Project Heyday April 24th 2010 - Help needed please!

Politics
#1

I think that the first step towards turning this country around is to have a General Election before the Dáil rises for the Summer.

Then we will be facing our problems with 166 TDs in the Dáil with a fresh mandate to deal with the grave situation Ireland is currently in. I am not advocating voting for one party over another or for a change of government, all I am doing is calling for the people’s view to be expressed via a General Election.

I have a simple plan to use the Internet to bring about this election in an open and transparent way, but I’m going to need a lot of help if it is going to work. The plan is in no way endorsed by or connected to the 'Pin, but I’m hoping some Pinsters will be willing to lend a hand.

Firstly, my name is Cathal Furey. I live in Dublin and work part-time as a lecturer in Business & IT in Dublin City University. If anyone wants to contact me directly about this, PM me for phone number or email: firstname + lastname (all one word) at gmail.com. I’m not a member of any political party or movement and never have been. Any money I have spent or will spend on this project is coming out of my own pocket, I am not “backed” by anyone or seeking any donations. There is no hidden hand behind this, it’s just something I think needs to happen and my attempt to make it happen.

So what’s the plan?

Saturday April 24th is the day. Get as many people as possible to make as much noise as possible at 12 noon on Saturday 24th April to send a clear message to the Irish Government that the people want a General Election. One location will be outside the Government Buildings in Merrion Square, but hopefully there will be local gatherings in towns and cities around the country too. If enough people gather and make noise on the 24th in front of Irish and international media, if everyone posts pics and video clips of the event everywhere online, it should at least give the Irish Government something to think about.

In order to promote April 24th, I’m making a short video over the next couple of weeks which will be released online a few days before the event and will hopefully go viral. I am not a professional film maker, so the idea behind the video is quite simple. Record short video clips of people holding up a placard with their reasons why we need a general election. Video camera, tripod, blank A2 sheets and a pack of permanent markers. I’ll be spending the next few days in Dublin recording people, then taking a few road trips around the country to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take part.

The Irish Times have given permission to use images of headlines from the paper so some of those can be used to give a bit of context. The family of Mic Christopher have very kindly agreed to allow Mic’s song “Heyday” be used as the soundtrack for the video.

What help is needed?

Well any general feedback or suggestions would be helpful for starters. And yes I know I’m mad and might be wasting my time on this, but its a decision I’ve made and I’m going to give it my best shot.

I don’t post on Politics.ie or Boards.ie so if someone was prepared to spread the word on those websites I’d be very grateful.

I plan to do a trial run of shooting footage outside Merrion Square tomorrow (Bank Holiday Monday 5th) from 1-3pm if its not lashing rain. Then probably more shooting in Dublin on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th April before hitting some towns and cities around the country. I’ll post my full itinerary once I’ve planned it out.

Obviously if nobody wants to stand in front of the camera and hold up a placard with their message to the government on it, there’ll be a whole video of my ugly face to look at so I need volunteers to take part in each shoot. Bring along your friends and family. Who knows, you might end up being a part of a piece of history!

It would be great if the collective brains of the 'Pin put their minds to suggesting text for the placards. Single placards or perhaps two or three placards to be shown in sequence. I can then print up and laminate the best of these and offer them as “stock” text that people might use when they are writing their own placards. I don’t want the campaign to be perceived as targeting certain politicians or parties, so ideally the text will avoid naming political parties or politicians directly.
(I might be asking the impossible on that last bit but think of it as a challenge…)

The camera I’ll be using is a Canon 7D DSLR with a 50mm lens. The image quality is amazing but I’m only learning my way around the camera and shooting video generally so any help on the technical side would be great too. More than one camera shooting at the same location would be great if a lot a people turn up.

Basically whoever wants to help and collaborate is welcome as there’s no way I can do this on my own. Just leave any party badges or ideology at the door please, it’s simply about calling for a General Election.

I’m planning to fire off a few emails to the national media about this tomorrow so hopefully it will pick up a bit of momentum.

In the meantime I’ll be posting any updates on this thread (if its not locked!) and at cathal.posterous.com

Cathal Furey

twitter.com/cathalfurey

Skype: cathalfurey

firstname + lastname (all one word) at gmail.com

PM me for phone number

EDIT - Just wanted to update this post with the Itinerary for the Heyday Video Shoots:

Thursday 8th April - Dublin

12.30-2.00pm Merrion Square West - DONE

5.30-7.00pm Merrion Square West - DONE

Friday 9th April - Sligo and Galway

12.30-2.00pm JFK Parade, Sligo

5.30-7.00pm Eyre Square (Corrib Shopping Centre corner), Galway

Saturday 10th April - Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar

10.00-11.00am Athlone Castle, Athlone

1.00-2.00pm Market Square, Tullamore

3.30-4.30pm Market Square, Mullingar

Second & Final Road Trip of Heyday Video Shoots:

Thursday 15th April 6.00-7.00pm TRALEE The Square (off The Mall),

Friday 16th April 1.00-2.00pm LIMERICK Bedford Row (O’Connell St end)

Sunday 18th April 12.30-2.00pm CORK Father Matthew Statue on St. Patrick’s St

And the final video shoot, Sunday 18th April 5.30-7.00pm WATERFORD The Band Stand in the People’s Park

#2

Good man good initiative. I like the slogan “It’s your country - take it back.” seen on the anti NAMA march. I think if you want to post your personal details on those other sites though you really should register there and post in person.

#3

Compare and contrast this idea to “The Revolutionary Council”.

Best of luck 8DD

#4

Ok folks, it was shot and edited in a rush (a light tripod and windy day didn’t help either) so it’s very rough & ready, but the video below should illustrate the concept of just holding up placards to call for an election.

Click on the video and select 720p for the full high definition effect…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9PIFqIWJh0

So all I need now is around 100 people from all over Ireland who want to hold up their own placards for the ACTUAL video.

Starting with the same location (Merrion Square West, Dublin 2) at lunchtime this Thursday 8th and again early Thursday evening.

Any takers?

(you too can look like a plonker)

#5

Yep - I’m up for that. It’s a good idea to make it a non party effort.

#6

Facebook group invites sent. Hope this gathers the momentum needed. Good luck

Oh and by the way, ignore Homer Simpson on my signiture line! :wink:

#7

Ok so we’re going places now!

Between 12.30pm & 2.00pm this Thursday April 8th on Merrion Square West, and again from 5.30pm til 7.00pm.

If it’s lashing rain we’ll reschedule.

I have a load of A2 sheets and plenty of markers so just turn up and look for the tool from the video above with a camera and tripod.

Go on, humour me…

Cathal

#8

Fair play Cathal. I hope it gains some traction. I might even turn up on Thursday, work permitting.

#9

fantastic song, pointless campaign.

What will an election solve? Do you think that intelligent ‘experts’ in their field will now decide to run for the Dail giving us access to skills that are not available? The people in power have got us in to this mess (with some help from all of us and international markets) but do you think that there is a better alternative to Brian Lenihan at the moment. There are plenty of better alternatives to Cowen but personally I do not think that Enda is the one.

Do you know the cost of an election? You do know that we are short of money. An election is won by candidates making spending promises. It will not be one by a party promising tax raises or cuts to civil service pay or pensions. Civil servants and pensioners vote.

There should be a protest to cut public spending, to enact laws that allow directors of companies (banks?) that acted recklessly to have their pensions garnered, to extend the powers of CAB to ODCE related ‘crimes’, to reform the Dail BEFORE another election - fewer TDs, junior ministers etc. There are plenty of ways that we need to stand up and be counted but an election is a pointless charade.

#10

That’s a good one. Made me laugh out loud. An inanimate carbon rod comes to mind.

#11

Feel free to organise your own then. No need to piss on someone else’s ideas.

#12

and your alternative is? remembering that it has to be a person who would make it through our election system?

#13

Constructive feedback. I gave a view of how I viewed a protest may be more effective. I am open to being completely wrong and to seeing hundreds of thousands of people outside the Dail on April 24th. Actually I would take a spread bet on the number of protestors, that way I could be made to pay for my stupidity.

#14

Fair play Cathal. I love a doer and you certainly are one. I wish I could be there but am working that day so wouldn’t make it up from Galway. All the best with it.

#15

A: Fianna Fáil

For all the failings of Irish politics, democracy is still our best option. Cathal has my support.

#16

Can’t agree with you on that I’m afraid. Elections are what makes a democracy a democracy.

I think that if an election was to be effectively called by “the people”, then there is a far greater likelihood that “the people” will feel they are an active part of the democratic process and have a good think before they decide which candidates to vote for.

Are there likely to be hundreds of thousands of people out on Merrion Square on the 24th? Who knows?

Will it make for an interesting spectacle if even 100 people turn up with hammers, pots and whistles and make an almighty racket at noon? I think so.

Better than sitting back and changing the tv channel I reckon.

So are we talking a spread bet or a CFD anyway? :smiley:

#17

Thicker markers needed!!

Good luck with it all.

#18

I admire what you’re doing. Good luck, really!

One question. What happens to Ireland if your campaign is successful?

#19

The government calls an early election.

The people decide which 166 people they want to represent them in the Dáil.

Not everyone will be happy with the result, but everyone will have had an opportunity to express their preference through the ballot box.

Whatever new government is formed will roll up its collective sleeves and get to work turning the country around, backed by a fresh mandate from the people.

No matter what happens, this country has some very tough times ahead of it in the next few years. I think an early election is vital so that the public can be reconnected with those who represent them in the Dáil and support the hard decisions they will have to take.

#20

Good luck with it Cathal,
I’m across the pond and have been banging my head to come up with an idea for a slogan but to no avail.