The award-winning journalist John Pilger, the Ombudsman, Ms Emily O'Reilly, and the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, are to take part in a two-day conference entitled "Imagining The Future", in Co Clare this afternoon.
John Pilger will also be presented with the Céifin Award in recognition of his work highlighting human rights issues in Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico, East Timor and Iraq.
Organised by the Ennis-based research institute, Céifin, to promote discussion of changing values in society generally, the conference will also feature contributions from Ms Catherine Byrne, deputy general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, and Mr Jim Power, chief economist with Friends First.
The aim of the conference is to discuss where society is heading and how people may influence change "in order to achieve a world that ensures balance and meaning in people's lives".
Céifin is a registered charity and funds its activities through publishing papers on its deliberations.
Recent papers include deliberations on "Wellbeing and Stress" as well as "Family Wellbeing".
A paper on the culture and ethos of six Co Clare primary schools is due to be published soon. Previous winners of the Céifin award have included Mr John Hume former MEP and his wife Pat, Dr Mary Redmond of the Irish Hospice Foundation, and Mr Tom Hyland of the East Timor Solidarity Campaign.
John Pilger's latest documentary entitled Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror won the gold award in the political category at the 2004 World Media Festival.
Nominated for this year's BAFTA Awards, the documentary is set in Iraq, Afghanistan and Washington and traces the events leading to the war on terror and last year's invasion of Iraq.
The conference is being held in the West County Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare.
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