Kiwi fruit, 'Collective Effervescence' and a sea swim

‘On the Brink’ was the theme of this year’s MacGill Summer School in beautiful Glenties, Donegal. With a 40 year history of bringing debate, insight and a bit of craic to matters political, economic, cultural and societal, I was keen to attend my first ‘School’, but not sure what to expect.

A packed agenda asked inter alia ?if we’d lost the run of ourselves (no!), how we’d spend our billions (a bit Marie Antoinette for me), where the next pandemic was going to come from and what bed should we hide under in a rapidly changing security situation. How do we keep our ever-evolving democracy fit for the future and what happens if ‘middle finger politics’ prevails in other important democracies.

Let’s face it, we are living in times that ‘try men’s souls’, ?so it is a privilege to buy a €25 ticket and sit in a room in a rural village in Ireland with big international thinkers about these matters. Our most senior politicians, including our Taoiseach were there, speaking on matters of key importance for our country and our future.? The fact that these events can happen at all, peacefully and in good spirits, is not something to be taken for granted.

To give time to thinking about the ‘bigger’ stuff has given me pause to reflect on what I’ve learned in the past 3 days ( in no particular order):

Politically and demographically, we’re growing at 2 TDs a year (some may argue thats a regressive step!).

Re-enchantment with democracy is possible with a positive, plausible future.

There is nothing inevitable about how tech evolves – we have agency to resolve some of our strategic technological weaknesses.

The cyber defence of Ukraine was supported by the goodwill of the US private sector.

Digital sovereignty can’t be done via regulation.

The Spanish army has ‘great kit’.

We have €180bn sitting in private savings in Ireland – imagine what we could do if we could unlock the power of that?

Ireland aligned with the ‘High Ambition Coalition’ at COP28 (I wish we were always in a ‘High ambition coalition’ ??)

How we talk to each other and how we position ourselves will get us out of the ‘valley of squinting windows’ to embrace ‘Notions’.

The songs that we sing together, the groups that we join build ‘collective effervescence’.

There is no market attractiveness for antibiotic development (Does the state need to get involved?)

All hands to the pump for volunteer readiness for the next pandemic.

Democracy is a human endeavour, and therefore will always change.

The biggest espionage event in NZ was the theft of advanced kiwi fruit research!

The moat (i.e. The Irish Sea/Atlantic) will save us from nothing!

‘Deep Canvassing’ is a methodology of true engagement and communication.

‘The only cure for the presidential virus is embalming fluid' :-)

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Whilst my Pollyanna-level wilful ignorance of security related matters has been pierced by these conversations, my sense of the possible in terms of society and democracy and the future has been lifted.

We are on the brink for sure.

?We have to mind how we go.

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p.s When the head was fit to explode, the sea swim at Portnoo beach sorted it all out - glorious Donegal - I'll be back next year!

Kudos to all the Team MacGill Summer School