The Ideas Campaign is an independent initiative by citizens for citizens, designed to capture people’s ideas for stimulating Ireland ’s economy.
AMAS’s Managing Director, Aileen O’Toole, launched the campaign on tonight’s edition of RTÉ’s Prime Time.
This grassroots campaign is about the positive aspects of economic activity that often receive little media attention, and the need to focus on solutions instead of the problems,” she says. “It is about setting a challenge to people to be innovative and creative.”
The campaign wants ideas from business owners/executives, knowledge workers, entrepreneurs and academics. It also wants the ideas and involvement of anybody who is concerned about these important economic issues and their consequences, such as the employment prospects for their children.
The campaign is independent, non-political and has been modestly funded by 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.
The campaign will run for the month of March. You can submit your ideas on the campaign’s website (www.IdeasCampaign.ie) as well as sending messages of support.
The ideas will then be looked at by the campaign’s Advisory Group – experts who are all senior figures in business, academia, economics and the public sector. Then the best ideas will be collected together for an action plan which will be presented to the Government, with practical recommendations.
The campaign arose from a contribution which Aileen 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 to establish the campaign less than three weeks ago.
“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,” she says.
“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, 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.”
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.
For more information on how you can support the Ideas Campaign, visit its website at www.IdeasCampaign.ie
