The People’s Transition in Ardara, County Donegal
Beginning in March 2021, the intention of the project was to listen to, and learn from, the community’s needs and abilities in Ardara and then attempt to design a number of solutions that would benefit the community.
The project had three phases, the mapping phase, the listening phase, and the solutions phase.
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The mapping phase aimed to build a picture of the Ardara community. The key was understanding how people within the community could be included by assessing who was at greatest risk of being excluded. In addition, the area was studied to understand the organisations, such as schools, churches and community groups, that play a significant role in the locality.
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The community spoke about the need for good jobs and training opportunities within the community, enhanced local democracy, the need for the community to have a greater say in the decisions that impact upon their lives as well as highlighting the importance of women, young people and older members of the community.
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The TASC team worked with experts to identify and substantiate viable climate solutions that would address local needs and build on the community’s strengths. After deliberation, the two proposed solutions were a cooperative biochar facility and a large-scale indigenous seaweed farm with the community benefitting from a 30% profit share.
Proposed Climate Solutions:
Solution 1: A Local Biochar Cooperative
Solution 2: Seaweed Farming
You can see the full process in the map below