"I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY, I REALLY DO!"

INTERVIEW WITH CLARE O'GRADY WALSHE, ENVIRONMENTALIST

Clare O’Grady-Walshe walks the walk. She was part of the first Irish Coffee Brigade when she went in 1988 to Nicaragua in an act of solidarity with the people there who had overthrown a dictatorship.

“I’m concerned with the fairness and equality of society, the lack of respect for human dignity we see, say in relation to people with disabilities.”

A committed environmentalist, Clare returned from Nicaragua and became director of Greenpeace in Ireland. She is currently a director of Irish Seedsavers, lectures in Development Studies in a number of universities and is AfrI’s Spokesperson on Food.

‘Changing Ireland’ interviewed Clare at the first Claiming Our Future conference held on October 30th, 2010, in Dublin.

I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY

I personally believe in community, I really do. I believe we’re going to have to turn to our neighbours and start knocking on doors. All of the best social movements started that way. Sometimes when your back is against the wall, that’s when you find your most resourceful reaction.

And we need to continue to inform ourselves about where power lies and who’s controlling what and where.