The story of Cultivate, Convergence and the Sustainable Ireland Cooperative
Sustainable Ireland Cooperative was founded to promote a new
cultural wisdom that recognises and values the balanced, holistic and connected
relationship between society, the economy and our environment. This positive,
proactive approach to changing the way we perceive and impact our world is key
to the way the Cooperative works.
Traditionally, quality of life issues have been artificially separated into categories
of human needs vs. the environment, and presented from a negative or alarmist
point of view. Sustainable Ireland has taken the position that most people already
know there are problems to be solved, and the de-motivating factors of depressing
statistics, and lack of information on alternatives only slow down and deflect
the progress we could be making right now. To counter this, and in an attempt
to mainstream emerging ideas, the cooperative creates events that celebrate the
solutions already at-hand.
The cooperative is now housed in the Cultivate Sustainable Living Centre in the
west end of Dublin’s cultural quarter, Temple Bar. As well as the centre,
which includes an information hub and an eco-shop, Sustainable Ireland focuses
on four main activities, publishing, events, consultancy and learning.
Sustainable Ireland's first venture was in publishing. In the winter of 1999 a
groundbreaking new book entitled the Sustainable Ireland Source Book was launched.
The Source Book was the first combined reader and directory in Ireland covering
the concepts, initiatives, products and services that are shaping our future.
The success of the book was in showcasing the diversity of sustainable activities
around the country and directly inspired the sustainable living festival that
Sustainable Ireland has become synonymous with "Convergence "
Convergence
Convergence, as it’s name suggests, brings people together to share ideas
and explore the latest solutions that are helping us achieve balanced, fulfilled
and dynamic lifestyles. Convergence deals with serious issues that affect us
all but does so in an inspiring and perhaps most importantly fun way!
By the winter of 2002 Sustainable Ireland, who had by now developed one of the
biggest festivals of its kind in the world, began to explore the possibility
of something more permanent. Convergence had answered a need not just for information,
but more importantly for convening a community of shared interests. Successful
as it was, it also pointed to a need for something more lasting than an annual
gathering: a physical locus where community could grow and projects be developed.
Temple Bar Properties had suggested the vacant former Viking Adventure Centre
in the West End of Temple Bar for the fourth Convergence and offered to rent
part of the complex when they saw Sustainable Ireland’s ideas for an eco
cultural centre.
Cultivate
With a tiny budget but loads of enthusiasm and voluntary support Sustainable
Ireland opened their new sustainable living centre, Cultivate. Following the
principles of permaculture, the space is multi-focused, multi-faceted and multi-purpose.
A shop offers a range of books and magazines, ethical gifts, eco household goods,
fairtrade and organic food, electric vehicles and a great selection of herbs
and plants. Weekly classes and courses are offered to help raise awareness and
develop skills in sustainability, while exhibits showcase current examples of
best practice and eco-technologies.
In May of 2003 the fourth Convergence festival was held in Cultivate with over
seventy events and the largest audience yet. The theme of the fifth Convergence
held in the spring of 2004 was "Slow Down. Go Further" referring to
the need to reduce our consumption and get more out of less. On April 23, Satish
Kumar, (director of the Schumacher College in England and editor of Resurgence
Magazine) nicknamed the "Sultan of Slow" for the event gave a truly
inspirational address on the subject. A video and CD of his lecture is available
from Cultivate. Theatre, film, sculpture, music, photography and digital art
accounted for more than 50% of the festivals 100 events. In fact, with four
plays, fifteen films, exhibits, music, and the appearance of both Ron Mann (Canada’s
leading documentary film maker) and Larry Harvey (the creator of Burning Man,
one of America’s largest Arts festival), you'd be forgiven for thinking
that Convergence was an Arts Festival.
In October Sustainable Ireland in partnership with Sustainable Northern Ireland
organised the sixth Convergence titled 'Building the Eco-Economy'. The festival
featured a lecture by one of the worlds leading sustainable business consultants,
Dr Michael Braungart who has helped multi-billion dollar enterprises like Nike,
Ford and Interface flip their thinking and help them re-think critical processes
in materials, assembly, waste, energy and design. The advice of this pioneering
chemist, author and Professor of Process Engineering, was a tough mix of science,
ecology, business vision and sleeves-rolled-up design and reinvention. This
lecture was followed by a conference for business leaders and policy makers
which combined analysis, conceptual frameworks and real-life case studies, this
highly participative event moved beyond chalk-and-talk, to engage and challenge
delegates to think through the implications and opportunities of sustainable
thinking for business.
The next Convergence festival will take place around Earth day from the 20th
to the 24th of April 2005 with the theme of ‘Healthy Communities’.
A new web site www.sustainable.ie is currently being developed which will acts
as a hub for sustainability initiatives across Ireland. It will include, bulletin
boards for different networks including the Future Business Network and the
Better Places Network which were both initiated at Convergence. Also featured
will be a directory of services and organisations, an island-wide calendar of
events, green maps, and a resource for eco-tourism.
Another regular activity of the co-op is the monthly Sustainable Ireland Network
Bulletin, which is now in it’s fifth year. This is an island-wide monthly
electronic publication providing a communication and networking platform for
individuals and groups working for a healthy, just and ecologically sustainable
world. There are currently over 2000 subscribers now from all sectors. Subscribe
to this free bulletin to be kept informed once a month to what is going on in
Ireland.
Cultivate’s vision for the future is to expand into more of the former
Girls School where it currently occupies the ground floor and create a learning
environment for sustainability. This plan will coincide with the forthcoming
UN Decade for Sustainable Education which is launched in 2005. This expanded
Cultivate will return the building to its original use and meet the spiralling
demand for sustainability education.
Drop into Cultivate the next time you are in Dublin, it’s a fantastic
place to relax with a cup of Fair Trade coffee or tea. You can browse the huge
selection of books and magazines, eco-gifts, household goods, and other products
ranging from composting solutions to electric motorbikes.
Cultivate Sustainable Living Centre
15-19 Essex Street West, Dublin 8, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 674 6396
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www.sustainable.ie
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