Contents

1. Equity, Sustainability and Health
2. New FEASTA Discussion Group - Economics for Humanity
3. Summary of Human Economics Discussion Group. By Frank Rotering
4. An Economy For the Earth. By Gillies MacBain
5. Is Bush petrified of the petro-euro? By Cóilín Nunan
6. Debt Slavery and the American Empire. By David O'Kelly
7. FEASTA Working Group Updates
8. 'The Little Earth Show' a radio programme from Feasta
9. Events coming up
10. New Feasta publications coming soon
11. Feasta activities outside of Ireland
12. Feasta Membership

(7) FEASTA Working Group Updates

Land and Housing

On February 11th FEASTA's Land and Housing group had its monthly meeting. Preparations for the forthcoming Feasta Annual Conference '03 on land and housing naturally topped the agenda. The aims/objectives, date, venue, content/format and wish-list of guest speakers for the conference were discussed. Our broad aim is to inform and stimulate debate, to spread the message regarding land taxation policy options and, by engaging with others, including the media, to bring new economic thinking on these issues into the mainstream. The conference date is set (provisionally) for October 24th and 25th, and the planned location is the splendid facilities around Cultivate in Temple Bar, Dublin. A loose consensus is emerging regarding the format;... begin by describing 'the problem', setting the scene/context and 'overview'. The group is undertaking a research project to inform the conference and we will liaise both with Irish housing interest groups and our intended co-organisers, the Henry George Foundation. Funding options are now being explored and early indications are favourable. In regard to the above, and the wish-list for speakers, the participants made many relevant suggestions and as yet nothing is fixed in stone. There's an excitement and enthusiasm in the group, and a sense that this years conference, like previous Feasta events, will be groundbreaking. Thanks to all, hoping to see you at the next meeting on Monday, March 10th at 12.30 at Cultivate.

Education

FEASTA held a meeting recently to discuss the work programme of the Education interest group. This meeting was attended by a wide selection of participants from the formal and non formal education sector. A report was given by Kevin Healion on the education event held at Tipperary Institute. An update was given on the progress of the distance-learning certificate in rural sustainability that FEASTA have been working on with the Adult and Community Education Dept. at Maynooth University. FEASTA have also been asked to design a weeklong summer school on 'sustainable community' for a degree course in community development at NUI Maynooth. This will take place in July of this year. Plans and content for FEASTA's own study group materials were discussed. At this year's Convergence Festival which takes place from the 16th to the 25th of May in Dublin there will be an 'Education and Sustainability' forum. FEASTA will be inputting to this event and our contribution was discussed at this meeting. To get involved in this interest group e-mail Davie Philip at feasta@anu.ie

Democracy

A new FEASTA interest group on the topic of Democracy is being established. An initial meeting of the group will take place at Cultivate, the new sustainable living centre in Temple Bar, Dublin on Sunday the 9th of March. To get involved in this group or for further details contact Mark Garavan at markgar@eircom.net

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(8) 'The Little Earth Show' a radio programme from Feasta

Feasta have secured initial funding from NCDE/ Ireland Aid to produce a radio show that will highlight a number of sustainability issues in an entertaining and creative way. The innovative show with its dramatised narrative is based on the best selling 'Little Earth Book' which has sold over 60,000 copies in the UK and Ireland. The book was written and researched by James Bruges (a FEASTA member) who is acting an advisor to the production.

Feasta's Davie Philip and Michael Lemass are producing this show with well-known actor / writer Donal O'Kelly who is developing the script and performing the material. Donal's acclaimed one man show Catalpa won a Scotsman Fringe First award in Edinburgh, shared the Critics' Prize for Best Event at the Melbourne International Festival, and played to rave reviews in Washington, Toronto, Chicago, London, Paris and Copenhagen as well as all over Ireland. Michael recently returned from California where he worked at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch on sound for feature films and has also worked on recent movies by Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan.

The Little Earth show will be broadcast in May on Highland Radio a local radio station based in Donegal. Keep your ears open for further broadcasts on a station near you.

If you would like more information on the show contact the FEASTA office feasta@anu.ie

(9) Events coming up

There are two forthcoming events that will be of interest to FEASTA members and friends. The first is this years Convergence Festival which is organised by the Sustainable Ireland Co-operative. This annual event which is now in its fourth year will take place at Cultivate, the new sustainable living centre in the west end of Temple Bar. FEASTA is a partner in the 'Sustainability and Education' event at Convergence and will be launching the new FEASTA Review during the festival. The dates to mark in your calendar are May 16th to the 25th. For further information see http://www.sustainable.ie

This year's FEASTA Members Forum is being planned for June and will be held outside of Dublin in an accessible location. Full details will be sent out in the near future.

(10) New Feasta publications coming soon

Good progress is being made with assembling and editing the papers from the conference Feasta held last November in Thurles, 'Ireland's Transition to Renewable Energy'. "Most of the speakers have taken the opportunity to write really substantial papers for us which, together, will make a very worthwhile book" says Richard Douthwaite, who is handling the editing work. The Green Group in the European Parliament has given Feasta €10,000 towards the bookıs publication and Douthwaite hopes that it will be ready for distribution in April.

"Immediately I've finished work on that, John Jopling and I are going to have to complete our editing of the next issue of the Feasta Review. Our target is to be able to launch that during Convergence week - that's the third week in May" Douthwaite says.

(11) Feasta activities outside of Ireland

Whenever anyone on the Feasta executive committee writes anything about the organisation for publication, they are careful to describe it as 'Irish-based' rather than 'Irish'. This not only reflects our significant overseas membership but also the role we are playing, particularly in Britain.

For example, Professor Mary Mellor, co-author of a recent book The Politics of Money and Chair of the Sustainable Cities Research Institute at the University of Northumbria, has recently joined Feasta and invited three members to work with her to develop a taught MSc programme in 'new economics'.

Another member, Dr. Molly Scot Cato, wrote asking Feasta to write a letter to be sent to funding agencies in support of the effort she and her partner, Dr. Chris Busby, are making to acquire a disused theological college with libraries, lecture rooms, offices and 60 bedrooms in Aberystwyth, Wales, and open it as a free university. The first course to be offered will be a two-year MSc in Environmental Science and Policy. "We really hope to be able to turn people out with the skills to challenge the extraordinary misuse of statistics by the pro-industry lobby" Molly says. About £1m. is required.

And Feasta is working with the New Economics Foundation in London to organise a two-day conference in England next September for key British civil servants plus the policy directors of British and overseas NGOs like Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the Bretton Woods Project, ATTAC and the World Development Movement. The aim of the meeting is to look in depth at the results that would flow if the Contraction and Convergence approach to halting climate change was adopted in conjunction with Feasta's proposal for a new international currency, the emissions-backed currency unit, or ebcu. "We hope that whether they are concerned with climate change, Third World debt, the environment or the alleviation of poverty, everyone will see the sense of putting these proposals together and adopt them as their policy" NEF's policy director, Andrew Simms, comments.

(12) Feasta Membership

Membership of Feasta gives you the opportunity to support the foundation's work and entitles you to a discount on the Feasta review due out next month, two newsletters, quarterly e-mail bulletins, and concessions on our events and publications.

€20 for a years membership
€10 concession for students and unwaged
€30 for a voluntary group or organisation
€65 for a funded group or organisation

If you are not a member please consider becoming one. Donations are very welcome.

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