John Ryan of Cork Peace Alliance outlined for us the Social Forum process, touching on his experiences at the Irish and European Social Forums. He described the social forum movement as organic, influenced by the World Social Forum in Brazil. The idea, he said, was not to copy them but to form a collective of those who feel that their voices are not being heard, which will be influenced by those taking part. ( It should be noted that the WSF asks all social forums to abide by the charter of principles, which are printed at the end of these minutes. ) The Forum is an empowering movement, encouraging those who are concerned with issues such as war and the environment not just to make a list of objections but to create a space for action, for instance the counter-summit to be held in Dublin at the time of the World Economic Forum this August. John stressed that anyone who wants to can take part, that the movement is non-heirarchical and everyone can use their relevant skills to organise events, publicity, food etc. issues discussed at the Irish Social Forum so far included war, Ireland’s role in the arms trade, loss of safe status for Irish beaches, pollution in the Irish Sea, organic farming and racism.

After taking a break to introduce ourselves around the circle and take contact details, we opened the general discussion, speaking first about the open dialogue process used at the other forums, the spread of the world movement to regional forums, and the idea that it was up to us to decide what the structure of our local forum should be. While we all seemed to share the global concerns of the wider movement, for us there may be more specific local issues that we could work on too. Mike suggested that we should identify the 4 or 5 most pressing issues that we’d like to concentrate on, that community was important and also the state of the Irish forestry industry. He wants to see a new mandate for Coillte, to put money into creating good forests ,using our wealth positively. Healthy forests, he said, covers all the issues of land, water, ecology, freedom and rights. He would like to get a campaign up and running in the next 6 months. Hans Benner then raised the issue of the destruction of the family, pointing out that 100,000 families are affected by separation, that the pressure on the family is often to do with money, that one-parent family payments cost the state 1.7 billion Euro per year, and that 98% of lone parents are women. This sparked off a general discussion, and while some felt that the pressure in families stemmed from the differences between men and women, others thought that conventional lifestyles did put people under a lot of pressure, particularly financially. Hans mentioned the child abuse issue, and said that children from separated families were more prone to drug and alcohol problems, and difficulties at school. Several people who had been involved in relationship breakups said that it was better for children to live in a single-parent family than in a home where parents are constantly arguing, but it was also pointed out that children in these situations can have problems forming relationships in later life, and this can then be passed down the generations. Hans proposes that the state should offer counselling and mediation to families in difficulty. ( Since Hans and Lily were smoking at this point, there was brief discussion around that issue too.)

It was pointed out that the issue of separation ties in with the issue of community, and that money issues can also be tackled with community support. Local initiatives such as LETS could be utilised more. Corruption was touched on, in the courts and in government, seen as a means of denying us the rights we should have under our constitution.

Niall raised the issue of peace and the global future, encouraging us to boycott any company involved in pollution, war etc. for instance oil companies which currently operate in the Middle East, Esso et al. Statoil was suggested as the ethical choice, as they are a Norwegian company taking all their oil from the North Sea. Muriel pointed out that there was an ethical consumer magazine which could provide the facts www.ethicalconsumer.com. Oil led to plastics and all other goods manufactured from oil leftovers, not only does their use support the oil industry but also useful, planet-friendly technology is suppressed to keep them in use… hemp oil products, biofuel and low-consumption SUVs were mentioned. Part of the forums role was seen as publicising these issues and alternatives as widely as possible, it was felt that inaction stemmed from lack of information rather than closed minds, and that we should focus more on positive alternatives than negative issues. While a website was considered a good idea , John said that it was important to keep the spark of connection and communication going among people, not just on a website. The failure of the education system to provide relevant information was mentoned, leading to a discussion of the current system and its shortcomings, such as the stressful nature of the leaving cert, although it was mooted that the pressure stemmed as much from parents as the system itself.

Niall asked what we could do locally, starting right now, and it was seen as important that at least one of us should attend the ISF on Sunday 6th in Dublin. Bob Bickerduik said he would go along… hopefully he will be able to report back at the next get-together.

Lily asked that in order to maintain a non-heirarchical format for the forum, responsibility for organising get-togethers, publicity etc. should circulate so that no one person would become responsible for any one role. On that note Mary Miret volunteered to organise the next get-together, with Adam and Richard to help with computer work.

Bob said that heirarchy develops because only a few are prepared to take responsibility, hence our current political system! John reminded us that the big anti-war march in Dublin was the start of something vibrant, but that as time has elapsed, the feeling of energy diminishes. It is therefore important to find new, imaginitive ways of keeping the spirit renewable.

The format for the next get-together was discussed, and the consensus was that we should come with specific issues for more in-depth discussion, especially suggestions for positive local action. Alternative venues were suggested for the future including Creedons Hotel, Inchigeelagh, and the Meathal Muscrai centre, but it was agreed that the next forum would be held at Future Forests again, on Monday 11th August at 7pm.

For further details of the next forum get-together and to suggest issues, please contact Mary Miret 023 47302 miret@eircom.net.

Minutes kindly taken by Anne Crowley and Niall Herriott.

P.S. African immigrants staying at the North Quay hostel in Cork City are finding it difficult to obtain adequate healthcare,with G.Ps being unco-operative.If you would be interested in helping out, especially with complementary medicine, please contact John Ryan on 087 9622 746. Thanks.