Yesterday, Wednesday June 17th, we had the chance to visit the building of the Prime Minister of Ireland, in the South Georgian Core. Aesthetically, a much nicer building from the outside, in my opinion, compared to the Irish Parliament we had visited the day before: an architecturally uniform palace, offering a rather imposing façade with white pillars facing a circular fountain.
Prime Minister Building Facade
Welcome to Ireland! Our trip to Ireland began rightly so with some delicious Irish food Sunday night, and Monday morning we took a trip right around the corner of Fleet Street to the historic Trinity College. There we toured the campus, viewed the Book of Kells and the Trinity College Library, and attended a lecture on the Eurozone crisis from an Irish perspective. While we have been studying the European economic crisis since arrival, this talk provided a deeper look into Ireland’s response.
This week has taught me a lot on a particular topical subject, that I have probably underestimated before then: energy security and dependence as well as environment, which are of course interconnected under many aspects. The visit at the European External Action Service, the visit at the US mission to the EU regarding TTIP, but mostly the visit at the DG Energy on Wednesday and at Fleishman Hillard, the Consulting firm, provided very interesting details about energy security.
I’ve always been told that it’s important not to live in the past. But I’ve also been told that it’s important to learn and remember history in order to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes. This apparent contradiction between having to live in the present and yet immerse yourself in the past creates an interesting tension.
I find that when you’re entrenched in history and its harsh lessons – it naturally colors your perspective of the world around you – things you expect, your understanding of others’ perspectives, and ultimately, your own actions. For example, learning about the American Civil War shapes your understanding of the United States and creates a tendency to divide it between North and South (even today), especially for those living on the East Coast. And yet, at the same time, to act in a manner that is completely unaware of the past because you’re focused on the present almost seems naïve. Because even if you’re convinced on living in the now and being unaffected by the actions of the past – that’s not the reality that those around you are living in. They are affected by history similar to the way that you are subject to it as well, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not.
So what do I do?
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