Demand for maximum income to cut gap between rich and poor emerges at Ireland’s first ‘citizens forum’.
A maximum income, a reformed tax system, and a minimum income threshold emerged as policy priorities at Ireland’s first ‘citizens forum’ in Dublin’s RDS today (Saturday). Over 1,100 participants also called for a stimulus package to maximise job creation in the social and green economy, and expressed overwhelming support for a radical new emphasis on economic security and social and environmental sustainability.

The event, which saw the launch of a new progressive civil society movement called Claiming Our Future, ranked equality, environmental sustainability and accountability among its core values.

“The huge endorsement of minimum and maximum incomes is very exciting because it’s totally doable regardless of whether we are in recession or not. This is an entirely deliverable demand to reduce the gap between rich and poor through a redistribution of income and wealth. Nobody can claim that it must wait for better economic times,” according to Mary Murphy, one of the MCs at Claiming Our Future.

Siobhan O’Donoghue of the Community Platform said today’s event was a huge success, which demonstrated a massive appetite for an alternative approach to economic, environmental and social policy in Ireland. “We brought together people from every county in Ireland and from a vast range of backgrounds and experience. The movement we launched today is going to grow in size and volume until the political system wakes up to demands for sustainable economic and social policies based on values of equality, accountability, solidarity and participation,” she said.

The organisers emphasised the high value placed by participants on environmental sustainability. “This shows that people understand the importance of the environment even though we’re in an economic crisis. I am really pleased to see that people are taking a long-term view because true sustainability is dependent of new and different social, economic and environmental policies,” according to Charles Stanley-Smith of An Taisce who was among the organisers.

ICTU deputy general secretary Sally-Ann Kinahan welcomed the endorsement of policies to stimulate the economy and create jobs. “We have to tackle the deficit but policy must also take account of need for jobs and sustainable economic activity. Three austerity budgets have already taken €13 billion out of the economy and the Government is talking about more than doubling that. But the economy isn’t reacting and many now believe the adjustment is too fast and too deep. It’s time to prioritise tackling unemployment, particularly youth unemployment which now stands at 30%,” she said.

Today’s event was massively oversubscribed with over 2,000 seeking to register for the 1,100 available places. Hundreds more have participated in local events and debates at www.claimingourfuture.ie and its associated social networking sites.

Uniquely in Ireland, the event used new software technology, which allowed participants to have an equal input into discussing and agreeing the values and priorities for this new civil society coalition. Innovative software enabled the 1,100 participants to follow the debate across the whole event and to identify, in real time, the emerging themes and final agreement. Hundreds more participated on line through social media and www.claimingourfuture.ie, where the event was streamed live.

Claiming Our Future was initially developed by Is Feidir Linn, the Community Platform, ICTU, the Environmental Pillar of social partnership, the TASC think tank and Social Justice Ireland. Registered participants in the event were from groups involved in community action (18%) voluntary services (11%) education, arts and culture (10%) conservation and environmentalism (12%) trade unions and workers’ rights (19%) urban and rural enterprise and economy (7%) politics (10%) global justice and development (7%) and faith beliefs and ethics (6%). (Note: These figures have been rounded).

Claiming Our Future is neither a political party nor an electoral initiative. It has no permanent staff and is sustained by volunteer effort and the contribution of time and volunteers from its supporting organisations. The 30th October event is financially supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Atlantic Philanthropies, the One Foundation and the Community Foundation for Ireland. Mandate trade union has given temporary office space and other trade unions are providing small financial contributions. The overall initiative is not dependent on any of the organisations that have allocated funds, time or expertise.

Hat tip to Damien Mulley