Waiting for a followup on Arthur’s early talks.
Cork update
Our main contact in Cork is Bernie Connolly of Cork Environmental Forum (CEF.ie).
She has been in touch with Michael O’Brien who is head of Environmental Services in Cork City Council. He asked BC for a one page briefing document on the 100RC program which I supplied to her.
MOB has since called me twice and is due to call me again this afternoon. They want me to travel down to discuss the program. I am willing & available to do so on Tuesday.
That are keen to participate but fear that the IMF imposed ban on all non-essential non-front line service hiring will be a large impediment
The IMF fragilizes you
Very very interesting 
Cork meeting
I’m going to Cork on Tues to meet MOB and his boss at 2pm to discuss further…
Well done
Acknowledged. Break a leg.
Briefing note to Cork City officers
Dear Michael,
Thank you for engaging with us on this proposed project.
The Rockerfeller Foundation (RF) wants to promote a greater awareness of the need for resilience in face of the mounting challenges that humanity faces on several simultaneous fronts. Their concern is exacerbated by the failure of national governments to do so.
To this end and in that light and in light of the probable weakening of national governance that will accompany the eruption of large scale resilience threats the RF has launched a program centred on cities with a view to establishing a community that will be, at the end of the program, a self sustaining and expanding network of resilient aware and prepared cities.
They have set aside 100 millionUSD to be spent over a sustained period on 100 cities . A large fraction of this money will be spent on and within the municipalities bureaucracies and infrastructures. An equally large fraction will be spent on developing the network amongst the cities on conferences, reports, procedures, websites, software programs and data sets.
The principal requirement of each accepted city will be to recruit to a NEW post a full time resilience officer who reports directly to the most senior municipal officer (which in the case of Cork would be the City Manager). The principal direct benefit of the program is that RF will pay the whole of this person’s salary and other employment costs for the first years of this post until the value and utility of such an officer can be demonstrated.
You should be aware that this not a “cheque in the post” type lottery. Nor is it guaranteed that 1 million USD will spent in each city. Equally, given the talents and resources available in Cork there is every chance that a significant part of funds could disbursed here.
Registration and application costs nothing, does not have to be done directly by the city and requires only that the applying city fully endorse the application and commit to supporting and fully participating in the program.
Cork’s history, current culture and awareness, and topography make it an excellent candidate city. Although Cork is living under the same economic constraints as us all, there is a strong network of colleagues in the city, county, national and international resilence organisations that are eager and able to assist, support and participate in the application process and, hopefully, in the actual program so as to maximise the benefit for Cork and for the resilience movement in Ireland.
The deadline for registration is Sept 23rd and for application is mid-October. Again, may I remind you that both are costless and require no ongoing commitment. Clearly, in order to submit as good an application as possible it would helpful if some be travel and accommodation costs could be met but I do not see that any consultancy fees are required.
I am available to talk or meet should you have any questions.
Here is the link to the registration page. The application page is available only to those cities that qualify ( population above 50,000) and whose registrations are accepted.
http://100resilientcities.rockefellerfoundation.org/pages/for-cities
Registration Update
Cork have emailed me a copy of their ‘Registration Reciept’ from 100RC/RF.
I wrote back congratulating them and offering Edgeryders support in compiling the ‘Application’. I got an instant polite reply …
“Thanks for bringing it to our attention and thank you for your offer of assistance with the application”
Reading between the lines…I’m now a bit less sure that CC will be partnering with ER…more later
Cork accepted as Regitered applicants
Michael O’Brein called this PM to say they received word that they have been accepted as applicants onthe challenge.
They are paying for my travel & accommodation for me to go down next week for a whole day to collaborate on initial drafting.
He has expressed a wish for Edgeryders to be their partner should Cork be a successful applicant.
Good progress
Ok, well done. See if you can get to a memorandum of understanding.
I guess the next step is, however, to start working on the actual applications.
Cork accepted and working with Edgeryders on the application
Cork has been accepted and they have asked me/Edgeryders to assist in the application drafting.
They are paying for me to travel down there and stay for one or two nights this week.
Closed