F8 Republic - Environmental and Cultural Gathering:June 2006

The Celtic Heritage Trust were called late one Saturday in June 2006 by the F8 Republic and members, and informed of a Celtic gathering that was to take place on common land in Cornwall - we were requested to attend the meeting and after some two hours later-over 5,000 people arrived.  The meeting was in the true spirit of the Celt – the gathering rejected corporate driven organisational methodologies and embraced grassroot social networks.  Small cafes served not-for-profit organic foods and other vibrant marquees provided ‘common space’ for open discussion and debate.  The gathering encapsulated music systems from all across Europe and each of these playing a diversity of music types.  What is most pleasing is that ‘people were looking after each other’ stranger looking after stranger, in our traditional style people were meeting on COMMON ground and exchanging experiences and sharing good practice.  To which the Celtic Heritage Trust were very much a party.

Truly this action ignites discussion-

Social systems are extremely complex and require 'input' to enable sustainable growth- the Celtic Heritage Trust believe that real sustainable growth is linked to concept of sustainable development - of course! Therefore it is vital to encourage the types of actions that will encourage linked up-social development.  From a Celtic perspective this is an important step towards understanding our most important cultural, linguistic, and original social institutions.

In many ways our true Celtic traditions have become eroded and replaced with a ‘romanticised’ picture and or merely a connection that provides some with a socially ordered building block.  However the true Celtic ways are very much alive – we that embrace natural order and this particular gathering smacked of what we are and where we come from.  It had no order but in the chaos there was order- similar to market barter.  True the reels and pipes were not so in profusion but time moves on and we the Celts must move with it and work together towards goals that far out weigh – agendas that are linked to political or religious power struggles.  

This gathering accepted all and to achieve that aim - financial incentives were removed – this was about music – art and creativity it embraced society as a whole.  These actions therefore ‘stripped away’ contemporary power tools and thus a true social space was produced, which allowed for open discussions to take place, for the reuniting of friends and family and thus activated sustainable social growth.  

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR NATURE