Bohs Cooperatives Launch with President Connolly

Remarks by Denise Charlton, Community Foundation Ireland

 

A Uachtaráin, Partners and Friends,

Is mór an onóir dom é, fáilte chroíúil a chur romhaibh

The vision of strong Dublin communities with local ownership of clean businesses providing decent work and fair distribution of wealth offers a beacon of positivity and hope in a time of so much complexity and challenge.

Gathering on this May Day we should learn and draw confidence from what in Irish tradition is the start of Bealtaine – when people celebrate the move from the darkest part of the year into what we hope will be brighter and sunnier months ahead.

Community Foundation Ireland, its philanthropists and supporters are proud partners of the Future Strategy for Bohemians Cooperatives and share in its ambition, courage and leadership.

President Connolly by being with us today – you are sharing in that vision and importantly also showing solidarity to wider civil society. Mile buíochais as ucht do thacaíocht.

As a Foundation with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable partners and connectivity and access to on the ground knowledge right across the country, we know that solidarity will be particularly welcomed by a sector facing immense pressure.

Resources, under pressure staff and volunteers and open hostility from those who seek to create division and polarisation are taking their toll.

With knowledge and connectivity built up over a quarter of a century Community Foundation Ireland continues to actively work with community leaders so that despite these immense pressures civil society can hold its ground.

The Foundation is creating safe spaces for knowledge exchange while also responding to sectorial needs so that groups can focus on the vital work of protecting existing rights, promoting equality and reaching out to people pushed to the sidelines of society.

We recognise the pressure is immense, the challenges are growing and the complexities of the society we live in, but we are at all times encouraged by both visionary donors and days like today – when civil society is at its most ambitious.

President Connolly, you lead a distinguished list of dignitaries in acknowledging the work at Bohemians – it is not long ago that US Senator Bernie Sanders came to see the efforts at first hand and of course former President Mary Robinson a staunch supporter provides the foreword for this strategy.

Co-op

Any-one connected to rural Ireland will be familiar with the traditional idea of a co-op. In farming and fishing communities they represented an opportunity for people to pool their resources, take on the big guns and get a fair price for their produce.

The results were often transformative not only in terms of growing wealth, but also offering greater local job opportunities and services.

Like all great ideas – Bohemians Cooperatives have not only re-invented it but they have done so at scale.

In doing so they join a growing international movement and over the past few days we have been hearing from the experience of those in other countries.

The impressive growth of a movement in Mondragon, Spain from a network of community cooperatives in 1956 to the employment of 70,000 people today. In Preston, England where business spend is increasingly kept in local communities.

Cleveland, Ohio, is close to our heart at the Community Foundation – because it is here our global model of operating was born, now it extends to 1,800 Foundations worldwide each seeking equality for the communities they work with.

Following the world financial crisis Cleveland is also home of Evergreen Coops creating hundreds of living wage, employee-owned jobs in communities which had been abandoned during the crash.

The Strategy

Leading on this strategy, Bohs brings not only its experience and knowledge of a historic and long-standing fan-owned club – but also the passion, energy and vision it has for Dublin and everyone who call our city home.

They are setting out a strategy with firm goals and timelines which will provide momentum and energy.

Later this year, in the autumn the Bohemians Cooperatives will become a tangible reality with a vision to create an insurance mutual and a food systems cooperative.

Each a substantial undertaking, requiring extensive design work, feasibility analysis, governance and staged investment design. At every stage this is a strategy which has ambition – and as a philanthropic partner we commend such an approach.

With courage and conviction, the strategy tells us what success will look like – a disciplined mechanism for turning civic energy and shared expertise into true community wealth building.

Evolving from the established and successful climate justice initiative which exists at Bohemians – the Strategy offers clarity on the big prize, a bringing together of shared wealth building with climate action to ensure climate justice by economic design.

Community Foundation Ireland

This work is attractive to Community Foundation Ireland, our philanthropists and supporters because of the commonality we share in both mission and values. The cross over is striking.

Your guiding principles are those we share and strive for through our work not only with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable organisations but also the best researchers and advocates for equality in the country and further afield.

Integrity and respect, focussing on community benefit, a passion for inclusion, precision and excellence, democratic, care and decent work, education and accountability – are principles we also hold dear at the Community Foundation.

The Foundation and many of our partners share your belief that as a society we must refocus our anti-poverty work so we can see a wider picture where communities grow and thrive.

We can do so through the development of clear pathways for everyone to participate, targeted supports, decent work standards and practical measures to reduce barriers when they happen.

Like you – we believe equality includes everyone. No-one left behind. No-one marginalised. No-one excluded.

It has shaped our Foundation priorities to deliver for people, place and planet.

Conclusion

A Uachtaráin, on behalf of the Foundation can we add our heartful thanks for attending and giving this Strategy the launch it deserves. Táimid thar a bheith buíoch duit.

You are motivating all us to remain focussed on the big goal – to be ambitious and to show courage.

I will close by wishing all of you Happy May Day! Beannachtaí na Bealtaine!

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