danny McCoy and Ictu general secretary David Begg.
Opening the conference, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said the reform of local government and local development would “reduce the duplication of services” and “ensure greater democratic accountability in decision making at a local level”.
“Bottom-up” or a community development approach was an integral feature of local and community development and must be retained. “I have no intention of throwing the baby out with the bath water,” he said.
Mr Begg said Ireland had to find a way to reinvent itself. “All we have really been presented with so far are solutions based on more extreme versions of a social and economic model that has failed us.”
Sharing social responsibility was possible. “I don’t think there is any other way for a small open economy to be wealthy, sustainable and egalitarian and free from fear,” he added.
Mr McCoy said he disagreed with suggestions the current crisis proved our economic model was broken and needed replacing.
It was “completely unrealistic” to suggest a “theoretical notion” of shared social responsibilities was the most powerful force to address issues faced by society. “This should come from a deeper understanding of competition and economic value creation.”
Ms Farrell outlined a draft “charter for shared social responsibilities” which is being prepared by the Council of Europe. She said the charter was necessary because of the growing need to resolve questions linked to human dignity and the fight against poverty.
Fr Healy said there was a growing conviction that public institutions were not up to addressing the current challenges.
It was time that responsibility for shaping the future was shared in a meaningful way, he said.
