We continue to receive many nice and encouraging comments in regards to our Facebook page and web site, thanks to one and all!  Rather than reply privately this time we though better to publish and share with everyone, (thanks to Kate for her recent message).

What’s it all for?

There are two important concepts that we are trying to promote with thefuture Initiative:

• Develop ideas: We want to encourage the development of ideas that will enable people in understanding and solving the problems that we face.  We must become active in considering the nature of the crisis we are faced with, we must investigate and exchange views ourselves and not rely on our ‘ruling masters’ (or their paid liars) to tell us things – they have vested interests to defend.

• Build networking: We must build links and resources for networking; we must all be connected with each other, so that we can actually bring about change – i.e. we must be organised.  In whatever way or with whatever organisations doesn’t matter too much, just that we are all actively engaged with one another sincerely addressing the questions of our future.

We have a perspective on the situation and have published this in our “ABOUT” and “DEDICATION” and in the various articles and comments – please feel free to question us, disagree, comment and express your own views – this is how we learn.

If anyone wishes to help we would be only too happy to hear it.  Immediately, anyone who likes what we do could start sharing the articles on Facebook, Twitter or in any social media or just with your own friends – we are trying to reach out to extend the discussion.  If anyone would like to contribute and work closer then please contact us, we would love to meet and discuss with anyone interested to explore the possibilities or just enjoy a cupán tae.

People are concerned about their future

Understandably, a lot of people contacting us are very worried for the future – will the banking system collapse? will the IMF/ECB move in to run Ireland? will the world economy collapse?  Will the US Dollar collapse?  Is there a danger of large scale world war?  Is there any hope?

In regards to what is happening nationally and internationally … we have little control.  Ordinary people have no political power in the current system; our society is ruled by an elite who act as ‘managers’ for a tiny minority of vested interests.  The world is dominated by a system of monopolies and finance capital, which is in deep crisis, and is only surviving by being patched up.  There is no real value or substance behind its currency dealings, bond exchanges etc; the relationship between the actual production of anything – and value – is broken.

But what can we do about the future?

For us, the most important thing is to challenge the inhuman system that we live in, we and our children deserve better.  The memory of our ancestors deserves better, civilisation deserves better!  We must not be passive in the face of the whole-scale destruction of the economic and social systems upon which we depend.  We must stand up and be counted, let our voice and concerns be heard!  Don’t be silenced by ‘experts’ telling us we don’t understand the complexities – we understand enough, this society is unequal and we ordinary people are the rightful ones to make decisions about our own future, let’s start doing just that!

People are already getting organised in large numbers

There are thousands of initiatives underway throughout Ireland that are all making a contribution, new political parties are forming, new civil society organisations are emerging, community activists are organising, including initiatives such as our own and many others.  In so far as any of these take up the cause of the people and oppose the ‘ruling elite’ then they are good – if they are stuck with the old ideas, or are acting like grateful servants before our masters, they should be consigned to the scrap heap – they are holding us back.  Everyone should join in to something which opposes the current ‘minority-ism’ – let’s put the interests of the majority, our own interests, to the fore.  This does not mean ‘reducing everything to a common level of misery’ – it simply means that our country should be run for the people, by the people – in the most professional manner possible.

We must lay claim to the democratic process

We have been advocating a particular approach to resolving the crisis, which is still under discussion in many circles, and we are hoping it will emerge making new advances for democracy and the people possible.  This approach is based on the idea that the people themselves must be enabled in the democratic process; ordinary people must control it fully.  The scheme involves the establishment of “Comhdháil Phobail/Peoples’ Conventions” in every constituency so that the citizens select their own candidates in elections; that we do not rely on any party-political selections.  This type of democratic renewal is required in order to break the grip of the traditional “multi-party” system which gives us the circus of government -v- opposition, all of whom are supported by the same vested interests.  We need to fill Dáil Éireann with the best candidates selected from amongst our own communities, people whom we know that are committed to the community.  Part of this scheme involves the ability of citizens to recall any elected deputy, to initiate policy discussions and make policy decisions, to call referenda on any question and more.  We will elaborate on this as matters develop.

We intend to develop our Internet presence more, to provide regular analysis of current affairs and hopefully to interact with broader numbers of people.  Our intention is to challenge the ruling elite in their ivory towers, we hope to work with everyone of like mind and that everyone works with us.

We are pleased to receive feedback, of any sort, as it teaches us something every time, so thank you Kate and the many others who have been in touch.