This is the presentation by Michael Ewing from the Environmental Pillar on Public Participation Networks as part of local government reform. Dated April 2014

1. Public Participation Networks
Creating a Vision of Well-Being
for
Our Communities
for
This and Future Generations
Michael Ewing
Coordinator of the Environmental Pillar

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3. “The continuing success of Irish society depends fundamentally
on the preservation of the overall productivity, health and long
term sustainability of the eco-systems and environmental
services that underpin and supply many
of the most basic components
of human welfare - such as
healthy soils, flourishing
biodiversity, clean water
and clean air.
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4. Public Participation Networks (PPNs)
and their
“Visions For Community Well-Being”
• As you will be hearing, the Plenaries of the County/City
PPNs and the Municipal District PPNs will commence
their work by going through a process to set out what
they consider is necessary to promote well-being in
their community for present and future generations.
• This statement will act as a guiding vision statement for
everything done by the group that drew up the
statement e.g. choosing representatives, taking
positions on issues, developing activities of any kind
etc.
• Well-being statements should be reviewed by the PPNs
bi-annually.
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6. Individual Well- Being
According to a study by the National Economic and
Social Council (NESC)
“a person’s well-being relates to their physical,
social and mental state.
It requires
that basic needs are met,
that people have a sense of purpose, and
that they feel able to achieve important goals, to
participate in society and to live the lives they value
and have reason to value”.
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8. 15/09/2011
Presented to the Social Justice Ireland
Conference
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9. World
Population
15/09/2011
Presented to the Social Justice Ireland
Conference
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10. Species on the verge of mass extinction
15/09/2011
Presented to the Social Justice Ireland
Conference
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11. 15/09/2011
Presented to the Social Justice Ireland
Conference
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12. Community Well-Being
A society’s well-being requires that
economic, political, environmental, cultural
and social developments all be sustainable.
It also requires a focus on inter-
generational justice to ensure the well-
being of future generations is promoted.
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15. Sustainability
• The Human race developed within and is entirely
reliant on the natural environment for its well-
being
• Human social structures initially evolved within
the limitations of the natural environment and
they must start to do so again in order to flourish.
• Economic systems were developed within the
context of those social structures.
• There is a huge disconnect between the capacity
of the natural ecosystems to withstand abuse,
and the economic systems that are driving their
destruction.
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17. Development of a Vision
• The development of a vision for the well-being
of our communities for this and future
generations can begin that search for a
sustainable future for all members of the
community.
• A shared vision is lacking at the national
level, but could grow from these local
community visions.
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18.  The term was used by the Brundtland
Commission, 1992 which coined what has become the
most often-quoted definition of sustainable
development as development that "meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”.
 It is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human
needs while preserving the environment so that these
needs can be met not only in the present, but also for
future generations.
 Brundtland noted"...the "environment" is where we
live; and "development" is what we all do in
attempting to improve our lot within that abode. The
two are inseparable."
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What do we mean by
Sustainable Development ?

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20.  Sustainable development should tie together concern
for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the
social challenges facing humanity.
 As early as the 1970s "sustainability" was employed to
describe an economy "in equilibrium with basic
ecological support systems.“
 Ecologists have pointed to The Limits to Growth and
presented the alternative of a “steady state economy”
in order to address environmental concerns.
 The use of ecosystem management goes mainstream
and ecological accounting is born.
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How do we now see the sustainable
interaction of the Pillars?

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“ No subsystem can expand
beyond the capacity of the
total system of which it is
a part”
- Jonathon Porritt

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24. Developing the Vision
• People working together with shared
understandings and expectations are what
provide a place of strong community.
• Doing so within a shared understanding based
on the limits to growth presented by the
natural environment creates a community
that cares for the needs of this and the
generations to follow.
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25. Thank You
Go raibh maith agaibh
www.environmentalpillar.ie
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