Public want schools to develop rounded students [IrishTimes]
- Published: 18 July 2011
OPINION : WHEN I got involved with We The Citizens, I had some ideas of the type of issues that people would raise at the events we held around the country this spring. I expected that top of that list would be the economy.
I thought there would be fury and blame. However, while there was anger, much of it had been channelled into suggestions for improving Ireland.
In our quest to show how Ireland could benefit from citizens coming together in new forms of public decision-making, we first had to find out what issues people cared about. At citizens’ events from Cork to Donegal, we listened and took note.
We then polled 1,200 people randomly chosen to ask about the issues raised at these events. From these we invited some to take part in a citizens’ assembly in Dublin last month. We had 100 people in a room discussing issues for a day and a half. Citizens’ assemblies such as those which have operated in Canada and the Netherlands can operate over a year and have full government support, including the right to put their proposal to a referendum. They ask ordinary citizens to discuss issues normally reserved for politicians and others.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
