On a global level, the separation of economic development from social progress has resulted in widening inequality and a financial crisis with disastrous human consequences. Across the island of Ireland the ‘Celtic Tiger’ era and the years following the Good Friday Agreement produced unprecedented economic growth. Yet, social and economic inequality and disadvantage have become more entrenched.

For example, in May 2010, it was reported that the number of vacant homes in the Republic of Ireland could be as many as 1 in 5. Yet in 2009 the Department of Environment counted 56,000 households in need of social housing – a figure that is 30% higher than the previous Housing Needs Assessment conducted in 2005.

Statistics released by the Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service (NINIS) in May demonstrated that the depressing realities that have been the condition of these communities for decades are virtually unchanged. In 2005 the official list of the top 20 locations in Northern Ireland which were most deprived was dominated by areas in North Belfast, West Belfast and Derry. Five years on, the most recent figures show that this remains true.  15 out of the 20 areas which were among the 20 most deprived in 2005 are still among the 20 most deprived in 2010.

These realities demonstrate that current systems of economic and social governance are not delivering sustainable development; neither are they engendering the processes or the outcomes required to create sustainable change.

The learning from the PPR Project and other initiatives across the globe has demonstrated that the meaningful participation of vulnerable groups in social and economic decisions which affect their lives will result in the improved effectiveness and efficiency of public service delivery, resource allocation, and economic growth.  However tools and strategies are need to ensure that the current power imbalance in decision making structures which lead to the exclusion of the most vulnerable are addressed. 

Speakers at Tools for Action: Making Economic and Social Change, included Thomas Linzey Community Environmental Legal Defence Fund (USA), Kamayani Swami JJSS (India), and Professor Christopher McCrudden, Oxford University (UK).  International examples of how tools such as community organising, social auditing and procurement can be used by the most disadvantaged communities and groups to challenge current systems of decision making.  The work of groups supported by the PPR Project in using a human rights based approach was also presented alongside the tools used by these groups e.g. human rights indicators and benchmarks, to make change in the decision making practices that result in their exclusion.

As part of her keynote address, Mary Robinson said:

“We often talk about democracy but we don’t practice it in the way you are doing and that is what is so incredibly significant.  I hope that you will have actually more opportunities now to show the importance of your work in forums outside Ireland where it can actually be part of documenting the experience that you have had because it does have much wider application.”