Religions come in all shapes and sizes, and their views on the accumulation of wealth vary just as wildly. Sinnsreachd, however, is a culture as much as it is a faith, and thus secular aspects of life such as wealth and prosperity play directly into our way of life, and have sacral aspects as well. In the eyes of the tenets of our faith, one cannot be a proper Sinsearaí if he or she is not carrying his or her own weight. Personal responsibility is a core tenet of our way of life, and this includes personal wealth and prosperity. A person must be able to stand on their own two feet lest they be a burden to the tuath, and even the elderly and disabled still have a part to play in teaching their wisdom and skills to younger generations. This belief in the importance of prosperity is applied to the tuath as a whole as well as to the individual members of that tribe. A prosperous tuath can do more for its people than one that is struggling. As the people prosper, so to does the tuath, and as the tuath prospers, so does it help its people. It is with this belief in mind that An Clár Forbartha Fiontraíochta, the Enterprise Development Program, is being developed.
The core founding principle of An Clár Forbartha Fiontraíochta is the ideology of independence and self-reliance. It is the belief that for our people to be truly prosperous, we must develop industries and businesses of our own, that employ our people internally, and allow for both employment within the tuath for its members, and a source of income. The primary elements that go into the foundation of this program are:
• The development of businesses in which the tuath as an incorporated non-profit entity has some interest,
• The development of privately-owned businesses run by and employing members of the tuath,
• The development of unique industries, or unique approaches to existing industries, that will give tuath-based businesses an edge over their competition,
• The establishment of hands-on trade skill education for the youth of the tuath, passing on technical and mechanical skills that may be of use later on in life, or as preparatory training for employment within the tuath,
• The development of inter-tuath trade and commerce wherein tuatha can trade goods and services with one another within an internal micro-economy.
The first of these businesses have already been established, the band Nimheil and the security contracting firm Black Eagle Security Services, and others are under development- the research and development firm IAT, the sheet metal fabrication outfit Fansler Metalworks, the cottage crafts company Ancient Accents, and many more. It is the goal of the ACTG through An Clár Forbartha Fiontraíochta to help each tuath establish their own businesses and industries as well. As the existing and developing businesses grow and evolve, the valuable lessons learned will be turned into a compilation of resources and guides for other tuatha to follow suit.
