From first-person inquiry to radical social action

Abstract

A successful social entrepreneurship project in Dublin, Ireland, Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) forms the backdrop for this article on the value, influence and significance of a dedicated first-person inquiry. The work makes the connections between the early poverty experiences of the author, a subsequent business career of high achievement and this followed by a deliberate choice to sell his assets and to commit himself to the resolution of serious social problems. Underpinning this new orientation is a faith-based spirituality reflected in the Spiritual Exercisesof St. Ignatius (Founder of the Jesuits). The article explores the close relationship between these Spiritual Exercisesand first-person inquiry practice. In tracing their influence over a time span of quarter of a century, it places first-person inquiry appropriately at the core of the activity while, at the same time, describing the organic links which forge growthful outcomes in second and third-person arenas. With a descriptive image of the bloc of influence which make up the FIT project – government, industry and local communities – and emphasizing its co-creative nature, the work concludes with a vision for the next stage. The realisation of this vision will continue to see first-person inquiry in a central and pivotal role.