Recent Economic History of Irelandf(After loss of food, land, religion, language, and half of the Irish)

                The Irish seem a persistent lot with good memories who after more than 1,000 years of some of the worst domination from the early colonial times to nearly the end of the last century. 

                    It has made  wrong for an Irishman in Ireland to have his land, religion, or language. After they built fine churches beautified with their gold, supported a fine education for their youth, lived well with healthy lives for many years and for many years living in Christian peace, the Vikings heard of their gold and rich green land and came and came and took and killed. Later they came and traded and and stay, treaties were made and some peace came. However, the culture was weaken and diluted. Fewer and fewer Norsemen came. In the meantime the English culture had grown they came and saw the pleasant green land. More came. More came with armies. They conquered and controlled. This control lasted for about 1000 years.     

                    Then step by step the land was enclosed and not permitted to the Irish, Irish language could not be taught nor could Irish history. Irish Christianity was outlawed. Finally with no land there was no food. There was hunger and death, nobility fled the country, some well educated wealthy fled, then many found a way to flee. Peat grew over bones also Irish blood and genes continued to move over the land.

                    Then step by step there were more hedge schools where religion was taught and more, helping the Irish to remember. The Irish abroad remembered too. Step by step the Irish resisted. The English began to loosen their grip and step back a tiny bit. Between the US Civil War and WWI enough Irish came to feel that Ireland ought to be and an Irish Nation be, be not just a dream, but BE. Step by step they learned to free themselves and step by step are learning to be a modern, democratic leaning nation; learning to be free citizens, learning to govern themselves.

                    Governance is not easy to learn. Modern economic systems are not easy to deal with. The Irish are still stepping and many are remembering even more. They are quickly learning to be excellent navigators of the economic seas of today. Very turbulent seas indeed. 

                    Enjoy the Video. Help me to better understanding.

                    Thank you for reading.

                                                                                                        R Sheehan

Mago Bill Organizing power: including self governance, democratic social governance, and effective organizing. A beginning

 Mago Bill Governance: Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do

                Your organization can make you a more effective citizen. There seems to be a new or renewed urge toward new political organization and active citizenship these days. Many of us have a growing understanding of democracy. We see that more active citizenship brings more democracy.

                A new organization is much like an old organization. It takes people to organize, but many of those organizing are new not old. Persons new to organizing, especially political organizing, have a lot to learn. Their energy and enthusiasm will be an important aid to their progress. 

                An organization may have a beginning in individual minds, but its realization will be in a group. A group of people is most often a mess and a mess of people is not an organization. To become an organization there are doings such a mess of people must do. They can begin with a bit of togetherness and continue with a growing ability to cooperate. 

                Agreement that a new organization is necessary or a darn good idea can be a useful beginning. Agreement, perhaps tacit, to work together can be another important step. Finding ways to cooperate is important. Old organizers found many ways to facilitate cooperation.

                Soon the purpose of the organization must begin to be identified and clarified. Clarification of purpose is an ongoing process and activity. This may often be begun by a small group of leaders, but must be carried on by many others.

                Say that the original growing group is made up of citizens who have discovered that they want a brand new political organization. They have some willingness to work together. The also have understandings and misunderstandings to work out. A lot of work.

                Members of this very new organization need to maintain an ongoing understanding of the aims, values, and wants of others in the organization in so far as they affect the organization. Not easy, but important to their ability to increase their effectiveness.

                An important benefit of an organization is that which needs to be done, need not be done by one or a very few, but rather can be shared among and by all members. In fact the more involved with the important work of the organization that are all members, the better the moral and effectiveness of the organization is likely to be. 

                The members of a well functioning group can feel themselves to be effective doers, and can be those effective doers in fact.

                There are some doings and practices which have helped others to start and maintain their organization.

Doings and practices to begin promptly:

~ Consider how you intend to keep in contact.

~ Begin identifying your goals and aims.

~ Clarify goals and aims.

~ Restate goals and aims.

~ Arrange to have each member help to achieve these goals and aims.

~ Take care of all business promptly.

~ Arrange for the ongoing education for all members.

~ Practice dialogue skills.

~ Arrange for members to have opportunity to be educators.

~ Enjoy your participation.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be very good, but seldom as good as that which we do for ourselves. As we teach, we learn.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust of one another.

~ Keep in mind that the fewer the secrets the better. "No secrets" is a good policy.

~ Be inclusive.  as a policy, help anyone who wants to be a member to be one.

~ Encourage equality.

~ Remind one another that each of you is important to and responsible for the maintenance of your organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for achieving important and doable goals and plans for your organization.

~ Aims and goals ought to be not only doable and important but also be an attractive and challenging big deal.

~ Set out one or two doings or goals to be worked on today. Your organization will benefit by having important things to be done right now.

~ Keep in mind that there is much to be done and that each member ought to help with those doings.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. "Learning, teaching, and practicing democratic self governance for all" might be an example of such a vision.

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self-governance.

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                                                                                                                        RCS