SICCDA Conference

Yesterday I went with some of the other FLAC employees to a conference at the Guinness Brewery sponsored by the South Inner City Community Development Association (SICCDA). SICCDA is a grassroots organization that has been around for 25 years, and we heard about what they have accomplished and what their future goals are, and we also heard from a number of speakers from other local organizations, the government, and representatives from an NGO in South Africa. It was fascinating to hear about the changes that have occurred in Ireland in the last few decades, and their response to the new economic growth. There seems to be a concern that becoming economically successful will somehow affect their society and communities in a negative way; one speaker said, "Economic strength does not necessarily imply an embrace of neoliberalism." The emphasis at this conference was on those left behind by the economic boom. And we went up and had a pint at lunch. (I might write more about the conference later, we'll see.)

I've added photos to some of my old posts. Above are pictures from the SICCDA conference.