The sun’s path has started to drift north of the equator and people are thinking about the joys of Spring and Summer.   After we have been vaccinated, kissed and hugged our loved ones to within an inch of bone crunching (depending on how close to us they were cocooning), what will the thinkers and doers be talking about?   Some will have dreamt about becoming an environmentalist.   Our notions of regard for ourselves as knowing “the greenest way” may or may not become long lived.

 

When the idea of water meters was a hot topic I thought I would really conserve water.   After all, as a child I lived without electricity or running water.   Within a few weeks of serious conservation I started to feel deprived and ended the experiment.   “All things in moderation”  may be a good motto to follow so as not to feel impoverished.

 

There are several rallying words to move people that came to prominence in recent years and I want to see how a few of the initiatives they refer to pan out:  sustainable development, new geographies, collaborative partnerships, the circle economy and synodality.

 

In order to progress any of these we need to understand how everything is connected to everything else and while those words and phrases sound 21st century new they are just about ways to reset our thinking about family and who and what constitutes our community.   We have experienced nationalism as well as globalisation for long enough to see advantages and drawbacks in both.   The Covid-19 pandemic has caused us to look at the totality of our life on planet earth.   We talk about joined up thinking and that may be happening in ways we didn’t expect.

 

Sustainable Development – multidisciplinary approach.   On  World Engineering Day, 4th March, 2021, I attended one of the virtual events held by Engineers Ireland.   There was talk about climate breakdown and the biodiversity emergency being the greatest challenge of our time and how to build the ideal world with enough for all, forever.   Irish “Engineers Without Borders” participate with communities in developing countries to improve their quality of life in cooperation with doctors, teachers and scientists.

 

It’s exciting to know that Bonham Quay, Galway, regeneration project will be the first in Ireland to adhere to the One Planet Living framework which has ten principles of social, environmental and economic sustainability.   The workspace follows the WELL Building Standard for employee wellbeing and there will be space for wildlife and wilderness.

 

New Geographies.   Cape Clear island is one of 26 E.U. pioneering green energy islands.   They are leading the way in sustainable development  in clean energy and will provide an example for other islands and all of Europe.   They could be referred to as a new geography of Smart Islands.

 

Tuam Creative Writers could be seen as creating a new geography of writers.   Our Website is open to people from anywhere in Ireland or the world to join us.

 

Migration is bringing together people from various parts of the world and it has been said the Galway is Ireland’s most multicultural city.   People from Brazil live in Ireland and work at different jobs and careers and settle into Irish society very well.   There are the migrant workers in meat plants, students and teachers at university, IT workers and just last week two Vets were flown here from Brazil by Teagasc.   The Vets are here to do essential IVF research on cows.   This work is a Collaborative Partnership between UCD and Vytelle, a livestock fertilisation company whose most experienced staff are from South America.   The research is focused on gaining new knowledge to solve reproductive problems in cattle but it could lead to treatment for infertility in other species including humans.

 

The meat plant workers and the Vets are essential workers and in an ideal world there would be no inequality in the way we treat them.   Proper living conditions, healthcare and sick pay are just a few of the things that would improve the quality of life for meat plant workers.

 

I read a blog by Iain, an Irishman, about the people from Brazil who live here.   According to Iain they are improving Irish people’s dance moves with Latin rhythms, their restaurants serve great food, they work hard, are great fun, liberal, open minded and considering all the Brazilian/Irish relationships we’ll have a great football team when the children grow up.   They have added to our celebrations with Carnival, Taste of Brazil and Brazil Day.

 

Collaborative Arts Practice is bringing artists and communities together to give meaning and creative expression to their important experiences and skills.   Making or doing something together for the community could make people more attentive to the people, places and ideas around them.   Iris Murdoch’s ideas of Unselfing come to mind.

 

The Circle Economy Movement is about reducing waste and recycling.   Countries, cities, businesses and every individual has plans to make an effort.   A person may borrow rather than buy, up-cycle rather than dispose of, reuse, buy second-hand.   Some people will remember the early 20th century when we did things like that.   When I got my first apartment in New York my Aunts and their neighbours gave me several furnishing items they no longer needed.  Saturday and Sunday were days for garage sales and flea markets where you could find treasures at bargain prices.   Consignment shops were features of Florida towns.   When retirees moved with their furniture from North to South they found their furniture didn’t fit in and tried to sell it through consignment shops.   Vintage and charity shops popped up in the U.S. as they have done in Ireland.   One treasure I found in Galway is a Vivienne  Westwood designed jacket in a fine fabric with nice details.   I took it to Shannon Drycleaners and it came out like new. 

 

Pope Francis announced the theme of  Synodality  for the next world synod of Bishops in 2022.     I searched for the meaning of synodality and a description I like is “a church of participation and co-responsibility”.   Naturally there are numerous elements to reaching this objective and there is hierarchical order in this and all other disciplines.   People in Ireland now practice many different religions.   Some Brazilian neighbours worship at a charismatic church in Limerick.

 

Synodality, like all the other words and phrases that have risen to prominence in our vocabulary are more about  repositioning attitudes and less about new ideas.   Of course we cannot predict the future but in every age we need to have courage.