On Friday, May 25th 2012, a group comprised of Presentation Sister Maureen O’Connell and Kate Egan, (Presentation Ecology Officer) along with Mercy Sisters Nora Burke and Susan DeGuide, paid a visit to the Customs House in Dublin, Ireland.

Aidan Kinch and Dominick O’Brien 

While there they met with Dominick O’Brien and Aidan Kinch of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The purpose of the meeting was to follow-up on the letters that were sent to this office urging them to support the Zero Draft document and its initiatives for the Rio 20 Conference on Sustainable Development. (June 20th – 22nd 2012 in Brazil)

The two gentlemen were very welcoming and affirming as they shared with us their ideas of how the 20 Irish representatives of both government and NGOs, who will attend the conference, could support the agenda. Both men have been part of the working party on the  document for the UN and are familiar with Sr. Aine O’Connor, Director of Mercy Global Action at the UN. Some from the Irish delegation include Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, Irish Aid reps, Irish Doctors, and a former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

The goals of the Irish delegation are to concentrate on the bigger issues and to speak as one EU voice. Already the EU is doing outreach even though they have been criticized for not doing enough. EU has stepped up in this with new proposals to the document and is committed to a sustainable development agenda. EU President Barroso, on behalf of the EU, will speak in Rio on poverty eradication, lowering of emissions and making sure that the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) don’t cut across the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). Minister Hogan will make a statement as regards Ireland’s position at RIO. The hope is that these would dovetail into common goals in 2014.

Our Presentation/Mercy group shared on what has been found hopeful in the document and affirmed the work and approach of this office and asked again that they would ensure/support for the following:

1. Acknowledgement that we are in a time of crisis and that distant goals and clear targets must be set. RIO is a crisis call, not a wake-up call.
2. Committed language is necessary; RIO can’t be just another talking shop with empty documents.
3. That human rights to water, food, sanitation, health, housing, education be respected and that all people have the right to participate in public affairs in the context of the green economy and that governments must make this happen not relying on private parties such as NGO’s for this.
4. That climate change remains on the agenda in RIO and to say “no” to false solutions based solely on the economy.
5. A unified approach to policy making at local and international levels and greater coherence between policy and action in all areas of development.
6. That women have a vital role in environmental management and development and their full participation is therefore essential to achieve sustainability.
7. That the proposal for a High Commissioner for Future Generations be supported to ensure that the rights of the young are respected and are part of policy and decision-making especially in relation to Sustainable Development.

What was most challenging for the representatives of government was when we asked what plans and strategies they have in place for the implementation and follow-up of post RIO. They cited the document in progress “Securing our future, a framework for Sustainable Development” which will be published and the need for education and a strategy for bringing all forward. Much education is needed in the areas of transport, energy and agriculture. We asked how our two hosts convince their colleagues in the different departments. They responded that the most effective means is through talking, providing evidence and looking at bio-diversity issues. They said that they discuss what happens when we ignore what is going on and that the majority are convinced that the green economy is the way forward. There is that recognition that opportunities offered by the green economy are necessary for the way forward. The whole government approach has been agreed and an implementation process built in with performance indicators to show progress will be available in the future.. They summed it all up by saying that we indicate we mean “Business, but not business as usual.” We all agreed that equation is so important for all.

At the close of the 90 minutes meeting, we were most grateful for the interchange of ideas, the common ground of what we believe and their interest and gracious way of listening to what we had to say. We all came away from the meeting with a new sense of hope.

Maureen O’Connell, PBVM, Kate Egan, Aidan Kinch, Susan DeGuide, rsm, Dominick O’Brien and Nora Burke rsm

Susan DeGuide rsm
Congregational Leadership Team
Mercy Global Action