‘From crisis to resilience: rethinking Ireland’s economic future’ is the title of Ireland’s first Schumacher Summer School, which will take place from June 11-15 at the Camphill Community, Glencraig, Holywood, Co Down.
The event will focus on exploring the transition to a sustainable society on the island of Ireland, with an opportunity to explore fundamental questions about the nature of the economic crisis and how we can make the transition to a low carbon, high well-being and resilient society.
Explore answers to questions including:
Ø What are the roots of the economic crisis and why did conventional economics both fail to anticipate it and to provide coherent solutions?
Ø Why has 30 years of economic growth failed to improve well-being in many developed countries?
Ø What are the weaknesses of the development models in both jurisdictions?
Ø How can we develop resilience to external economic, financial and energy shocks?
Ø Can global finance be transformed so that it serves rather than exploits people and can local and community finance provide an equitable alternative?
Ø Will social innovation be the motor of the new economy?
Ø What would a new economic paradigm look like for Ireland?
Ø How can we support emerging leaders for these uncertain times?
The course is intended for anyone who feels they may have a role in providing leadership for the transition to a sustainable society on the island of Ireland whether in their local community, in politics, the public service, business, education, the voluntary sector or any other part of civil society. Our understanding of leadership is a broad one and based on the belief that everyone can be a leader even if they are not in conventional positions of power or authority.
The four teachers will be:
Robin Murray is an industrial and environmental economist with interests across the development field from waste and energy systems to social economy projects. He is a co-founder of Twin Ltd, the fair-trade company and a fellow of the Young Foundation where he co-wrote The Open Book of Social Innovation.
Hazel Henderson is a futurist, economic iconoclast, creator of US public television series Ethical Markets and author of several books including Beyond Globalization and Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy. Hazel was recently named by Wired magazine as one of the ‘50 People Most Likely to Change the World’. She will join us by video-link from Florida.
Peadar Kirby is Professor Emeritus of International Politics and Public Policy at the University of Limerick; he has published widely on Ireland’s model of development, on Latin American politics and political economy, on globalisation, and on vulnerability/resilience.
Jonathan Dawson is head of economics at Schumacher College and teaches an MA in the Economics of Transition. He has a particular interest in social innovation, community enterprise and finance and complementary exchange systems. Jonathan will facilitate the course.
For further info see http://schumacherireland.org/ or contact John Woods at [email protected].
