Irish Earth Summit Follow-Up Conference

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday September 17, 2002 16:50 by Davie Philip - Feasta feasta at anu dot ie 159 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 2 (01) 4912773

'So that was Johannesburg - Now What?'

"So that was Johannesburg - Now What?" A conference to plan the way forward after the World Summit on Sustainable Development Organised by FEASTA in association with the Irish Doctors' Environmental Association and Trocaire. Saturday 21st September 2002. 09.00 - 17.50 In the Joly Theatre, Hamilton Building, Trinity College Dublin.

"So that was Johannesburg - Now What?"
A conference to plan the way forward after the World Summit on Sustainable Development
Organised by FEASTA in association with the Irish Doctors' Environmental Association and Trocaire.
Saturday 21st September 2002. 09.00 - 17.50
In the Joly Theatre, Hamilton Building, Trinity College Dublin. (Access from Lincoln Place, at the bottom of Nassau Street)
The Conference Fee per participant is €20 (waged) and €15 (student/unwaged/ FEASTA member).
This includes a light lunch and coffee/tea from NUDE for all who pre-booked.

“Reflecting on the Earth Summit”
An informal networking session featuring short reports from representatives of Ireland's environmental and development sector who attended the WSSD. All welcome.
Saturday 21st September 2002. 19.20 - 23.00
In the Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 (Off George Street)

To book
E-mail [email protected] or call Feasta at +353 (0)1 4912773 for a booking form.
FEASTA: The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, 159 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 2, Ireland

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten years after the first Earth Summit in Rio, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its aim was to assess how much progress had been made in the past decade towards making the world more sustainable. The Johannesburg Summit offered a real opportunity to once again focus attention and develop an understanding of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, as well as tackle the enormous challenges facing both the rich countries of the North and the poorer countries of the South.

But when so little progress seems to have been achieved over the last decade, is the impact of Johannesburg likely to be any different from other such UN led events which have failed to address either global or local problems? While 10 years of intense economic globalisation and rising consumption levels world-wide may have brought about benefits for some, all of the global environment and development indicators since 1992 point to a world facing an ever deepening ‘sustainability crisis’.

Feasta; The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability are organising a conference on September 21st to plan the way forward after the WSSD. The event will be held in association with The Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association and Trocaire at Trinity College Dublin. This event is supported by the National Committee for Development Education and a light lunch is being provided by NUDE restaurant.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Programme
09.00 - 09.30 Registration and coffee
09.30 - 09.45 Welcome and introduction to the day’s proceedings by Feasta
Part 1: An analyses of two key global trends
09.45 - 10.15 The crisis in world and European fish stocks - Dr. Paul Connolly, Marine Institute, Abbotstown
10.15 - 11.00 The Consequences for the fishing industry and local livelihoods in West Africa – Mr. Brian O'Riordan , International Collective in Support of Fishworkers / Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements
11.00 - 11.30 The Consequences for Irish fishing, with comments on current conservation efforts – Frank Doyle, IFO.
11.30 - 11.45 Coffee Break
11.45 - 12.30 The problems with the use of persistent chemicals –Professor James Heffron, UCC
12.30 - 13.00 The consequences for farm workers in Developing Countries – Peter Hurst (IUF), Geneva.
13.00 - 14.00 Light lunch for everyone who pre-booked.

Part 2: ‘How well did we do? A report back on the WSSD

14.00 - 15.45 Before the WSSD opened, three Irish NGO representatives were given a list of ten key sustainability issues and asked to keep notes on how the Summit handled them for this conference. Frank Corcoran from DIT, Emer O’ Siochru of Feasta and Michael O’Brien of Trocaire will discuss their findings with the audience. Also a brief report will be given by a group of Irish teenagers who travelled to the WSSD with ECO-UNESCO

15.45 - 16.00 Coffee/ Tea

Part 3: What next? How do we push for sustainability now?
16.00 - 16.30 When does a statistic become an indicator? Richard Douthwaite, Feasta
16.30 - 17.00 Discussion / Open debate
17.00 - 17.15 Chairperson's summing up and closeing.

“Reflecting on the Earth Summit”
An informal networking session will take place in the Central Hotel on the evening of the 21st. This will feature short reports from representatives of Ireland's environmental and development sector who attended the WSSD. All welcome.
19.30 - 23.00 A room has been booked for conference participants in the Central Hotel, Exchequer Street,
Dublin 2, where drinks will be available. Short presentations from Irish participants of the WSSD will start an informal discussion.

The first part of the conference will examine in detail two examples of the crisis, namely the rapid decline in world fish stocks and the problems with the use of persistent chemicals. Both issues have enormous consequences, not only for essential life support systems, but also for human welfare, not least for the citizens of developing countries of the South.

In the afternoon session there will be an opportunity to assess and analyse the outcomes of the WSSD. Members of the Irish NGO delegation to Johannesburg will report back on how well the above issues, and other dimensions of sustainability, were dealt with by the Summit. In the final session of the day Feasta will present its proposals on how sustainable development indicators can be decisively acted on. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion throughout the day.

The Organisers
Feasta is an Irish NGO set up to explore the characteristics – economic, cultural and environmental – that a society must have in order to be truly sustainable and to share that analysis with the widest possible audience. Since it was launched in October 1998 it has organised a number of public lectures in Dublin and Cork and seven conferences. In 2001 it published the Feasta Review, a collection of articles by David Korten, Herman Daly and others. It has also made submissions to Irish Government on the implementation of its climate change strategy and on sustainable development. As a membership based organisation, Feasta has a number of working groups exploring such issues such as Education, Indicators, Energy, and Interest Free Banking. It publishes a twice yearly newsletter and sends out regular e-mail bulletins to members and interested groups.

Trócaire supports long-term development projects overseas, provides relief during emergencies, informs the Irish public at home about the root causes of poverty and injustice and mobilises the public to bring about global change.

The Irish Doctors Environmental Association is a network of Irish Doctors concerned with the decline in the quality of the Irish environment. IDEA research links between the environment and health, and then to highlight these issues to both policy makers and the public.

The conference aims to;
* assess and analyse the outcomes of the WSSD and build on the momentum generated by that event,
* create awareness and understanding of the importance of Indicators in measuring progress on sustainable development
* collate material for the publication of a book in early 2003 on indicators
* to encourage greater networking and collaboration between Irish environmental and development NGOs in the follow up to WSSD

Who should attend?
* Irish NGO personnel concerned with the environment and development
* Irish government representatives and delegates to Johannesburg involved in the WSSD process
* Development educators, students and academia
* Interested members of the public, business community and Irish media
* Those with a stake in the future of Irish and international fishing industry

Speakers (in order of appearance)
Dr. Paul Connolly is Director of Marine Fisheries' with the Marine Institute, Abbotstown
Brian O'Riordan is Brussels Office Secretary of the International Collective in Support of Fish workers / Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements, an EU based advocacy network.
Frank Doyle is a spokesperson for the Irish Fisherman’s Organisation
Professor James Heffron is Director, Biochemical Toxicology Laboratory and Irish Malignant Hyperthermia Diagnostic Centre, UCC.
Peter Hurst Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF), Geneva.
Michael O’Brien is a campaigner and policy analyst for Trocaire. He was a member of the Irish development NGO delegation to the WSSD
Frank Corcoran is a lecturer with DIT and an environmental NGO delegate at the WSSD
Emer O Siochru is an eco-architect and a COMHAR representative at the WSSD
Richard Douthwaite is a journalist and writer. He is the author of ‘The Growth Illusion’ and ‘Short Circuit: Strengthening Local Communities in an Unstable World’
(Others to be announced.)
__________________________________________
FEASTA Ltd. The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability
159 Lower Rathmines Road.
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 4912773
Fax: +353 (0)1 4912203
Charity Number CHY 13052
www.feasta.org