THE IDEAS CAMPAIGN - Campaign to harness ideas for economic growth

[David Cochrane]

A national campaign was launched on last night's Prime Time to seek people’s ideas to stimulate economic recovery and focus on solutions to Ireland’s serious economic problems.

Called The Ideas Campaign, this grassroots initiative is targeting the citizens of Ireland and asking them to propose innovative ideas to boost economic activity across key areas such as manufacturing, technology, construction, retail and education. But it’s not only about business – the Ideas Campaign also wants ideas for the arts, sport and voluntary and community activity that will enrich this country.

The campaign will run until 31 March and centres on a website – IdeasCampaign.ie – which went live today and which will:

• Capture citizens’ ideas across 19 different categories that are important to the Irish economy
• Allow them to send messages of support
• Provide easy-to-understand information about the Irish economy that is directly applicable to their lives

This is a citizens’ campaign, owned by people in Ireland. The campaign, and those who get involved, have to be practical and realistic, particularly in the light of the global economic crisis and the serious state of the government’s finances.

The Ideas Campaign plans to use the ideas received to deliver an action plan for Government in April with aggressive timelines for execution. An Advisory Group, comprising senior figures with experience in business, academia, economics and the public sector, is advising the campaign team and will have an input into the action plan to ensure that recommendations are both pragmatic and achievable.

The campaign arose from a contribution which businesswoman Aileen O’Toole made to the Prime Time special on the economy on 14 January. She spoke about positive aspects of Irish economic activity and the need to focus on solutions, not problems. This TV appearance met with a huge response which led Aileen O’Toole to establish this campaign less than three weeks ago.

The campaign is independent, non-political and has been modestly funded by Aileen O’Toole’s business, AMAS. It is being staffed by highly-qualified individuals who have been made redundant because of the recession and who are being supported by a network of volunteers, as well as AMAS’s Directors and staff.

“After Prime Time, people contacted me and agreed that we need to have different conversations about the Irish economy - about looking forward, about recognising positive developments in the economy and about capitalising on our qualities as an economy,” said Aileen O’Toole, explaining the genesis of the campaign. “At the very least, we’re hoping that this campaign will start those conversations.

“We’re calling on the people of Ireland to get involved. Visit the campaign website IdeasCampaign.ie, which will be updated every day. Log your ideas on the site. But even if you don’t have a big idea, don’t worry. You can still send us a message of support or read the content about the contributors or about the ideas and messages that are coming in from around the country.”

[Dios]

Excellent, we've been doing something very similar in the Amhrán Nua group for some time now. About time people started to get organised.

[lostexpectation]

*puke*

this is pr company drumming up business for itself, it equivalent to those silly surveys that get put in the metro paper to get pr companys name in the media, this isn't a peoples campaign its corporations pr campaign.

[TradCat]

One hates to be be negative but this appears to be idiocy. Why not have Self-Aid II while we are at it? Our problems are not caused by a lack of ideas. They are caused by bad ideas. The worst thing we could do is de-politicize the problem because it will be solved in the political arena or not at all.

[Watcher1]

One hates to be be negative but this appears to be idiocy. Why not have Self-Aid II while we are at it? Our problems are not caused by a lack of ideas. They are caused by bad ideas. The worst thing we could do is de-politicize the problem because it will be solved in the political arena or not at all.

Rubbish!!!!! NOTHING gets solved in the political arena. Where have you been for the past decade? Politicians haven't a clue and have less enthusiasm to get this country sorted out. This should be a great campaign, but there are signs of intelligence in your contribution, even though you probably dont know it, because a lot of the ideas in the eventual plan WILL require political action which is most likely the only flaw in the campaign.

[juanpablo]

The forces of the middle class business & professional types gather their forces...

[Colonel Kurtz]

"economic growth" being presented as the solution - again. Oh gods no.

This mantra has been trotted out by politicians for ages and in mass hypnosis we all seemed to have agreed it is a good thing and stopped asking questions.

Surely now, of all times, we can see the delusion. Economic growth won't solve our problems. We had "economic growth" during the tiger.

We need to sort out new priorities and move forward. Not try and resuscitate the tiger.

If we don't learn from our mistakes we are doomed to repeat them.

[GerMan]

I'm not sure there's a not negativity in this thread so I'll add my piece to help. WE'RE ALL DOOMED, THERE'S NO GOOD IDEAS! EVERYBODY'S WASTING THEIR TIME! There we go.

[darkhorse]

i am sure the will have a million variations on businesses making sandwiches ...
if anyone had a half decent business idea why would they give it to this group

[Watcher1]

"economic growth" being presented as the solution - again. Oh gods no.

This mantra has been trotted out by politicians for ages and in mass hypnosis we all seemed to have agreed it is a good thing and stopped asking questions.

Surely now, of all times, we can see the delusion. Economic growth won't solve our problems. We had "economic growth" during the tiger.

We need to sort out new priorities and move forward. Not try and resuscitate the tiger.

If we don't learn from our mistakes we are doomed to repeat them.

Like stop knocking good ideas, especially when you dont offer alternatives. That is one learning we could all do with. We do need the type of cash flow we had during the so called tiger years. Its what we do with that cash that counts, so you are right to an extent, we need to learn from the mistakes and not blow the next rise in exchequer figures.