When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen

Its been a busy couple of days as I start to wind down in work, not so busy on the working front, more busy on the socialising and saying good-bye to everyone. One thing that I will miss about work is the instant mantle of credibility that my role lends me. Case in point, last week I went along to a lecture by Susan George in Trinity; Susan is in many ways the Grande Damme of the anti-globalisation movement (or alter-globalisation as she calls it), the author of "Another World is Possible if...", and one of the leaders of the successful 'Non' campaign in the 2005 French referendum on the EU Constitution.

She spoke on the Millennium Development Goals, analysing global progress at the halfway stage (basically we're all doing terribly), and during the Q&A session I asked her opinion on the Lisbon Treaty and Ireland's responsibility with our referendum (she's really angry that she is prevented from expressing her opinion by the lack of a referendum in France, or anywhere outside of Ireland, and thus we have a huge onus to speak out for those in Europe that cannot). Afterwards, being the fanboy that I am, I approached her to sign a copy of her new book and we got talking. As we talked it became clear that she was well aware of my organisation, and some of the global initiatives we were involved in. I explained that I prefer to call my role 'Social Action', rather than 'Corporate Social Responsibility', and this resonated with her, and thus I found myself invited to dinner thanks to presence of old acquaintances from my college days amongst the organisers of the event, and the interest Susan had in my company.

Like a schoolboy meeting his musical heroes backstage at a gig, I spent the next two hours in a daze, and was left wondering the next day if this type of evening will happen after Wednesday when I and my company part ways. Of course my current role is one that I created myself, and although the name of the company is a great door opener it has been the ideas and drive of myself and my colleagues that have made everything happen.

But what a door opener!

Links
Susan George
Millennium Development Goals