What might Ireland look like in 10 years’ time? Who might be taoiseach? President? Pope? What wrongs might have been righted in our society?
A special 16-page supplement in today’s newspaper, written by Irish Times reporters, columnists and outside contributors including Bono and Bob Geldof, envisages what might be making the news on this day in 2023.
The idea for the supplement came from Hireland, a not-for-profit voluntary initiative launched in January 2012 designed to encourage employers to hire some of the thousands of skilled people currently out of work. To date Hireland’s efforts have resulted in 1,400 companies pledging 6,000 jobs.
These pledges resulted in more than 4,000 jobs being created in 2012. The movement has now set a higher target: to secure 10,000 job pledges by the end of 2013.
“Hireland aims to change the mindset around the country from one of firing as a survival strategy to one of hiring as a growth strategy,” co-founder Lucy Masterson said.
“We believe that the solution to our country’s most urgent problem lies in our own hands and that collective entrepreneurial thinking will create jobs.”
Ms Masterson said that, as part of its plan for 2013, Hireland was “challenging the entire nation to think differently about how they can play their part” to create a better future for the country, and with it the idea of a possible newspaper edition of the future.
Irish Times Editor Kevin O’Sullivan said that, while the contents of the special supplement might not always be consistent, stemming as they did from different individuals’ visions of the future, overall the supplement reflected how 2023 might represent a better Ireland.
“The contents might be fanciful, come with a humorous twist or be tinged with wishful thinking, but it is primarily designed to highlight some better options, broader thinking and the possible merits of pursuing certain courses in an imperfect world,” he said.
“What we’re writing about includes, hopefully, some of the key issues in society that will be addressed come 2023, like unemployment, gender balance and participation in politics.”