IDEA Online

Improving your Results Framework Workshop 2026

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:48:05 GMT

Date: Thursday 12 November, 11.00am – 1.00pm

Location: Online

This workshop is part of IDEA’s support for the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round. It is the second of two distinct and complementary workshops developed by IDEA on ‘Results Frameworks for Global Citizenship Education’ that we are running this year. This session will be led by Susan Gallwey, independent consultant, and Elaine Mahon, IDEA.

This session is focused on supporting those who are familiar with Results Frameworks and have begun work on the Results Framework for their application. This runs on Thursday 12 November, from 11.00am – 1.00pm, online via Zoom.

Anyone new to Results Frameworks can attend the ‘Results Frameworks for Beginners’ workshop on Tuesday 2 November, register here , or watch a recording of a session from 2024 called ‘Results Frameworks for Beginners’, led by Susan Gallwey and Elaine Mahon, which is available here .

Participants are invited to prepare for 'Improving Your Results Frameworks’ session as follows:

a) Those participants from organisations who have previously submitted a Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education to Irish Aid should be familiar with their existing Results Framework. Before the event they will be asked to share (with the trainer and IDEA) an outcome and associated indicators that is working well and also identify an outcome and associated indicators that posed some challenges.

b) Those participants from organisations who have NOT previously submitted a Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education to Irish Aid and/or people who are new to Results Frameworks should first attend/ view the session Results Frameworks for Beginners here .

IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support is free of charge to all and offered online. As in recent years, this year we also invite any other actors who are not yet members of IDEA to these training events.

The training is based on content from IDEA’s toolkit ‘Results Based Approaches to Development/Global Citizenship Education’. While created to reflect Irish Aid’s Results Framework for Development Education Grants rounds, the approach outlined in the toolkit can be applied to many other Development Education settings. 

In 2024, IDEA recorded a session which goes through Results Frameworks for Beginners. This was published on IDEA’s YouTube channel in November 2024 and is available here .

Results Frameworks for Beginners Workshop 2026

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:26:12 GMT

Date: Tuesday 03 November, 2.00 - 4.00pm

Location: Online

This training supports practitioners to understand monitoring and evaluation for Development Education/ Global Citizenship Education projects. It is an introduction to result-based approaches and will support those who are new to this type of framework in DE/GCE contexts.

This training will take participants step by step through the process of building an effective results table to reach the change you want to achieve, within the timeframe of your project. It will also introduce participants to the terminology associated with Results Frameworks including Goal, Outcome, Indicator, targets, Baseline, Results and so on.

This workshop will integrate learning from IDEA’s GCE impact framework and will also talk through Irish Aid’s approach to monitoring and evaluation for GCE. This workshop will also support those who are planning to apply for the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round for 2027. The online training will be led by Susan Gallwey, independent consultant, and Elaine Mahon, IDEA.

IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support are free of charge to all. As in recent years, this event is open to those who are not yet members of IDEA.

In 2024, IDEA recorded a session which goes through Results Frameworks for Beginners. This was published on IDEA’s YouTube channel in November 2024 and is available here .

IDEA signs citizenship statement and encourages organisations to support

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:41:42 GMT

IDEA has signed a joint civil society statement, We build Ireland together: Citizenship is how we make that official, and encourages other organisations to lend their support.

Led by the Irish Refugee Council, the initiative calls on Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, to withdraw proposals that would make it harder to gain Irish citizenship.

The statement argues that citizenship recognises the belonging of people who put down roots here through working, studying, raising families, paying taxes and contributing to community life. It warns that granting citizenship only to people with a high income and no experience of hardship risks treating some people as more deserving of belonging than others.

It also raises concerns about the proposals alongside wider changes to family reunification, income requirements for migrant workers and international protection. Taken together, the statement warns, these measures make it harder for migrants, people seeking protection and refugees to build secure lives in Ireland.

IDEA members including AkiDwA, ActionAid Ireland, Africa Solidarity Centre Ireland, Comhlámh and Síolta Chroí have signed, alongside organisations from across civil society.

IDEA’s support reflects the emphasis in Development Education and Global Citizenship Education on human rights, equality, solidarity and participation in society. It is also an expression of solidarity with colleagues, educators and communities who could be affected by these proposals. People who put down roots here and contribute to our communities should have a fair opportunity to gain citizenship and the security and recognition it brings.

The statement calls on the Minister to focus instead on building a cohesive society that recognises the people who live, work and build Ireland together.

To find out more or add your organisations support please get in touch through IDEA or the Irish Refugee Council direct.

IDEA calls for GCE to be included in Northern Ireland’s new curriculum framework

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:21:04 GMT

IDEA calls for GCE to be included in Northern Ireland’s new curriculum framework

IDEA recently shared its views on the new draft Northern Ireland Curriculum Framework as part of the public consultation, which closed on 30 September.

Our submission welcomed the framework’s aim to give learners “access to powerful knowledge and develop the skills needed to participate fully in society, the economy and civic life.”

However, we also highlighted a key gap: “global” has been dropped from the scope of citizenship education within the curriculum. Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is not mentioned at all.

Alongside an important focus on the local reality in the North, we consider it vital that the curriculum also addresses the global reality. As UNESCO puts it, “economically, environmentally, socially and politically, we are linked to other people on the planet as never before” (UNESCO, 2026).

We recommended integrating key dimensions of GCE and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into the framework without creating a new strand or making widespread amendments. Changes to the language and framing could embed GCE and ESD principles in the core capabilities and in subjects such as Geography, History, English and Drama, and Personal, Social, Civic and Careers (PSCC).

Our recommendations echoed the key asks of the CADA submission . IDEA also contributed to that submission through a focus group discussion and by reviewing and providing feedback on the draft.

Our recommendations were to:

Include GCE and ESD as concepts in the capabilities document and cross-reference them in the subjects for Geography, History, English and Drama and PSCC.
Include the concept of global citizenship in the capabilities document and in PSCC, as a distinct but complementary concept to citizenship and civic understanding.
Include the concepts of solidarity, justice and local-global interconnection and interdependence (and thus shared responsibility) in the subjects English and Drama and PSCC.
Increase the progression of human rights knowledge in PSCC across Stages towards its global application by Key Stage 3.
Add shared responsibility and justice as key dimensions of sustainable development and global inequality to the environmental and ecological responsibility capability, as well as to Geography.
Include addressing misinformation, disinformation and factchecking under the language and communication capability and in English and PSCC.
Build on Northern Ireland’s experience of peace education by including opportunities, particularly in History and PSCC, for pupils to explore connections between peace and reconciliation locally and globally as part of GCE and ESD.

Thank you to IDEA members who reviewed our submission and provided feedback. You can read our full submission here .

Code Network Meeting December 2026

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 16:25:33 GMT

Date: Tuesday 01 December, 10.00am – 4.00pm

Location: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 YY05

IDEA is looking forward to welcoming all members of the Code of Good Practice for Development Education to our next Code network meeting on Tuesday 1 December, in Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin.

There are places for two representatives, staff, volunteers, etc., from each Code member.

One of the commitments in joining the Code is to contribute to the Community of Practice for this Code, including sharing successes and learning with other Code members and attending at least one of two Code network meetings annually.

If you have questions, please contact code@ideaonline.ie.

Research on Global North-South Partnerships in Global Citizenship Education

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:22:00 GMT

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA), in partnership with Concern Worldwide, is undertaking research on Global North - South partnerships in Global Citizenship Education/ Development Education, with a focus on collaborations between organisations on the island of Ireland and organisations and communities in the Global South. The research aims to identify good practices and develop practical guidance that can support organisations in strengthening equitable partnerships as central to quality GCE/DE.

It is important to stress this research focuses on partnerships or collaborations with educational purposes in the context of facilitating GCE/DE . This means that organisations, educators and learners work together on activities that enable people to understand the root causes of injustice and inequality at local and global levels, and prepare them to engage and build a more just and sustainable future. These activities are guided by principles such as recognition of the knowledge of all partners, mutual learning, solidarity, and an understanding of how local and global issues, people, and systems are interconnected.

We would greatly value your contribution to this research. Your contributions will help inform IDEA´s ongoing work to support the sector and IDEA members, while also informing Concern Worldwide´s Global Citizenship programme. Findings will be shared (in an aggregate manner or with prior permission) in a workshop in Dublin/Hybrid on 25 November 2026.

You can contribute by:

Completing a short survey here. You can remain anonymous - unless you decide to complete optional questions with details of your practices;
Agreeing to an online interview; approx 30-45 minutes;
Sharing information about your practice via email;
Taking part in a session to discuss the findings and provide feedback to a practical guide on the topic.

Call for Consultant to Analyse Data Captured During the Pilot of the Theory of Impact for the GCE Tool

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:55:00 GMT

IDEA is seeking a consultant to analyse data captured during the pilot of the Theory of Impact for the GCE tool. The purpose of this assignment is both to understand what the pilot data can tell us about the contribution and reach of GCE activity, and to identify what IDEA can learn from the pilot data to strengthen the quality, consistency and usefulness of future data collection.

Timeframe

Deadline to apply: Tuesday, 06 October, 1.00pm
Initial briefing with IDEA staff: Friday, 09 October
First draft of report due: Wednesday, 21 October, 1.00pm
Feedback from IDEA: Thursday, 29 October
Final report due: Monday, 02 November
Presentation of findings (provisional dates):
Members involved in the pilot and impact measurement process: Friday, 06 November
Public event for IDEA members and interested stakeholders: Thursday, 19 November

How to Apply

Please submit:

A concise CV (maximum 2-3 pages)
A proposal outlining:
Relevant experience
Referees for similar work
A brief description of your proposed methodology
The proposed number of days required
Details of staff involved (where relevant)
Your fee

Please send your completed application to lizzy@ideaonline.ie and elaine@ideaonline.ie by Tuesday, 06 October, 1.00pm.

The full terms of reference is here

IDEA joins members Afri and Talamh Beo in call for action on global land rights

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:37:12 GMT

IDEA has joined members Afri and Talamh Beo in calling on the Irish Government to support the renewal of the mandate of the UN Working Group of Experts on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.

The joint letter to Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee comes ahead of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, where the mandate will be considered for renewal.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) provides an important framework for protecting the rights of rural communities and supporting more just, inclusive and sustainable food systems. The letter highlights the growing importance of these protections in the face of interconnected global challenges, including the severe violations affecting Palestinian farmers and rural communities in the occupied West Bank.

For IDEA, this also connects with Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and its role in enabling people to understand and engage with complex global challenges and their implications locally and globally. Ireland has been recognised by the Global Education Network Europe (GENE) as a European leader in this field. Supporting UNDROP offers an opportunity to carry this commitment into Ireland’s wider international engagement and strengthen the connection between human rights, informed public understanding and active global citizenship.

With Ireland holding the EU Presidency, IDEA, Afri and Talamh Beo are calling on the Government to support the renewal of the mandate and continue its engagement with UNDROP at national, regional and international levels.

There is No Alternative or is there? We need to talk about economics in GCE.

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:12:24 GMT

Date: Wednesday, 14 October, 9.30am - 4.30pm

Location: Brandsma Room in the Carmelite Centre

IDEA Autumn Training, in collaboration with Financial Justice Ireland and the Centre for Global Education Wednesday, 14 October | 9.30am – 4.30pm | Carmelite Centre, Dublin 2.

A central commitment of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is to explore the root causes of global injustice and inequality.

Yet, despite intensifying global inequality, climate and ecological breakdown, and economic and political crises, the economic systems and assumptions underpinning many of these challenges can remain relatively unexplored within our GCE practice.

Research commissioned by the Centre for Global Education and Financial Justice Ireland, Challenging the Dominant Economic Paradigm? (2022) and Exploring the Elephant in the Room (2025), identified both a strong appetite among GCE/Development Education practitioners to engage more deeply with the economic root causes of poverty and inequality, and a need for further professional development to support practitioners in bringing explicit economic analysis into their work. This training responds directly to those findings. It aims to:

create a participatory space for GCE practitioners to critically examine the dominant economic growth model, related policies and their impacts;
explore how neoliberal ideas have come to be treated as economic “common sense”;
introduce practical approaches to root-cause and systems analysis, applying them to local, national and global issues of poverty and inequality;
explore alternative economic models and approaches already being put into practice locally and globally; and
build collective confidence to bring a stronger economic analysis into our GCE practice.

Fees for members of IDEA are €10.00 and non-members of IDEA are €20.00. Fees for unwaged or students are €3.00 - this can be paid in person.

Biographies

Innovation Showcase Lunch

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:32:56 GMT

Date: Tuesday, 22 September, 12.30pm - 3.00pm

Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1

Registration is now open for the Innovation Showcase Lunch taking place on Tuesday, 22 September, 12.30pm - 3.00pm at the IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1.

It’s almost ‘back to school’ time so join us for lunch and a sounding board for all your brilliant GCE plans for the Autumn. Try out an activity with your peers, talk through something new, old or an idea that you are not too sure about!

IDEA is offering a safe space to share and practice innovative ideas for Global Citizenship Education.

Gaza Student Visas: IDEA Calls for Urgent Government Action

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:46:22 GMT

In recent weeks, IDEA has been joining calls for urgent Government action to ensure that Gazan students who have secured places and scholarships in Irish higher education are able to take them up.

IDEA CEO Ruairí McKiernan has written to the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan; the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless; and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, adding IDEA’s voice to calls from across education and civil society for action.

Amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, mass displacement and the destruction of homes, universities and basic infrastructure, IDEA believes that visa processes must take account of the extraordinary conditions these students are living through.

In his letter, Ruairí McKiernan urged the Government to recognise the extraordinary circumstances facing students in Gaza and to ensure that visa processes do not prevent those who have secured places and scholarships from continuing their education in Ireland. He stressed the importance of moving quickly and finding a practical way forward:

“Ireland has spoken clearly about Palestinian rights. Ensuring these students can study here is a meaningful and practical way to stand by those commitments and to offer practical human solidarity.”

IDEA’s intervention reflects our wider commitment to Palestine and to the values at the heart of Development Education and Global Citizenship Education: human rights, justice, equality, solidarity and the right to education.

Over recent years, IDEA and our members have worked to create space for learning, discussion and action on Palestine and the wider questions of justice, human rights and global responsibility it raises. At this critical moment, we believe those values need to be expressed not only through education and public commitments, but through practical action.

For the students affected, the issue is immediate. They have secured opportunities to continue their education in Ireland. IDEA joins those calling on Government to remove the barriers preventing them from taking up those places.

We will continue to stand with our members and others across education and civil society in supporting Palestinian rights and keeping Palestine firmly on the agenda of Development Education and Global Citizenship Education in Ireland.

Solidarity has to have practical meaning. Ensuring these students can continue their education in Ireland is one clear way to show it.

We're Hiring - Communications Manager

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:49:48 GMT

IDEA is seeking an experienced Communications Manager to lead our strategic communications and public engagement work.

IDEA is the national network for Development/Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Ireland. We work with over 100 member organisations and individuals to strengthen the sector through collaboration, professional learning, research, policy engagement and advocacy.

Development Education /Global Citizenship Education enables people to understand the world around them, think critically about global justice and sustainability, and take informed action to help create a more just and sustainable future.

Reporting to the CEO, the Communications Manager will lead the development and delivery of IDEA's communications strategy, strengthen engagement with members and partners, raise the profile of IDEA, its members and the Global Citizenship Education sector, and communicate the value and impact of their work to a wide range of audiences.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

Lead IDEA's strategic communications and public engagement work.
Develop and deliver communications strategies and annual communications plans.
Raise the profile of IDEA, its members and the wider Global Citizenship Education sector.
Communicate the impact of IDEA's work and showcase the work, learning and impact of members.
Lead digital communications, media relations and organisational communications.
Build relationships with members, partners, policymakers, media and other stakeholders.

Salary and Benefits

Salary: €49,522 - €55,737 per annum, depending on experience
Full-time, one-year fixed-term contract. IDEA intends this to be an ongoing role, with the opportunity for the position to become permanent, subject to funding. May consider 4 day arrangement.
Applications from candidates seeking a four-day working week will be considered
6.5% employer contribution to a contributory pension scheme
Hybrid working arrangements (Dublin city centre office)
Opportunities for professional development

About You

You'll bring:

At least five years' relevant communications experience
Experience developing and delivering communications strategies
Excellent writing, editing and storytelling skills
Experience managing digital communications, websites and social media
Strong stakeholder engagement and project management skills
An understanding of, or interest in, Global Citizenship Education, education, international development or the wider not-for-profit sector.

How to Apply

Please read the Job Description and Application Information PDF before applying. It contains the full role description, person specification, terms and conditions and application instructions.

Applications should include:

A current CV.
A cover letter (maximum two pages).

Email applications to recruitment@ideaonline.ie with the subject line Communications role.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 17 September, 9.00am (Irish time).

Call for Tenders: Research Consultancy on Global North-South Partnerships in Global Citizenship Education

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:53:25 GMT

Commissioned by IDEA in partnership with Concern Worldwide

IDEA (the Irish Development Education Association), in partnership with Concern Worldwide, is inviting tenders from suitably qualified consultants to undertake a research consultancy exploring best practice in equitable Global North–South partnerships in Global Citizenship Education (GCE).

The consultancy will identify and synthesise practical approaches to developing equitable, reciprocal and sustainable partnerships between organisations delivering GCE across the island of Ireland and organisations and communities in the Global South. The research will inform IDEA's ongoing work to support the sector and provide practical learning for IDEA members, while also informing Concern Worldwide's Global Citizenship programme.

This is a focused, practice-oriented consultancy. The emphasis is on identifying and synthesising existing evidence, examples of good practice and stakeholder insights to develop practical guidance that can support organisations in strengthening equitable Global North–South partnerships.

Consultancy overview

The successful consultant will be expected to:
undertake a targeted desk review of relevant literature, research and case studies;
engage with selected stakeholders across the island of Ireland and the Global South;
identify examples of effective partnership practice and practical approaches;
produce a concise report with recommendations, tools and guidance;
develop presentation materials summarising the findings; and
help lead a one-day IDEA learning workshop in early December 2026 to share the findings and support their application in practice.

Timeline

Applications close: 9.00am, Thursday 13 August 2026
Interviews (shortlisted candidates): 17–19 August 2026 (online, subject to confirmation)
Consultancy commences: Early September 2026
Research period: September–November 2026
Learning workshop: Early December 2026
Final report: December 2026

Budget

The available budget is in the region of €6,000 (inclusive of VAT) . Financial proposals should include all professional fees, expenses and applicable taxes.

Who should apply?

We welcome applications from consultants with experience in Global Citizenship Education, partnership building, international development, participatory research and/or decolonial practice. Applicants should demonstrate experience of undertaking research or evaluations and producing practical, evidence-informed recommendations for the NGO, education or public sectors.

How to apply

Expressions of interest should include:
CV;
cover letter;
two examples of relevant previous work;
proposed methodology and indicative timeline; and financial proposal.

Please download and read the full Terms of Reference before preparing your application here

Please submit applications to recruitment@ideaonline.ie by Thursday, 13 August 2026, 9.00am. For queries relating to this consultancy, please contact recruitment@ideaonline.ie .

The project partners reserve the right not to make an appointment arising from this call for tenders. Should exceptional circumstances arise, the partners also reserve the right to amend the timetable or scope of the consultancy in consultation and agreement with the successful consultant.

Application process

Expressions of interest should include:
CV highlighting relevant experience.
Cover letter outlining suitability for the consultancy.
Two examples of relevant previous work.
Proposed methodology and indicative timeline.
Financial proposal detailing all professional fees, expenses and VAT.

Applications should be submitted online to recruitment@ideaonline.ie by Thursday, 13 August, 9.00am. Interviews with short-listed candidates are expected to take place on Zoom on August 17-19th (TBC), and a tender contract will be awarded soon afterwards.

The successful consultant will ideally commence work in early September 2026 .

Any queries relating to this tender should be emailed to recruitment@ideaonline.ie .

Budget 2027: Invest to strengthen Ireland's leadership in Global Citizenship Education and global solidarity

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:53:00 GMT

Ireland has earned an international reputation for leadership in Global Citizenship Education (GCE). This success has been built over decades through the dedication and hard work of the sector, supported by the leadership of Irish Aid, sustained Government investment and strong partnerships between education and civil society stakeholders. It is an achievement of which Ireland can be proud.

Budget 2027 comes at a time of significant global uncertainty and intensifying global and local challenges. These include rising conflict, disregard for international law, deepening humanitarian crises, climate disruption, democratic backsliding, misinformation and rising social division. In this context, Ireland's commitment to global justice, solidarity, international development and GCE matters as much as ever.

The scale of these challenges was emphasised by Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora, Neale Richmond during his address at the launch of the 2025 GENE Peer Review of Global Education in Ireland on 30 June 2026. The Minister further stated that “it is precisely because of these challenges that GCE is so important", while reaffirming the Government’s continued commitment to global solidarity, international development and GCE.

Against this backdrop, IDEA, the Irish Development Education Association, has published its Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2027 , calling on the Government to build on Ireland's internationally recognised leadership and enable the GCE sector to respond effectively to the scale of these challenges by increasing investment in Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The submission follows IDEA's recent engagement with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Youth on the critical importance of GCE and ESD at this time and comes shortly after the publication of the GENE Peer Review of Global Education in Ireland , which described Ireland's approach as "exemplary from a European comparative perspective" and recognised it as a source of inspiration and policy learning for other countries.

Representing more than 100 organisations, networks, unions and individuals - including many of Ireland's leading international development, humanitarian, education and civil society organisations - IDEA sees the next Budget as a vital opportunity to protect and expand on this progress rather than lose hard won-gains.

IDEA's Budget 2027 priorities

The submission calls for:

Increased investment in Global Citizenship Education through a stronger cross-government approach;
Increased funding for GCE and ESD under the ESD to 2030 Strategy;
Dedicated funding for GCE and ESD across key national strategies, including the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan, the Climate Action Plan and the National Action Plan Against Racism;
Continued progress towards Ireland's commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on Official Development Assistance; and
Support for Coalition 2030’s budget recommendations to reach the furthest behind first.

These recommendations complement wider calls across Irish civil society, including Dóchas' Ireland as a Model Power initiative, which sets out a vision for Ireland to continue leading internationally through global solidarity, human rights and effective multilateral cooperation.

Global Citizenship Education is an important part of that vision. It helps people understand the root causes and systemic drivers of global issues and their connections to local issues. It strengthens democratic participation, encourages informed public debate, and supports action towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable future for everyone.

Ireland has shown what can be achieved through sustained investment and partnership. The challenge now is to protect and build on those strong foundations. Budget 2027 provides a vital opportunity to reinforce Ireland's leadership by increasing investment in Global Citizenship Education, supporting international development and ensuring the values of global justice and solidarity continue to shape Ireland's response to the challenges of the years ahead.

Read IDEA's Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2027

IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:08:50 GMT

Education for Liberation: GCE in an Age of Crisis

Date: Wednesday, 24 June, 10.00am - 5.30pm

Location: The Grand Hotel Malahide, K36XT6

Education for Liberation: GCE in an age of Crisis

Download the full Conference Programme here

We are living in an era of multi-crises. Democratic norms are under threat, racism and ethno-nationalism are resurging, and the space for critical thought and civic participation is narrowing.

The scale of the challenges we are facing can be overwhelming, with many of us wondering what the role is for educators and how can we respond in a meaningful way?

This year, IDEA's Annual Conference will take us back to our roots while also looking forward to renewed purpose. Drawing on the radical traditions of Development Education and the legacy of Paulo Freire and other educators, we will be exploring the foundations of education for liberation in the context of our world today.

The conference programme will bring these ideas to life through a diverse range of voices, experiences, and active participation from attendees. Participants will hear a message from Brazilian education leader Madza Ednir and a keynote address from Ukrainian educator Zoryana Pshyk, alongside the panel conversation, Voices for Liberation: Perspectives on Education in an Age of Crisis. The programme will feature music by Palestinian musician Aziz Abushark, a special conversation on love and radical hope with award-winning journalist and author Sally Hayden, and a closing ceremony with contributions from Aziz Abushark and Nima Ashour, with the Blanket for Palestine.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day, creating additional opportunities for conversation, reflection, and connection.

Interactive workshops will provide opportunities to explore liberating approaches to Global Citizenship Education in practice. Sessions include Using Drama Methodologies to Facilitate Liberating GCE; Nurturing Educator Reflexivity through Gestalt Theatre; Who in this World Has Access to Pleasure? Emotion and Motivation: Capturing Energy - The Genius of Freire; From Conscientisation to Collective Action: Freirean Dialogues Across Africa and the Diaspora; and South African Singing with African Queens.

We will also host a member social gathering afterwards for those who wish to continue the discussions informally.

Join us to discuss how Global Citizenship Education can build critical consciousness, nurture human solidarity, and strengthen grassroots action in these turbulent times.

Book now to secure your place. (Waiting list will open if fully booked)

Any queries – please email events@ideaonline.ie

Programme for IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:56:00 GMT

Programme for IDEA Annual Conference 2026 - Education for Liberation: GCE in an Age of Crisis

Wednesday, 24 June 2026, Grand Hotel Malahide

You can download the full agenda and programme here and save it to your device as a PDF.

Any queries, please email events@ideaonline.ie or talk to a member of staff on the day. Please note video recording and photography are happening during the day. Please let us know if you would prefer not to appear in any footage. Please feel free to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or BlueSky.

AGENDA

10:00 – Registration and refreshments

10:30 – Welcome remarks and a special message from Brazil by Madza Ednir

10:50 – Keynote Address by Zoryana Pshyk

11:30 – Water and fruit break

11:45 – Address by Niall Tierney, Irish Aid

11:50 – Music by Aziz Abushark

12:00 – Panel Conversation followed by Q&A
Voices for Liberation: Perspectives on Education in an Age of Crisis
Hosted by Mary Coogan. Panellists: Fahmeda Naheed, John Magee, Macarena Montero and Talha AlAli

13:00 – Lunch with tea and coffee

13:50 – Workshop Sessions

Workshop options below. Various rooms; pre-registration required.

Workshop options:

Emotion and Motivation: Capturing Energy – The Genius of Freire
Venue: Marconi | Facilitator: Peter Dorman

Using Drama Methodologies to Facilitate Liberating GCE
Venue: Edison | Facilitators: Ellen Corby and Mica O’Dwyer

Nurturing Educator Reflexivity through Gestalt Theatre
Venue: Berners Lee | Facilitator: Sive Bresnihan

From Conscientisation to Collective Action – Freirean Dialogues Across Africa and the Diaspora

Venue: Baird | Facilitator: Daniela Jiménez-Montero

African Queens – Music, Storytelling and Education for Liberation
Venue: Tara Suite | Facilitators: Nomalanga Zulu and Neo Florence Gilson

Who in this world has access to pleasure?
Venue: O’Carolan | Facilitators: Aleesha Wiegandt and Zoë McKenna

15:30 – Comfort and hydration break

15:45 – Performance by African Queens

15:50 – In Conversation with Sally Hayden, hosted by Pierre Yimbog

16:40 – Closing Ceremony featuring featuring:
The Blanket for Palestine with music by Aziz Abushark and spoken word by Nima Ashour

17:00 – Book signing, raffle and drinks reception

You can download the full agenda and programme here and save it to your device as a PDF.

IDEA Voices: Pockets of Hope in Our Troubled World

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:41:00 GMT

By Lizzy Noone, Capacity Development Manager, IDEA

More than ever, global educators need pockets of hope to nurture and sustain us. These can take many forms and be a surprise encounter; sometimes we find them when we least expect it. Cycling home from the train station in Balbriggan after a busy and intense but enjoyable day at the IDEA AGM, I unexpectedly found my pocket of hope for the week and possibly the month of May.

Recent times have been difficult for those affected by racism; Bertie Ahern's awful comments, Yves Sakila killed on Henry Street in Dublin, and the Belfast riots, all come to mind.

While the headlines roll on and break our hearts, our hearts can fill to the brim more intensely when a pocket of hope comes about. So, as I cycled home on Tuesday in the summer sunshine, I was flagged down by a group of Irish 7/8-year-old boys outside a block of apartments near my house.

At a guess, their parents would have come from a place where their skin never really saw the light of day and from places where there was very little shade; i.e. their skin colour ranged from translucent white to dark, but there were much more pressing and exciting issues on the minds of this jovial bunch!

‘Mrs, do you want to buy a bracelet?’ they asked. It was the best offer I’d had all day, so I screeched to a halt with my bad brakes.

‘Yes, I would love to!’

And you would swear that they were on the Arsenal team winning the Premier League much was their pure elation of their first customer (The reaction of player Bukayo Saka comes to mind who incidentally experienced much racism).

I was then invited to choose my colours - ‘green, red, white and black, of course for Palestine’.

‘Oh yeah said one of them, Free Palestine! But we’ve no black’.

We all decided purple would make a good replacement, and we decided on a bracelet with a P for good luck for my daughter doing her Leaving Cert exams.

When I returned albeit a bit later, my new friends’ excitement reached a World Cup-winning level just because I’d come back, and we exchanged the bracelets for the coins, and they jumped and hugged each other in triumph and decided how to divide the coins for their pockets. We think we may have also exchanged pockets of hope.

Without sounding twee, these ‘pockets of hope’ lift the heaviness of the news and the world. Those pockets cannot change what’s happened but collecting all these pockets like Sally Hayden has done in her new book ‘This is Also a Love Story’ can help us keep going and doing what we do.

It is on the back of this new book that we are delighted that Sally will join us for our Annual Conference on the 24 ^th of June, where we hope to collectively strengthen our skills and give radical hope for the world through Education for Liberation.

Here’s to those pockets of hope, wherever you may find them.

Book your ticket before Thursday, the 18 ^th of June at 5.00pm if you haven’t done so already. We look forward to sharing hope with you there!

IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:53:00 GMT

Education for Liberation: GCE in an Age of Crisis

Date: Wednesday, 24 June, 10.00am - 5.30pm

Location: The Grand Hotel Malahide, K36XT6

Education for Liberation: GCE in an age of Crisis

Download the full Conference Programme here

We are living in an era of multi-crises. Democratic norms are under threat, racism and ethno-nationalism are resurging, and the space for critical thought and civic participation is narrowing.

The scale of the challenges we are facing can be overwhelming, with many of us wondering what the role is for educators and how can we respond in a meaningful way?

Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day, creating additional opportunities for conversation, reflection, and connection.

We will also host a member social gathering afterwards for those who wish to continue the discussions informally.

Join us to discuss how Global Citizenship Education can build critical consciousness, nurture human solidarity, and strengthen grassroots action in these turbulent times.

Book now to secure your place. (Waiting list will open if fully booked)

Any queries – please email events@ideaonline.ie

Find out more here

Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Strategy 2027 – 2031 Consultation Process

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:55:00 GMT

Irish Aid launched the consultation process for the development of the new Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Strategy in May 2026.

The public online consultation is now live: Global Citizenship Education Strategy Public Consultation and the deadline for written submissions is 17.00, 31 July.

Written submissions should not exceed 1,500 words and may be sent to gcestrategyconsultation@dfa.ie

IDEA is inviting our members to have their say by contributing to the IDEA sectoral written submission.

Please refer to the email sent to all members on 03 July. IDEA also encourages our members to have their say via their own organisational submission or by contributing to an IDEA thematic submission (Formal Education, Adult and Community Education, Youth, Higher Education and Quality & Impact).

If you have any questions about any aspect of the process for IDEA members, please contact Leigh at leigh@ideaonline.ie .

The following elements have been part of the consultation process to date:

Information Webinar on the GCE Strategy Development and Consultation Process: Monday 08 June at 3.00pm, via Zoom. Irish Aid presented the details of the strategy development process and the consultation process and answered questions.

Consultation meetings between Irish Aid and IDEA Working Groups and Task Groups, at the Irish Aid offices, Bishops’ Square, Redmond Hill, Dublin 2:

Monday 15 June, 11.00am - 1.00pm - Youth Task Force
Monday 15 June, 2.00pm - 4.00pm - Adult and Community Education Working Group
Tuesday 16 June, 2.00 - 4.00pm - Formal Education Working Group
Thursday 02 July, 11.00am - 1.00pm- Quality and Impact Working Group

An IDEA staff member accompanied IDEA members to these meetings as observers and for general support.

In parallel with a consultation process with external audiences, Irish Aid also conducted a literature review of national policies relevant to GCE and an internal consultation with other Irish Aid units and departments.

The first draft strategy is expected to be finalised by the end of September, and it is hoped that the final version will be published by the end of the year. IDEA is keen to ensure that all members have opportunities to feed into the process - through IDEA, our Working Groups and other fora, and any wider consultation mechanisms outlined by Irish Aid. We will continue to keep members updated as we learn more.

Information Webinar on Irish Aid GCE Strategy Consultation Process

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:41:00 GMT

Date: Monday 08 June, 3.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Online

Irish Aid has officially kicked off the consultation process for the development of the new Irish Aid GCE Strategy. An info webinar will take place on Monday 08 June at 3.00pm, during which Irish Aid will present the details of the consultation process and answer any questions from members.

This webinar will be recorded and the recording will be shared with members.

Register below!

Climate, Culture & Hope: A Conversation with Michael D. Higgins

Thu, 28 May 2026 13:58:00 GMT

Sunday 28 June, 3.30pm-4.45pm, Festival Tent, Father Burke Park, Galway. This event is free. Register here.
Former President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, internationally respected as a leading voice on culture, citizenship and social change, joins the Galway Climate Inspirations Festival , presented in association with IDEA – the Irish Development Education Association, for a special feature conversation on the afternoon of Sunday 28 June.
In this unique fireside chat, Michael D. Higgins will be joined by Ruairí McKiernan – campaigner, author and CEO of the IDEA – the Irish Development Education Association – for a thought-provoking discussion on climate action, sustainability and the role of arts, culture and education in helping shape a fairer future.
Across decades of public life, Michael D. Higgins has consistently highlighted the importance of imagination, creativity and community in responding to society’s greatest challenges. Drawing on his long connection to Galway, his championing of the arts in Ireland, and reflections through poetry and public life, this promises to be a rich and timely conversation on how we inspire action and create hope in a changing world. The event will also feature guest performances by Galway musician Áine Tyrrell and youth poet Princess Mimi Chukwudi.
The event forms part of the award-winning Galway Climate Inspirations Festival - a celebration of positive climate action bringing together creativity, community, music, food and fresh thinking.
About the Climate Inspirations Festival 2026
The award-winning Climate Inspirations Festival 2026, a landmark celebration of creativity, innovation, and community action in response to the climate crisis, will take place from 24-28 June 2026 in various venues throughout Galway City. It brings together artists, scientists, council staff, and local communities to explore how storytelling and culture can accelerate climate solutions.
The five‑day festival will feature more than thirty events, including interactive exhibitions, climate art installations, live music, a community fair, a melting potluck, sustainability workshops, and keynote talks and panels from sustainability leaders. The programme is designed to spark public imagination and empower communities to take meaningful climate action.
Register here!

Keynote Speaker Announcement: IDEA Conference 2026

Thu, 21 May 2026 10:43:00 GMT

We are delighted to announce Zoryana Pshyk as the keynote speaker for IDEA Conference 2026 , taking place on Wednesday, 24 June at The Grand Hotel Malahide, Co. Dublin. This year’s theme, Education for Liberation: GCE in an Age of Crisis , draws directly on Paulo Freire’s legacy to explore the role of Global Citizenship Education in today’s world

Zoryana is an accomplished adult educator and researcher whose work puts education for liberation into practice. She is a facilitator with Partners Training for Transformation, Chair of the Kildare Integration Network, and a founding member of Maynooth University of Sanctuary. Her approach is grounded in Freirean critical pedagogy, with a focus on dialogue, action and challenging oppression.
She currently works as a Community Engaged Research Officer at TU Dublin and a Teaching Supervisor at Maynooth University and is completing her PhD in Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University.
Find out more about Zoryana’s work here:

ORCID Profile: ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0252-7020
International TOGETHERNESS project with TU Dublin

Author of A Story from the Margin published in The Adult Learner journal
Read Zoryana's full bio: Zoryana Pshyk is an adult educator, facilitator, researcher, and community practitioner. Zoryana was born in Ukraine and has been living in Ireland for the past twenty years and holds both citizenships. Her work is grounded in the belief that education can become a space where people reclaim their voice, dignity, agency, and the possibility of acting together to change the world. Drawing from her own lived experience of migration and her experience of the Irish direct provision system, alongside years of working with asylum seekers, refugee, and marginalised communities, her practice explores how we as educators can help people to unlearn oppression, and move beyond systems of survival, and towards solidarity and collective transformation.
Zoryana’s work across community education, higher education, participatory research, and intercultural practice is deeply underpinned by the philosophy of Paulo Freire and traditions of critical pedagogy that understand education as a shared process of dialogue, reflection, consciousness, and action. Zoryana currently works as a Community Engaged Research Officer with TU Dublin, contributing to the international TOGETHERNESS project, which explores how higher education, communities, and civic partners can work collaboratively to strengthen socially engaged research. Her work focuses on creating participatory and community-engaged spaces where communities are not treated as subjects of research, but as knowledge holders, co-creators, and active participants in shaping educational and social change. She also works as a Teaching Supervisor with Maynooth University, where she previously lectured in Philosophy of Adult Education.
Zoryana is a PhD candidate with the Department of Adult and Community Education, Maynooth University. Her research and writing focused on emancipatory and transformative learning, narrative enquiry on displacement and war, and access to higher education for refugees and asylum seekers. She is the author of A Story from the Margin published in The Adult Learner journal, alongside publications and presentations exploring Freirean praxis, racism, community education, war, and the experiences of displaced communities navigating systems of exclusion and finding their voice through education. Zoryana is also a facilitator with Partners Training for Transformation, chair for the Kildare Integration Network, and one of the founding members of the Maynooth University of Sanctuary.
Zoryana has worked alongside diverse communities across Ireland to create learning spaces rooted in dialogue, storytelling, participation, and shared humanity. She believes that personal is always political. For her, democracy is not simply a political structure or institutional process, but something lived and collectively practiced through critical reflection and action — praxis, that can help communities challenge injustice, build solidarity, and imagine more democratic and compassionate ways of being together in the world. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0252-7020

Have your say! Invitation to focus groups for IDEA programme

Wed, 06 May 2026 16:06:00 GMT

The external evaluator for IDEA’s 2022-26 programme ( Liverpool World Centre  (LWC), is seeking IDEA members to participate in the final evaluation of IDEA’s 2022-26 programme funded by Irish Aid as well as a needs analysis exercise for next 5 years.

There will be four focus groups organised to have your say. These groups aim to gather your views on:

the effectiveness of IDEA’s work in key areas over the 5 years of their current strategic partnership with Irish Aid
the future needs of members. This will help IDEA’s planning for future funding applications and programmes, and where it can best contribute to these needs.

Focus groups 1, 2 and 4 are offered online. Focus group 3 is offered in-person, to follow IDEA's AGM. Please use the Eventbrite links provided to register. More information and Zoom links will be sent prior to each group, but if you have questions before signing up, please do email me at andrea@liverpoolworldcentre.org .

We would greatly appreciate it if each IDEA member can attend at least one of the following focus groups.

Focus group: IDEA as a network - we are interested in your views on IDEA’s work in supporting a vibrant and active network that engages and fosters connections and collaboration among diverse members Location, date and time: Online, Tuesday 12 May, 11.30am - 12.30pm

Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1987981511215?aff=oddtdtcreator

Focus group: IDEA trainings and events - we are interested in your views on all of IDEA’s trainings, events, conferences and knowledge shares, both in-person and online.
Location, date and time:  Online, Wednesday 20 May, 9.15-10.15am
Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/focus-group-2-tickets-1987981511215?aff=oddtdtcreator
Focus group: evaluation and needs analysis - this session is offered as part IDEA’s AGM day and will be an opportunity to feed into the ongoing final evaluation and needs analysis.
Location, date and time: In-person at IDEA office, Tuesday 26 May, 1.15 - 3.30pm
Please register here for AGM and focus group: /idea-agm-and-evaluation-and-needs-analysis
Focus group: measuring and demonstrating impact of DE/GCE - we are interested in your views on all aspects of IDEA’s work on measuring and demonstrating impact, including work on the Theory of Impact model
Location, date and time: Online, Tuesday 09 June, 11.30am - 12.30pm
Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1987982034781?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thank you so much for your time and support.

Join the pilot of the Theory of Impact for GCE

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:37:00 GMT

IDEA is excited to be launching the new Theory of Impact for GCE tool on Tuesday, 19 May, 11.00am - 1.00pm, online. Register here .

IDEA is now recruiting a group of members to pilot the new tool to measure our collective impact. This is a really exciting opportunity to be part of a first wave of measuring the collective impact of our GCE work in Ireland. We hope to have 20-25 members of IDEA involved in the pilot and we will provide plenty of support along the way.

The pilot process starts with a training session as part of the launch of tool on Thursday 19 May. Register here .

The pilot process will be led by IDEA staff and will support IDEA members to strengthen capacity to measure the impact of DE/GCE work and input relevant data into a common tool enabling us to articulate our impact as a sector. The pilot of this tool supports the roll-out of our collective Theory of Impact for GCE developed by IDEA members and launched in 2025.

The following schedule is in place for the pilot process:

19 May: Launch of the tool and Training
May – July: Pilot time for IDEA members including support from IDEA
Mid- August: Close the pilot
Mid August – mid September: Analysis of the data in the tool
September: Feedback from members involved in piloting
September: Presentation of findings on the collective impact of GCE

Please contact lizzy@ideaonline.ie to book your place as part of the pilot or to ask any questions related to the process.

Webinar Series - ‘Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education 3: Resistance to Imperialism

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:13:00 GMT

Date: Thursday, 14 May, 12.00–1.30pm Location: Online
Registration is now open for the third webinar in our series, Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education, titled Resistance to Imperialism on Thursday, 14 May, 12.00pm - 1.30pm, online.
Imperialism is the primary contradiction facing the globe, and the split of the world into two poles, the imperialists and the anti-imperialists, is going to continue to shape our revolutionary struggles both within and between countries and between the Global North and South.
Resistance to Imperialism is occurring everywhere, locally and globally. This webinar will inspire and give hope to our education work with examples from Minneapolis (USA), the Sahel States and the Lebanon.
Register below!

Open Space Enquiry (OSPe)
This webinar is part of IDEA's ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive, participatory spaces for dialogue and learning. The webinar uses Open Space Enquiry (OSPe), an approach that encourages open, curiosity-driven conversation and reflection. We aim to create a respectful space where diverse voices, experiences, and methods can be explored in the spirit of learning, critical thinking, and global citizenship.
Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by any speaker, host, facilitator, trainer or participant in IDEA webinars, seminars, events, talks, trainings, workshops, videos or podcasts are solely those of the individual(s) concerned. These views do not necessarily reflect IDEA's official policy, position, or values, its National Council, its members, funders, or partner organisations. IDEA provides platforms for dialogue and learning in the spirit of critical engagement, inclusivity, and diversity of thought. The hosting or facilitation of any individual, group or event does not constitute endorsement of any specific viewpoint expressed.

Speakers

Moderator

Launch of the Theory of Impact Tool

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:36:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday, 19 May, 11.00am - 1.00pm. Location: Online
The Theory of Impact for Global Citizenship Education Tool will be launched on Tuesday, 19 May, 11.00am - 12.00pm, online. This will be followed by training on how to use the tool from 12.00pm -1.00pm.
Over the last few months, an advisory group of IDEA members supported IDEA staff and a data visualisation expert, Rudi O’Reilly, to develop a tool that will capture and display the collective impact GCE is having in Ireland.
Come along to celebrate this milestone in impact measurement for the GCE sector
Register below!

Speaker

IDEA Knowledge Shares

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:26:39 GMT

Our member knowledge shares are peer-led sessions that offer IDEA members an opportunity to hear about each other’s Global Citizenship Education practice and share learning. They began in 2020 as a way for members to stay connected and keep up to date with each other's work during the pandemic. Since then, they have developed into a weekly online summer favourite.

Each session runs for 45 minutes and is led by an IDEA member, sharing a specific aspect of their Global Citizenship Education practice. It includes a short presentation showcasing their work, followed by a Questions and Answers session.

How to get involved:

The links for these sessions are shared with all IDEA members and no registration is needed. Members are welcome to contact IDEA if they would like to lead a session and share a project, approach or idea with other members. IDEA staff also contact members directly when we are aware of projects or initiatives that could be showcased in a Knowledge Share.

IDEA Knowledge Shares 2024: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtgNZRXV5p7btaILhxN7qO3TwbxruIMr0&si=5-ZyfNRntXVsuLNG

IDEA Knowledge Shares 2023:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtgNZRXV5p7anPn2gyYNOI2z4lgDeLpcC

Expression of Interest for IDEA annual conference workshops 2026

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:48:00 GMT

Call for Trainers/Facilitators to Deliver Workshops at IDEA Annual

Conference, 24 June 2026, Malahide, Co. Dublin

IDEA is seeking trainers to design and deliver workshops as part of the IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Trainers will design and deliver workshops relating to the conference theme Education for Liberation, which will support the audience (mainly educators whose work is centred on global justice and solidarity) to bring us back to our roots of education for liberation while also looking forward with renewed purpose. Drawing on the radical traditions of Development Education and the legacy of Paulo Freire and other educators-how can we use these foundations of education for liberation in the context of our world today?

Each trainer/trainer team will be responsible for creating the content of their own 75-90 minute workshop and facilitating the full session in person on the day. Workshops will be run in parallel during the afternoon of the conference programme, and we expect workshops to have approximately 20-25 attendees. The workshops should follow Development Education approaches as set out in the IDEA Code of Good Practice .

Please fill in this form here if you are interested in providing a workshop at our conference.

The deadline for application is Friday, 24 April.

IDEA will confirm the selected trainers by the 07 May.

If successful in your application, we will, of course, be giving complimentary tickets to the full day of the conference.

Webinar Series - ‘Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education 2: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:27:00 GMT

Date: Thursday, 30 April, 12.00-1.30pm Location: Online
This webinar explores the concept of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions how they are used and how they can be an effective action to take as part of the educational process.
Tying in with IDEA’s work on Apartheid Free Zones, we will explore this action component of GCE, celebrating the significant impact and the challenges of these three actions from local to global.
This webinar will give you the information, the tools and the hope necessary to explore these actions with the communities you work with.
Ruairí McKiernan, IDEA CEO, will facilitate this webinar.
Speakers are:
Vicky Donnelly and John Griffin from Kinvara action group
Emma Jayne Geraghty, Friends of the Earth
Registration for this webinar will close at 9.00am on the morning of the event 30April. If you miss the 9.00am deadline, you can email communications@ideaonline.ie before 10.30am, 30 April.

Speakers

Moderator

Webinar Series - ‘Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education 1: Critically thinking about Critical Minerals

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:05:00 GMT

Date: Friday, 17 April, 12.00 - 1.30pm Location: Online
Minerals, whether critical, rare or not, have become essential for energy security despite the fact that they are as finite as the fossil fuels we are trying to phase out of existence. Mining has always been on the environmental agenda trying to balance human and environmental rights with the transition to green energy.
But as the race for minerals has escalated over the last few years and mining companies and governments are overriding many environmental, employment and human rights legislation and is based on the violence, exploitation and extraction. As educators, we often link the products, services and systems we use to places around the globe; linking our own lives, technology, renewable energy.
In this online seminar, we will be critically questioning the local and global contexts of mining for critical minerals. It is essential that we explore with our learners what lies beneath!
Lizzy Noone, IDEA, will facilitate this session.
Deadline for registration is Tuesday, 14 April
Register below!

Moderator

Speakers

IDEA Celebrates International Women’s Day with Energy, Stories, and Solidarity

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:48:00 GMT

IDEA members gathered on Monday, 10 March, at the IDEA offices in Gardiner Row, Dublin 1, to celebrate International Women’s Day. The room was filled with energy, insight, and connection from members who showed up for this social event. Each person brought perspectives shaped by different experiences, spaces, projects, and community engagement they have been involved in over the years.

The group shared stories, memories, and reflections on progress made towards gender equality and the challenges that persist. Books, leaflets, and personal materials brought by the participants sparked thoughtful and powerful conversations. One conclusion the group came to was that ‘Women can be patriarchal and Men can be matriarchal’, and it is the systems and not necessarily the gender that gives us a world of increasing gender inequality. There was also a discussion on the corporate hijack of Women’s Day that may lead to further stereotyping and inaction when it comes to challenging the very systems that are disempowering to women. This event was an informal gathering, yet rich with learning and inspiration.
A major highlight came from Adrienne ‘Gráinne’ Boyle, an individual member of IDEA, who brought flyers and posters from her time leading and helping to organise several International Women’s Day events in the 1980s and 1990s. The group agreed that we should bring back the saying ‘Women’s Lib’ (short for women’s liberation) that was popular at that time.

Lizzy Noone, IDEA's Capacity Development Manager, shared books that meant a lot to her and centred on women’s empowerment, adding depth to the conversation. One was Manchan Magan’s ‘Women’s Words’ Focail na mBan, a collection of Irish words that do not see the light of day very often and will be lost completely if we do not capture them - a beautiful book with gorgeous artwork by Irish female artists. Another was Caliban and the Witch, Women and Primitive Accumulation by Silivia Federici that really sets the roots of modern gender inequality in the Age of the Enlightenment where men started to see women as being the same as nature and therefore needing to be tamed and controlled (suspecting some to be witches) and seeing themselves as masters of and therefore separated from nature. The book, of course, gives much more insight into this phenomenon.
Larisa Sioneriu from AONTAS shared a thoughtful reflection from her time growing up in Romania, where street harassment of women was common. She contrasted this with her experience after moving to Ireland, where she noticed that such behaviour was not part of everyday life. While this was a positive change, it also left her wondering why the difference felt so striking.
Her story highlights how deeply normalised certain behaviours can become in some societies, to the point where their absence feels unfamiliar. It serves as a gentle reminder of the importance of creating environments where all women can feel safe and respected in public spaces.

Maximiliana Mtenga, IDEA's Public Relations Officer, offered a powerful reflection from the Global South. She shared experiences from her work with the Legal and Human Rights Centre in Tanzania, where she travelled across the country with gender programmes focusing on tackling Female Genital Mutilation and child marriage.
She reminded the room that, although East African countries have adopted gender equality programmes aligned with SDG 5, the struggle remains far from over. In Kenya, for example, cases of femicide are worrying to the point that activists are forced to protest and campaign against this act of violence .
According to the Tanzania Human Rights Report 2019 , incidents of Gender Based Violence continue to prevail across the country. These persistent violations against women and girls show the urgent need for stronger action, broader advocacy, and a united push for safety and equality.
Seeing these realities firsthand has shaped her path deeply. The challenges that women face in Tanzania have moved her and strengthened her resolve. She is inspired to become an impactful activist dedicated to ending Gender Based Violence. Her passion for global citizenship comes not only from alarming statistics, but from the lived experiences of women and girls whose voices are too often unheard or overlooked.
Her story, like many shared at this event, reminded everyone why International Women’s Day is more than a celebration. It is a call to act, to listen, and to stand together for a world where every woman is safe, empowered, and valued.
Several members joined the discussion and others joined for the lunch to celebrate IWD, including individual member Adrienne ‘Gráinne’ Boyle and representatives from member organisations Development Perspectives, Trócaire, WorldWise Global Schools and AONTAS.

Informal Education and the Theory of Impact for GCE

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:43:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 24 March, 10.30am – 12pm

Location: Online

IDEA is inviting our members working in the area of informal education, public engagement and awareness-raising to a meeting on the Theory of Impact for GCE model and tool on Tuesday 24 March from 10.30am – 12 midday online.

In 2025, IDEA launched a Theory of Impact for GCE model, developed in collaboration with our members. Since then, we are working on the development of a tool to collect data aligned with the model, and how to visualise the collective impact of the GCE sector.

As the tool is developed, there is an emphasis on activities taking place in settings of formal education (early years, primary, post-primary, higher education) and non-formal education (Adult, Community and youth work) as it is easier to gather data on the results of these activities. As a result, some members are wondering if and how informal education and/or public engagement aligns to the Theory of Impact for GCE and how best to include it or not. From the Irish Aid GCE Strategy (2021-2025), informal education is described as distinct from formal and non-formal education as: ‘all the other ways that people learn throughout their lives: from each other, from the media including social media, from visiting museums, libraries and exhibitions.’

We would like to discuss this with IDEA members active in all types of informal education initiatives and public awareness raising on global justice issues, such as media, film screenings, public lectures, Church outreach, photo exhibitions, engaging with volunteers etc.

We invite you to a 90-minute online Zoom discussion, facilitated by IDEA Staff working on the Theory of Impact for GCE (Lizzy Noone and Elaine Mahon). This meeting will explore the nuances between depth and scale of engagement, and how we can better capture the transformative journey of our participants through our Theory of Impact model. We encourage all attending to review the Theory of Impact model in advance.

We hope to have an open discussion to share about the informal education activities in your work and how you measure the results of this work. If you don’t work directly on informal education in your organisation, we would really appreciate it if you encouraged your colleagues who do, to come along and participate in the conversation.

Register below!

IDEA AGM & Evaluation and Needs Analysis

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:57:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday, 26 May 2026 11.00am – 3.30pm AGM: 11.00am – 12.30pm Evaluation & Needs Analysis: 1.15pm – 3.30pm Location: IDEA Offices, 6 Gardiner Row, D01Y183

IDEA will host its AGM followed by an evaluation and needs analysis on Tuesday, 26 May, at the IDEA offices. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend both events, as member voices are vital to IDEA's mission and work.
Registration for the day will begin 10.30 am with tea/coffee and refreshments.
The AGM official business will begin at 11.00 am and continue until 12.30 pm. If you are unable to attend in person, please contact sal@ideaonline.ie directly.
IDEA will provide lunch to all attending members. Please fill out your dietary requirements and accessibility needs in the registration form. It is particularly important to register by 19th May to ensure the event is as accessible as possible.
The evaluation and needs analysis session will begin at 1.15pm – 3.30pm. As 2026 is the final year in our current five-year Strategic Partnerships programme with Irish Aid, this year we are evaluating the current programme and planning for future funding applications. This session is a fundamental part of this process and is an opportunity for IDEA members to feed into this work. This session will be facilitated by an external evaluator who will collate members’ feedback on IDEA’s years, current programme, and encourage a focus on key areas for the next 5 years programme current programme and also encourage a focus on key areas for the next programme.
You must be an IDEA member to attend. If you have any questions about your IDEA membership for 2026, please contact sal@ideaonline.ie.

Code Network Meeting June 2026

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:35:00 GMT

Date: Thursday 11 June, 9.30am – 12.30pm

Location: Online via zoom.

IDEA is looking forward to welcoming all members of the Code of Good Practice for Development Education to our upcoming Code network meeting on Thursday 11 June from 9.30am - 12.30pm, online. There are places for two representatives (staff, volunteers etc.) from each Code member.

For members of the IDEA Code of Good Practice, there are two Code network meetings annually (of which Code members must attend at least one). In 2026, one Code network meeting takes place online (June) and one in person (November).

If you have any questions, please contact code@ideaonline.ie

Celebrate International Women’s Day with IDEA

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:26:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday10 March, 11.30am–1.45pm

Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1

IDEA warmly invites you to join us for conversation, connection, and a shared lunch to celebrate International Women’s Day in the IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1, on 10 March, 11.30am–1.45pm.

Together, we will be a welcoming space to pause, reflect, and exchange ideas as a community working at the intersection of gender equality education and global justice. In a time, shaped by widening inequality, conflict, climate pressures, and backlash against rights, this gathering offers a moment to reconnect with the role of education in advancing equality, solidarity, and collective action. We invite you to bring an object or a book that holds meaning for you in relation to gender equality, as a way to spark conversation and shared learning.

All genders are very welcome. Please register by 09 March 2.00pm.

Include any dietary requirements.

Register below!

Vision 2030 Advocacy Strategy - Have Your Say!

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:05:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 31 March, 10.00am – 1.00pm

Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1,

Global Citizenship Education has never been more important, and it’s vital that we mobilise to both defend and expand our work. IDEA has therefore been developing a high-level advocacy strategy for advancing the policy and investment priorities set out in Vision 2030 in the coming years. This has assisted us to identify our strategic approaches, advocacy targets, and the specific outcomes and policy opportunities for each priority. We have also drafted a policy engagement timeline for 2026.

We were delighted to involve our members in helping to shape this strategy over the past month, starting with a webinar presentation and Q&A on 05 March followed by an invitation to members to provide written feedback and suggestions on the draft advocacy strategy.

Now that your feedback has been analysed and integrated, we will host an in-person workshop for members on Tuesday 31 March, 10.00am – 1.00pm at IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1, to further develop aspects of the strategy. A vegetarian lunch will be provided.

Note: these events are open to IDEA members only.

Registration for this event is now closed.

Launch of new Global Citizenship Education Higher Education Forum

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:20:00 GMT

IDEA is excited to share the launch of our Global Citizenship Education Higher Education Forum for those working across higher education on the island of Ireland. The first meeting will be online on Wednesday 11 March 2026, 11.00am -12.30 pm.

This will be a new collaborative space for those engaged or interested in advancing Global Citizenship Education across all aspects of higher education, including teaching and learning, research, professional services, student engagement and more.

The forum is an all-island initiative, open to anyone working in higher education, including academic and professional staff and organisations, who have an interest in Global Citizenship Education in any aspect of their work.

It aims to bring together an interdisciplinary community working across higher education institutes, across the Island of Ireland, to share experience and learning, explore research and pedagogy, highlight good practice, and support more strategic and systemic engagement with Global Citizenship Education across higher education. The Forum will provide an opportunity to connect with others working in this area, reflect on Global Citizenship Education in the Irish higher education context, and consider how it can be strengthened across disciplines, departments and institutions.

The initiative is led by Dr. Gertrude Cotter ( UCC ) , Dr. Eilish Dillon ( Maynooth University ) and Nina Sachau ( STAND ) . It is expected to meet 3-4 times per year and is hosted by the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA), with practical support provided by IDEA staff.

If you are interested in joining the meeting, or would like further information, please get in touch with Nina Sachau

The ABC of Global Citizenship Education 2026 - Rescheduled

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:23:00 GMT

This training has been rescheduled. Please see below for new dates and locations

Dates:
Session 1: Wednesday 25 March, 10.00am - 4.00pm
Session 2: Thursday, 16 April, 10.00am -12.30pm
Session 3: Thursday 23 April, 9.30am - 4.00pm

Location:
Session 1: Brandsma Hall, Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier St, Dublin 2, D02 T258
Session 2: Online via Zoom
Session 3: Room E205 DCU St Patrick’s Campus Drumcondra

IDEA has rescheduled our training on the ‘ABC of Global Citizenship Education’ in collaboration with Global Village aimed at supporting newcomers to GCE to deepen their understanding and develop their skills in Global Citizenship Education delivery.

Global Citizenship Education enables people to understand the world around them and to act to transform it. It works to tackle the root causes of injustice and inequality, globally and locally to create a more just and sustainable future for everyone. IDEA members use a variety of terms including Global Citizenship Education, Development Education, Education for Sustainable Development, Global Youth Work and related terms.

The training is targeted at newcomers to Global Citizenship Education but is open to all. It will also be useful to anyone who wishes to brush up on their Global Citizenship Education skills. It runs in three parts, through a mixture of online and in person sessions.

The training will:

Support educators to bring a global justice perspective to their educational work
Explore interactive and participatory approaches to Global Citizenship Education
Provide information on relevant resources and supports for your Global Citizenship Education work
Introduce you to the Code of Good Practice for Development Education
Increase understanding of the context of Global Citizenship Education in Ireland, including relevant stakeholders.

In previous years we have been joined by guest speakers – in 2023 we were joined by Dr Aoife Titley , Maynooth University, and in 2024 by the Hope & Courage Collective and in 2025, global youth worker and spoken word artist Dean Oke.

Fees for members of IDEA are €50.00 and non-members of IDEA are €100.00. Fee for unwaged (refugees, asylum seekers, students, others) is €3.00 - this can be paid in person.

Register below!

IDEA Voices: Standing in Solidarity with Gaza as Global Educators

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:59:00 GMT

Welcome to IDEA Voices – a space for members to share perspectives, experiences and reflections on issues related to Global Citizenship Education. This reflects the spirit of IDEA’s commitment to dialogue, critical reflection and the diversity of perspectives within our network.

Written by: Stephen McCloskey, director of the Centre for Global Education and editor of Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review.

From the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza more than two years’ ago, there has been a difficult and discomforting internal debate within the global education sector as to how it should respond. The sector has shifted somewhat from an initial collective silence that was broken by three members of IDEA (Centre for Global Education, Comhlámh and Síolta Chroí) who came together to organise online sessions that were extremely well attended and reflected strong support for a more robust sectoral response. These same three members subsequently established an IDEA Working Group on Palestine with the support of IDEA’s staff. It aimed to support education, discussion, collaboration and activism among IDEA members in solidarity with Palestine. The group succeeded in engaging affiliated members in discussion on Palestine and advocacy with the Irish government on passing the Occupied Territories Bill into law and calling for the withdrawal of the strongly criticised International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. These initiatives were mostly confined to the Working Group, however, rather than actions taken by the network as a whole which created the sense that Palestine was confined to a silo.

There have been encouraging signs since that the network was becoming more engaged with Palestine when it supported calls for the Irish Central Bank to stop facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds and called on the Irish government to join The Hague Group. Whilst these actions are welcome, I think they fall short of what we could and should be doing as a network to stand in solidarity with Gaza. From the beginning of the genocide, IDEA members should have been galvanised to join the monthly Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) national protests in Dublin that have drawn huge participation from citizens and civil society movements across the island. This was a minimal test of solidarity with Palestine that was failed. The network should (and still could) directly lobby the Irish government to implement in full the Occupied Territories Bill, particularly as the government is threatening to remove a ban on trade in services from any legislation that comes into law. The network should (and still could) call for the Irish government to stop the use of Shannon Airport as a transit point by the United States military in contravention of Irish neutrality. The network should (and still could) call on the Irish government to stop the sale of dual-use products to Israel that can have a civilian and military application.

In her latest report , Francesca Albanese, the UN rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian Territories, finds that Ireland has the largest dual-use trade with Israel in integrated circuits valued at $3.2 billion in 2024. She writes that ‘Gaza is a collective crime, sustained by the complicity of influential Third States that have enabled longstanding systemic violations of international law by Israel’. Ireland is one of the ‘Third States’ named in the report which in itself is evidence that perhaps we could have done more as a sector to end Irish complicity in genocide.

For many colleagues, the global education sector’s limited response to the genocide has provoked a deeper discussion on how many aspects of global education practice have shifted from their radical Freirean roots to a more professionalised and depoliticised form. From the vantage point as editor of a global education journal, Policy and Practice, I conducted a kind of vox pop earlier this year when I asked for short 500-word articles on ‘The Future of Development Education’. The collection included calls that the sector move beyond hospicing the broken neoliberal economic system by maintaining our largely uncritical support of the SDGs and embrace a stronger decolonial approach which does more to acknowledge that under-development is the result of capitalism, not development deficits in the global South. A decolonial education on the genocide in Gaza would have immediately framed it in the context of Israel’s settler-colonialism in Palestine. It would also have framed a sectoral response shaped by Freire’s call that global education means standing in solidarity with the oppressed.

In 2022, a report commissioned by the Centre for Global Education and Financial Justice Ireland found that ‘neither the international development nor the development education sector give anywhere near adequate attention to explorations with the public of the economic causes of poverty, inequality and injustice and of responses, through education, to the global neoliberal system’. The report bemoaned a lack of systemic thinking in the sector that is reflective of a technocratic or managerialist approach to development that fails to address the root causes of poverty and equality; the professed aim of our sector.

In applying a systemic analysis to the genocide in Gaza, the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, immediately recognised that Gaza was a warning to the people of the global South. He wrote on X that the West ‘seeks to defend the bubble of consumption of the planet’s rich and not to save humanity, whose majorities are disposable to them, like the children of Gaza’. This explains the callous indifference of the Euro-Atlantic powers to the suffering of the Palestinians and their willingness to make a pyre of the conventions and norms of international law. Picking up on this, the journalist Chris Hedges wrote that:

“The struggle for Palestine is our struggle. The denial of freedom for Palestinians is the first step in the loss of our freedom. The terror that defines life in Gaza will become our terror. The genocide will become our genocide”.

The Palestinians are leading our decolonisation by exposing and resisting the joint criminal enterprise underpinning the genocide in Gaza. Is it not time that the global education sector did more to offer meaningful solidarity to Palestinians?

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and should not be taken to reflect the position of IDEA or its wider membership. IDEA maintains a clear organisational position on Palestine, grounded in our values, remit and long-standing member leadership. To learn more, see IDEA for Palestine .

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications 2026

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:57:22 GMT

Our first training event for the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round is a Grants Clinic, focusing on the application form, to be facilitated by Bobby McCormack, CEO of Development Perspectives and Chairperson of IDEA National Council, and Elaine Mahon, IDEA. This will take place on Thursday, 13 November, 09.30am – 11.30am, online.

IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support is free of charge to all.

As in recent years, this event is open to those who are not yet members of IDEA.

To make this training as useful as possible for all attending, please make sure that you have a copy of any previous application form you have worked on relating to the Irish Aid GCE grants available to you during the session.

IDEA Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide Workshop

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:36:31 GMT

Date: 02 December, 10.30am – 4.30pm.

Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row

IDEA launched its new Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide resource pack in early March. The advocacy toolkit and policy guide were developed for IDEA members to strengthen their capacity to effectively advocate with policymakers and to actively engage in policy processes on GCE in Ireland and the wider world.

IDEA will facilitate a full-day in-person workshop for our members on these resources in the IDEA offices on Tuesday, 02 December ,10.30am – 4.30pm. Places are limited to 15 participants and are filling up fast.

Now that Vision 2030 has been launched, this will be an opportunity for participants to conduct stakeholder mapping and to develop advocacy messages for policy priorities in Vision 2030 that are relevant to the educational setting they work in. This is a repeat of the workshop that took place in May, but participants in that workshop might find this useful as well.

A vegetarian lunch will be provided.

Deadline for registration is Wednesday, 26 November

Calls for urgent investment to empower people amid rising disinformation, racism, and polarisation

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:11:55 GMT

Calls for urgent investment to empower people amid rising disinformation, racism, and polarisation

Irish Global Citizenship Education sector launches Vision to 2030

The Global Citizenship Education (GCE) sector today called for greater investment to empower people to respond effectively to the challenges of an increasingly divided and uncertain world. The call came at the launch of Vision 2030: Towards a Society of Active Global Citizens - a new roadmap for Global Citizenship Education across the island of Ireland to 2030.

Speaking at the launch, Ruairí McKiernan, CEO of the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) , said:

“We are living in an age of great turbulence and division - marked by climate breakdown, hunger, conflict, and the marginalisation of vulnerable groups, alongside a dangerous rise in disinformation, racism, and social polarisation.

Global Citizenship Education offers a vital antidote. It helps people make sense of a complex and interconnected world, to join the dots between local and global issues, and to see their own power to create change. Above all, it builds resilience, empathy, and shared understanding - the foundations of peace and democracy. There has never been a greater need for investment in this work.”

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, member of both the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, said:

“We are all citizens of an amazing world. Global Citizenship Education shows you how you are already connected to what's happening around the world. It helps you understand how you are part of it. It allows you to build solidarity with others and understand how you can make positive change. In policy and politics, we make decisions about how we want to live together. Global Citizenship Education equips people to be part of that decision. It also makes you think about who is in the room, and what are the values that inform these decisions.”

Deputy Cathal Crowe TD , Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth, said:

“Vision 2030 shows how Global Citizenship Education can be embedded more deeply across our education system - from schools and youth work to higher and adult education. It’s about equipping learners with the understanding and skills to engage critically with the world around them, and to become active citizens shaping a fairer, more sustainable future.”

Bobby McCormack , Chair of IDEA and CEO of Development Perspectives, added:

“Between 2021 and 2024, Ireland invested €33.6 million in programmes that enabled more than 1.2 million people across this island to become informed and active global citizens. That investment created strong foundations across education systems and communities, positioning Ireland as a European leader in this field. Now those foundations must be protected and strengthened to counter the rising tides of intolerance and misinformation.”

Developed by IDEA and its members, Vision 2030 sets out clear priorities for the decade ahead, including:

Increased investment to meet the internationally recognised target of 3% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Global Citizenship Education by 2030.
A coordinated, cross-departmental approach to integrate Global Citizenship Education across national policies in education, international development, climate action, and community development.
Expanded reach and equity across formal, non-formal, and informal learning settings throughout the island of Ireland.
Enhanced impact and accountability , through stronger measurement, research, and promotion of the IDEA Code of Good Practice for Development Education.
Strengthened cross-border collaboration , connecting practitioners North and South through coordinated initiatives and shared learning.

Global Citizenship Education contributes directly to Ireland’s policy goals in education, climate action, justice, youth, and international development - helping to build a society of engaged, informed, and active citizens. Vision 2030 outlines how this can be achieved and what supports are needed at government level to ensure quality Global Citizenship Education is available to everyone.

Speakers at the event included Deputy Cathal Crowe TD, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, Ruairí McKiernan (CEO of IDEA), Bobby McCormack (CEO of Development Perspectives and Chair of IDEA), Conor O’Leary (Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board), Kirsten Baltazar (participant in STAND’s Global Citizenship Education Programme), and Leigh Brady (Policy and Advocacy Manager at IDEA).

Vision 2030 is available

IDEA wins Good Governance Award 2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:10:02 GMT

IDEA is delighted to share that we have won a Good Governance Award in our category at the Carmichael Good Governance Awards 2025.

We are proud to be recognised for excellence in governance standards, in particular for the quality and transparency of our 2024 Annual Report. This award reflects not only the work of the past year but also our ongoing commitment to accountability, learning, and sector leadership in 2025 and beyond.

Congratulations also to our member organisations Oxfam, who won in their category, and to STAND and GOAL, who were shortlisted. It is inspiring to see such strong representation and achievement from across our community.

We would like to express our gratitude to IDEA’s National Council for their tireless dedication, especially:

Cara Ryan , former IDEA Chair, for her steady leadership throughout 2024
Pierre Yimbog , IDEA Company Secretary
Martina Ryan-Doyle , IDEA Treasurer

A heartfelt thank you to the IDEA team for their exceptional contribution. In particular:

Elaine Mahon , whose thoughtful leadership guided IDEA throughout 2024
Sal Healy , whose outstanding work as Operations & Finance Manager – and later as Interim Deputy Director – was central to our governance and reporting
Catherine Ginty , who played a key role in shaping and producing the Annual Report

We would also like to acknowledge Bobby McCormack and Ruairí McKiernan , who stepped into the roles of IDEA Chair and IDEA CEO towards the end of 2024 and continue to steer IDEA forward with vision and purpose.

A special thank you to Tony Daly of 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World for his powerful exhibition 20 Objects , featured as part of our 20th Anniversary celebrations and showcased in the Annual Report.

This award is a meaningful recognition of the care, collaboration, and commitment that underpin IDEA’s work. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to making our governance culture as strong and ambitious as our mission.

Read our 2024 Annual Report

Welcoming Lizzy Noone: IDEA’s New Capacity Developlment Manager

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:03:10 GMT

We are thrilled to share the news that Lizzy Noone has joined IDEA as our new Capacity Development Manager. Many of you will already know Lizzy as a familiar, friendly and energising presence across the sector - one of Ireland’s most passionate, experienced and values-driven Global Citizenship Education (GCE) practitioners.

Lizzy brings more than 25 years of experience working with schools, teachers, young people and organisations to deepen GCE learning and practice. Her work spans whole-school GCE integration, campaigning, youth participation, teacher training and creative learning methodologies grounded in justice, solidarity and systemic awareness. She has spent the past 12 years as an Education Officer with WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS), supporting schools across the North East of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Prior to this, she spent over 15 years with Concern Worldwide, contributing to EU-funded initiatives including campaigns focused on child labour, social justice and international development.

Through her work with WWGS, she has supported more than 200 schools to embed sustainability and GCE at a whole-school level - making a significant and lasting contribution to teaching practice and youth empowerment across the island. Her approach to GCE is rooted in care, critical thinking, creativity and participation. Lizzy believes that global citizenship belongs everywhere in education - not as an add-on, but as a lens through which learners explore the world, question unequal systems and imagine fairer futures. She is also a strong advocate for creative pedagogies, including arts-based and experiential learning, which she sees as powerful ways to help students engage deeply with global justice, human rights, and interdependence.

A message from Lizzy

“I am absolutely delighted to be joining the IDEA team. I feel like I’ve come home! In my new role as Capacity Development Manager, I feel privileged to be able to work with the GCE community - a community that is so important to me and that I feel very much part of. IDEA has always brought us all together, so it makes me so happy to be part of that.

I know through my many years in the sector the impact that GCE has on society, so I’m looking forward to demonstrating the community’s impact through the Theory of Impact work and helping us all realise Vision 2030. I’m so looking forward to working with all the members and supporting you the best I can.”

We are delighted to welcome Lizzy into the IDEA team. Her warmth, expertise and commitment arrive at a pivotal moment - as the demand for justice-focused education grows and collective momentum continues to build. We look forward to a powerful period ahead as we strengthen capacity, deepen collaboration, and continue shaping the future of Global Citizenship Education together.

Welcome Lizzy - we’re delighted you have joined IDEA.

Enact the Occupied Territories Bill: Online Solidarity Event

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:23:00 GMT

Join us this Wednesday, 19 November, 1.00pm for a lunchtime online event hosted by the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) on the Occupied Territories Bill – why it matters now more than ever, and what meaningful action is needed in solidarity with Palestine. Register here .

IDEA CEO Ruairí McKiernan will host an expert panel, including Éamonn Meehan, from Sadaka – Ireland Palestine Alliance, Karol Balfe, from ActionAid Ireland, and Faten Alsourani, from Trócaire. We’ll explore why the Bill is vital, the urgency of maintaining public pressure, and how civil society can stay engaged. The event is free to attend – all are welcome.

This will take place ahead of the #PassTheOTB rally at 5.30pm on Kildare Street that evening.

IDEA also expresses strong support for our members joining the rally and backing the cross-party motion on the Occupied Territories Bill. Organisations including Trócaire, Christian Aid Ireland, ActionAid Ireland, Oxfam Ireland, Afri - Action from Ireland, Development Perspectives, Financial Justice Ireland, Comhlámh - Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers, Stand, Amnesty International Ireland, The Centre for Global Education, 80:20 Educating & Acting for a Better World, Oxfam Ireland, and Friends of the Earth Ireland have been at the forefront of education, advocacy, and humanitarian work on Palestine for decades.

This rally comes amid the catastrophic ongoing genocide in Gaza and escalating violence across the West Bank. These realities demand a principled response that upholds international law and ensures Ireland is not complicit in human rights violations.

As the national platform for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education, IDEA supports our members in fostering critical thinking, understanding, and action on global injustice. The Occupied Territories Bill aligns with the core values of DE/GCE and with Ireland’s tradition of standing for human rights, dignity, and peace.

IDEA stands firmly behind the Occupied Territories Bill as a necessary and timely step towards justice, accountability, and lasting peace.

Register here

IDEA represented at European Global Citizenship Education Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 13:13:00 GMT

IDEA’s Policy and Advocacy Manager, Leigh Brady and IDEA’s Code of Good Practice Support Officer, Áine Boyle spoke at a European conference on Global Citizenship Education in Sofia, Bulgaria on 15-16 October. The conference, “It’s Global Education Time: sharing Global Citizenship Education policy, research and practice”, was organised within the scope of a DEAR-funded project, It's Global Education Time , involving eight European countries: Ireland, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. It brought together key stakeholders in the education field: experts and researchers, policy makers, representatives of educational authorities, teacher educators, civil society networks, and European institutions.
The main focus of the conference was to share the findings of research, conducted across the eight project countries, on the integration of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in educational policies and school curricula. The curricula research focused on history, geography, and civic education for students aged 11-16 years, and the results of both cross-country studies were presented and discussed during an engaging plenary session. This was followed by a tour of posters that summarised the main findings of each country report and an exercise to generate concrete ideas and commitments on how the research could be disseminated and used. Other conference sessions explored recent policy developments, as well as challenges and opportunities for GCE in Europe, Latin America and at the global level. IDEA Policy and Advocacy Manager, Leigh Brady provided a short input on the synergy between GCE-related research and policy, emphasising that the drive for evidence-based GCE policymaking puts more of an onus on practitioners seeking to influence policy to undertake rigorous research that provides evidence to back their policy recommendations. However, Leigh also stressed the following point:
“To inform Global Citizenship Education policy that leads to meaningful interventions in learning spaces, research must include the lived experiences of those it is designed to serve. This includes learners, educators and school leaders as their voices help ensure that policy responds to real-time needs and challenges. Evidence-based policymaking is strongest when grounded in real-world experience, and the synergy between GCE-related research and policy is key to creating inclusive, relevant and impactful education systems. We remain committed to advocating for policies that are informed by both data and lived realities."
On day two, IDEA Code of Good Practice Support Officer, Áine Boyle, made a comprehensive presentation on the IDEA Code of Good Practice for Development Education, which generated a lot of interest from participants from other countries. Áine stressed that membership of the Code is voluntary and that rather than being a deficit-focused evaluation framework, the Code drives quality of Development Education/Global Citizenship Education via collective celebration of good practice examples. It runs on self-assessment by members combined with positive and constructive feedback from a panel of Code assessment reviewers. Áine shared many examples of Code members citing different benefits of being a Code member but highlighted one benefit that most Code members recognise:
“Most Code members underline that the Community of Practice created to support Code members is the biggest benefit of Code membership. IDEA hosts two Code Network Meetings per year and for the first time this year decided to organise both meetings in person, due to the how much Code members appreciate the opportunity of the in-person peer learning exchange.”
Áine also shared information on the Erasmus+ project that IDEA is co-implementing with LAPAS , the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation, to inspire a Latvian Code of Good Practice for Global Citizenship Education, and welcomed participants to consider co-partnering with IDEA on future projects to expand the Code to more European countries.

2025 Research Showcase: Pathways to Decolonial Practices in Global Citizenship Education

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:22:00 GMT

Date: Thursday 20 November, 10.00 - 11.30am Location: Online

IDEA is thrilled to invite you to our 2025 Research Showcase, "Pathways to decolonial practices in Global Citizenship Education” on Thursday, 20 November, 10.00 - 11.30am, online. This year’s theme is inspired by Principle 3 of the CODE of Good Practice for Development Education , “Be explicit about the ethos of Development Education – global solidarity, empathy and partnership, and challenging unequal power relations across all issues we work on.” This has always been a central element of quality Global Citizenship Education and the practice of IDEA members.
Challenging unequal power relations across all issues is something we all strive for in Global Citizenship Education, but how can we embed this Principle even further in our educational practice? This year’s Showcase will be an opportunity to dig deeper into our engagement with communities affected by injustice.
Speakers include Dr Tanya Wendt Samu, a senior lecturer in the School of Critical Studies in Education, Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Auckland, and Dr Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro, who has published extensively on race, identity, and the Anthropocene.
The speakers will share their expertise on pathways to shift the balance of power differentials in our practice, as well as related risks and opportunities. We will discuss the importance of indigenous knowledge and decolonial theoretical frameworks and explore what these look like in practice. We hope to equip participants with tools for meaningful representation and help them reflect on their own positionality.
The showcase is also an opportunity to explore current Global Citizenship Education research, meet academics and explore the applicability of the research to your own practice.
More information about speakers to come soon!

Register now!

Biographies

Calls for urgent investment to empower people amid rising disinformation, racism, and polarisation

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:49:00 GMT

Calls for urgent investment to empower people amid rising disinformation, racism, and polarisation

Irish Global Citizenship Education sector launches Vision to 2030

Speaking at the launch, Ruairí McKiernan, CEO of the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) , said:

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, member of both the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, said:

Deputy Cathal Crowe TD , Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth, said:

Bobby McCormack , Chair of IDEA and CEO of Development Perspectives, added:

Developed by IDEA and its members, Vision 2030 sets out clear priorities for the decade ahead, including:

Increased investment to meet the internationally recognised target of 3% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Global Citizenship Education by 2030.
A coordinated, cross-departmental approach to integrate Global Citizenship Education across national policies in education, international development, climate action, and community development.
Expanded reach and equity across formal, non-formal, and informal learning settings throughout the island of Ireland.
Enhanced impact and accountability , through stronger measurement, research, and promotion of the IDEA Code of Good Practice for Development Education.
Strengthened cross-border collaboration , connecting practitioners North and South through coordinated initiatives and shared learning.

Vision 2030 is available here .

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications 2026

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:31:00 GMT

Date: Thursday, 13 November, 09.30am – 11.30am Location: O nline
Our first training event for the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round is a Grants Clinic, focusing on the application form, to be facilitated by Bobby McCormack, CEO of Development Perspectives and Chairperson of IDEA National Council, and Elaine Mahon, IDEA. This will take place on Thursday, 13 November, 09.30am – 11.30am, online. IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support is free of charge to all. As in recent years, this event is open to those who are not yet members of IDEA. To make this training as useful as possible for all attending, please make sure that you have a copy of any previous application form you have worked on relating to the Irish Aid GCE grants available to you during the session.

Image Credit: Nick Youngson Attribution: Pix4free.org

Biographies

Improving Your Results Framework Workshop 2025

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 18 November, 10am - 12.00pm Location: Online
This workshop is part of IDEA’s support on the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round. This session will be led by Elaine Mahon, IDEA and Susan Gallwey, as an Individual member, IDEA This session is focused on supporting those who are familiar with Results Frameworks and have begun work on the Results Framework for their application. This will take place on Tuesday, 18 November, 10am - 12.00pm, online. Participants are invited to prepare for 'Improving Your Results Frameworks’ session as follows: a) Those participants from organisations who have previously submitted a Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education to Irish Aid should be familiar with their existing Results Framework. Before the event they will be asked to share (with the trainer and IDEA) an outcome and associated indicators that is working well and also identify an outcome and associated indicators that posed some challenges. b) Those participants from organisations who have NOT previously submitted a Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education to Irish Aid and/or people who are new to Results Frameworks should first view the session called ‘ Results Frameworks for Beginners’ , led by Susan Gallwey and Elaine Mahon, before attending the Workshop. The video is available here. IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support is free of charge to all and offered online.
As in recent years, this event is open to those who are not yet members of IDEA.
Image Credit: Nick Youngson Attribution: Pix4free.org

Biographies

The 2026 Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Call for Proposals is now open

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:22:00 GMT

The call for proposals can be found at this link . It also includes links to the Guidelines, FAQ documents, as well as information on DEAR co-funding.

Key dates include:

Tuesday 28 October, 5.00pm - Deadline for receipt of eligibility forms: Please note an important change to the eligibility process since the 2025 grants round: ALL organisations hoping to apply must complete an eligibility form. Eligibility forms can be requested by emailing the Global Citizenship Education Mailbox. Completed eligibility forms must be submitted to the Global Citizenship Education Mailbox. Organisations who fail to meet the eligibility deadline cannot be considered.
Friday 31 October 2025 - Organisations will be notified of their eligibility
Friday 28 November, 12.00noon - Deadline for applications: The completed application form, signed by the legal representative of the organisation (e.g. the CEO or the Chair of the Board) should be e-mailed to the Global Citizenship Education Mailbox. Please note, applications which are received after this date will not be considered. The Global Citizenship Education Mailbox email address is provided in the 2026 Call for Proposals.
It is intended that the appraisal of applications will take place in Quarter 1 2026 and notification of funding decisions will issue in March 2026 .

IDEA Support for the Grants Round:

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications: This will take place on Thursday, 13 November, 09.30am – 11.30am, online. Find out more...
Improving your Results Framework Workshop: This will take place on Tuesday 18 November, 10am - 12.00pm, online. Find out more...
Results Frameworks for Beginners Workshop: Instead of a live workshop, IDEA has recorded a session which goes through Results Frameworks for Beginners. This was published on IDEA’s YouTube channel in November 2024 and is available here

As in recent years, we are inviting any other actors who are not yet members of IDEA to these training events. All training events are free of charge.

Call for Tender: Design of an Interactive Data Visualisation Tool, Theory of Impact for Global Citizenship Education in Ireland

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:38:00 GMT

We are looking for a consultant to design an interactive data visualisation tool for our Theory of Impact for Global Citizenship Education in Ireland.

The consultant will lead the design or tailoring of off-the-shelf survey software and analytics software to our needs, in collaboration with IDEA staff. Please submit a tender including a description of stages in the development process, number of days, expected fee, and experience of relevant personnel for the work to be carried out to anya@ideaonline.ie .

The deadline for application has been extended to Wednesday, 5 November, 5.00pm.

Read the full terms of reference here.

Anya’s Next Chapter: Farewell and Legacy

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:11:00 GMT

After three remarkable years with IDEA, we are sad to share that Anya Sparynska is moving abroad to begin a new adventure. During her time with us, Anya made an indelible mark - first by shaping a pioneering programme role, and later by guiding us in a capacity development role that strengthened our impact across Ireland’s development education sector.
From designing and implementing innovative initiatives to building partnerships and capacity across our member organisations, Anya has left IDEA stronger, more connected, and more ambitious for the future.
“I am sad to leave at such a pivotal time in IDEA: we are faced with unspeakable horror, as the need for justice and accountability grows ever more urgent. I have seen, however, our members and staff respond with creativity, humanity and dedication to these challenging times and find inspiration in it, even at this darkest hour.
A desire to be close to my family and the pressure of the housing crisis have driven me to Brussels, but I know I will be back as Ireland - it’s passionate, brave and kind people - now feels like home. I will be sure to follow IDEA and our members’ work closely in the coming year and hope to stay in touch!
“Working at IDEA has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Seeing ideas and passion turn into real impact and change has been incredibly fulfilling - I’ll carry those lessons, and the very special friendships made along the way with me always.”

- Anya Sparynska As Anya prepares to embark on her next chapter, we want to express our deepest gratitude for her contribution to IDEA and to the wider development education community. Her dedication, warmth, and commitment to collaboration have left a lasting legacy, and we wish her every success in the exciting journey ahead.

We’re Hiring: Capacity Development Programme Manager

We’re now recruiting a Capacity Development Programme Manager to continue building on the strong foundation Anya has helped create.
If you’re passionate about capacity-building, development education, and leading programmes that make real change, you may be the person to step into this role.
Deadline to apply: October 13, 2025.
�55357;�56393; Learn more and apply here: /were-hiring-capacity-development-programme-manager
Key Responsibilities include:

Leading IDEA’s capacity development programmes: training, workshops, and networking
Designing and delivering flagship events
Driving innovation, measuring impact, and aligning programmes with sector needs
Collaborating across teams on policy, advocacy, and communications
Representing IDEA at national and international levels

Launch of IDEA's Theory of Impact for GCE

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:12:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday, 04 November, from 3.30–4.30pm

Location: Online via Zoom

IDEA is thrilled to invite members to the online launch of our new “Theory of Impact for Global Citizenship Education” on Tuesday, 04 November, from 3.30–4.30pm, Online via Zoom. During this session, we will present the model, share insights into the process behind its development, and explore how it will be used to strengthen impact across the sector. We will also introduce a new tool in progress, an interactive data visualisation map designed to showcase our collective impact as a network.

For many years, IDEA and its members have been grappling with the concept of impact in Development Education/Global Citizenship Education (GCE). As GCE practitioners, tracking impact helps us to identify how, where and with whom our work is creating positive change, as well as investigating areas in which our impact could be stronger. Furthermore, we can also benefit from examining the collective impact of GCE carried out by the wide-ranging work of IDEA members, and from exploring how these impacts contribute to the major social changes to which the GCE community aspires.

Driven therefore by the need to understand how projects and programmes are collectively “making a difference” in IDEA we looked at models that could help us visualise and capture GCE “impact networks”. We formulated our vision of impact and then a theory of how we expect this desired impact to be achieved to allow us to map our activities and collect data to corroborate that theory. This Theory of Impact model is how we hope to illustrate this complex GCE impact network.

Building on work done by IDEA over many years including building sectoral capacity in using Results Frameworks for GCE, our Quality & Impact working group, engagement with Irish Aid on their Performance Measurement Framework (PMF), and the successful roll-out of a Code of Good Practice for DE/GCE, this Theory of Impact represent the next stage of our effort to ‘develop a consistent approach to measuring impact among the sector’.

We are therefore thrilled to invite you to the presentation of our ‘Theory of Impact for GCE’.

At this online presentation, we will tell you about the process that led to the creation of this model, how it will be used and what we hope it could bring to the sector. We will also touch on a new tool being developed based on the model, which should allow the creation of an interactive data visualisation map of our collective impact as a network. Join us as we launch into this exciting new phase of our Impact Measurement work.

Join us as we begin this exciting new phase of our Impact Measurement work.

Register below!

IDEA Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide Workshop

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:44:00 GMT

Date: 02 December, 10.30am – 4.30pm.

Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row

A vegetarian lunch will be provided.

Deadline for registration is Wednesday, 26 November

Register below!

Code Network Meeting November 2025

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:40:00 GMT

Date: Wednesday 26 November, 10.00am – 3.30pm

Location: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 YY05

IDEA is looking forward to welcoming all members of the Code of Good Practice for Development Education to our next Code network meeting on Wednesday, 26 November, in Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin. There are places for two representatives, staff, volunteers, etc., from each Code member.

Registration for this event has now closed. If you have questions, or would like to attend, please contact code@ideaonline.ie.

Global Citizenship Education in Ireland to 2030 - Launch of IDEA´s new vision document

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:02:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 21 October, 12 noon – 12.45pm Location: Georgian Suite of Buswells Hotel, 23-27 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
Over the past few months, IDEA and its members co-created a new strategic vision and roadmap for GCE in Ireland for the next five years. This is the successor to Vision 2025 and is called Vision 2030.
We are delighted to announce that we will launch the publication of Vision 2030 on Tuesday 21 October 2025, in the Georgian Suite of Buswells Hotel, 23-27 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, 12 noon – 12.45pm. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Speakers include:

Deputy Cathal Crowe TD, Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth
Senator Alice Mary Higgins, Member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
Conor O’Leary, Community Education Facilitator, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board
Kirsten Baltazar, Participant in STAND’s Global Citizenship Education Programme
Bobby McCormack, CEO of Development Perspectives & Chair of IDEA
Ruairí McKiernan, CEO of IDEA
Leigh Brady, Policy & Advocacy Manager, IDEA

Registration for this event is now closed. If you want to be added to the waiting list for this event please contact leigh@ideaonline.ie

Biographies

We’re Hiring - Capacity Development Programme Manager

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:50:00 GMT

We’re Hiring - Capacity Development Programme Manager

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) is looking for a Capacity Development Programme Manager to join our team. This is a unique leadership opportunity to help shape the future of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Ireland and beyond.

At IDEA, we work with over 100 members, from large NGOs like Trócaire and Concern to smaller organisations and individual educators, all committed to building a more just, equal, and sustainable world. The Capacity Development Programme Manager role is central to this mission.

Key role responsibilities:

Lead IDEA’s capacity development programme , ensuring our members and the wider sector have access to high-quality training, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Design and deliver flagship events , including our annual conference, webinars, and seminars that strengthen skills, knowledge, and collaboration.
Drive innovation and impact , ensuring our programmes respond to members’ needs, emerging challenges, and international best practice.
Champion impact measurement and research , supporting our members to demonstrate the transformative power of Development and Global Citizenship Education.
Collaborate across IDEA teams on policy, advocacy, and communications, ensuring capacity-building directly contributes to systemic change.
Represent IDEA nationally and internationally , ensuring Ireland continues to be seen as a leader in the global conversation on education, equality, and sustainability.

The role offers:

A permanent contract (subject to funding)
Hybrid working based in Dublin city centre
Competitive salary, employer pension contribution and 25 days annual leave
The opportunity to work at the heart of a dynamic national network with strong international links

If you are an experienced leader with a passion for education, social justice, and building the capacity of civil society, this could be the role for you.

Deadline for applications is Monday, 13 October, 5.00pm.

Interviewees will be invited to interview on October 15th . Interviews will be held in the IDEA office on Monday October 20th.

For the full role description and application process, please download the Job Specification here

IDEA CEO Addresses Major International GCE Conference in Seoul

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

IDEA CEO, Ruairí McKiernan, was among the speakers at the recent 10th International Conference on Global Citizenship Education (IConGCED) in Seoul, co-organised by APCEIU (the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding under the auspices of UNESCO), the Korean Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UNESCO. The conference brought together more than 350 participants from 51 countries under the theme “Democracy in the Post-Truth Crisis: The Role of GCED.” Ruairí was the only Irish speaker, sharing perspectives shaped by Ireland’s history of conflict, peacebuilding, and global solidarity.

Flying the Irish flag in Seoul

In his contribution, Ruairí spoke about the urgency of defending democracy and peace in an era of rising disinformation, authoritarianism, and conflict. Drawing on his experience of growing up near the Irish border, he reflected on how easily peace can be undermined. He pointed to the dangers posed by racist anti-migrant campaigns and the war in Palestine as stark reminders of the need to protect human rights and international law.
“Hard-won peace can never be taken for granted,” he told delegates. “We must invest in peace with greater determination than is invested in war. That means dialogue, empathy, education, critical thinking, courage, and compassion.”

Ireland’s commitment to solidarity

He also highlighted Ireland’s long tradition of solidarity and global engagement. He praised the commitment of Irish Aid, championed by Minister Neale Richmond, and acknowledged the work of NGOs such as Concern Worldwide, which maintains an office in South Korea. “Ireland’s national consciousness is rooted in empathy, resistance, and solidarity,” he said. “That is why Global Citizenship Education is so central to who we are as a people.”

A vibrant GCE sector in Ireland

Ruairí spoke about Ireland’s vibrant Global Citizenship Education sector and the dedication of the many organisations and educators who sustain it. He outlined IDEA’s role as the national platform for this work, including the IDEA Code of Good Practice which supports quality, coherence, and accountability across the sector. He highlighted the importance of Irish Aid’s GCE Strategy, the Shared Island cross-border initiatives, and the Dublin Declaration on Global Education to 2050, all of which place Ireland among the leading countries advancing GCE at national and international levels. He emphasised that the strength of Ireland’s sector lies in its collaboration and its ability to connect local realities with global justice issues.

A meeting of nations and ideas

The conference created valuable opportunities to connect with international leaders, NGOs, and academics from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. These exchanges further strengthened IDEA’s role in advancing Global Citizenship Education on a global stage.
Ruairí also met with Ambassador Michelle Winthrop at the Irish Embassy in Seoul to discuss Ireland’s investment in international development and multilateralism. He learned more about the work of Concern Worldwide in Korea, and about the remarkable role played by Irish missionaries and humanitarians who dedicated themselves to Korea, including during the Korean War. Many lost their lives while working among the poor, while others are still alive and serving today. This history of sacrifice and solidarity further underlines Ireland’s global footprint and reputation for standing with those in need.
This was Ruairí’s first return to Korea since taking part in the Korea Foundation leadership programme in 2013. Reflecting on Korea’s remarkable journey from war to democracy, he said: “It is powerful to imagine Ireland and South Korea standing together on the world stage - as champions of inclusive, thriving democracies.”

Why it matters for IDEA

For IDEA and its members, the conference reinforced the vital role of Global Citizenship Education in building resilience against disinformation, polarisation, and democratic decline. It also showcased Ireland’s contribution - through policy, practice, lived experience, and humanitarian legacy – to the global GCE community.
As Ruairí concluded in Seoul: “If ever there was a moment for courage and leadership, it is now. Let us be the voice of peace and show that even in the darkest times, peace is always possible.”

IDEA Joins 30+ Organisations Demanding Irish Government Push for UN Action on Gaza

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:03:00 GMT

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA), together with more than 30 civil society organisations, trade unions, and advocacy groups, has signed an open letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

The letter urges the Government to request that UN Secretary-General António Guterres convene an Emergency Special Session (ESS) at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September. This would activate Resolution 377, “Uniting for Peace,” enabling the General Assembly to act when the Security Council is blocked by vetoes. An ESS could pave the way for urgent measures to protect civilians in Gaza, including the establishment of a UN peacekeeping force.

The signatories emphasise Ireland’s history of leadership on Palestine and international justice, warning that civilians in Gaza face daily killings, famine, and displacement that amount to war crimes and ethnic cleansing. They call on the Government to ensure that Ireland once again shows principled leadership at the UN.

Below is the full text of the letter and list of signatories.

Open Letter to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste

Dear Taoiseach and Tánaiste,

There is an opportunity for our Government to request that the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, call an Emergency Special Session (ESS) at the forthcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting this September. The purpose of this ESS would be to discuss the situation in Gaza and to have the UN take an active role in protecting civilians – up to and including raising a peacekeeping force.

This can be done under Resolution 377, “Uniting for Peace,” which allows the UNGA to act when the UN Security Council is deadlocked by vetoes. An ESS requires a simple majority of Member States to convene, although it then requires a two-thirds majority of those present and voting to agree on proposed actions. We request that you ensure Ireland’s UN representative calls on the other 192 Member States to join this demand.

Resolution 377 can be used on occasions when the Security Council is blocked by vetoes. This is such an occasion: on 4 June 2025, a draft resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza failed to pass in the UN Security Council after the United States cast its veto - blocking an initiative backed by all ten elected members of the Council.

Emergency Special Sessions, often invoked under Resolution 377, have been used throughout UN history – including during the Korean War, the Suez Canal crisis, and in relation to Bangladesh in 1971, Afghanistan in 1980, and Israel in 1982. Most recently, it was used in 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Resolution is strong enough to give the UNGA the authority to raise a peacekeeping force.

The situation is urgent. Civilians are being killed daily by Israeli forces, whose deliberate actions are also causing famine - itself a war crime. The Irish Government has already joined the South African case at the International Court of Justice to investigate whether genocide is taking place.

Plans to bomb and destroy Gaza City, and to move the population to a so-called safe zone, are acts of ethnic cleansing and must be stopped. The Irish people have demonstrated in their protests that we are demanding action from our Government.

Irish governments have a strong track record of leadership on the issue of Palestine. Now is the time to build on that leadership.

Yours etc.,

TONY DALY, CEO, 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World
JOHN REYNOLDS, Academics for Palestine
KAROL BALFE, CEO, ActionAid
KATIE MARTIN, Coordinator, Afri
MAEVE MCLAUGHLIN, Director, Bloody Sunday Trust
STEPHEN MCCLOSKEY, Director, Centre for Global Education
CAROLINE MURPHY, CEO, Comhlámh
SEAN O'BRIAIN, Comhlámh Justice for Palestine
DERMOT BARRY, Cork Palestine Solidarity
ANNE O'BRIEN, Cork Trades Council
BOBBY MCCORMACK, CEO, Development Perspectives
DES DERWIN, Dublin Trades Council
THOMAS MCDONAGH, Director, Financial Justice Ireland
ÁINE UÍ FHOGHLÚ, Gaeil ar son Gaza
JOE O'BRIEN, Executive Director, ICCL
RUAIRÍ MCKIERNAN, CEO, IDEA
JOHN BOYLE, General Secretary, INTO
DR ANGY SKUCE, Irish Health Care Workers for Palestine
ÁINE HUTCHINSON, Ireland Palestine Mental Health Network
REBECCA O'KEEFFE and JOANNE MCDONALD, Irish Sports for Palestine
JACOB WOOLF, Jews for Palestine Ireland
REV. JOHN PARKIN, Kairos Ireland
AOIFE HERR, Mothers Against Genocide
ORLA O'CONNOR, Director, National Women’s Council
WILL HAIRE, Clerk, Ireland Yearly Meeting (Quakers)
SEÁN THIM O'LEARY, President, TCD Students’ Union
PAUL MCSWEENEY, Trade Union Friends of Palestine
SIOBHAN CURRAN, Head of Policy, Trócaire
ANTHONY QUINN, President, TUI
BRIAN CUTHBERT, Programme Director, Uplift
MARCELLA HEALY, Waterford for Palestine

IDEA Backs Call for Ireland to Join Hague Group and Help End Genocide in Palestine

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 08:51:00 GMT

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) has joined a growing coalition of Irish civil society groups in endorsing a critical open letter, urging the Irish government to formally join the Hague Group and push for an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people. The appeal, initiated by IDEA members Comhlámh and Afri, demands that Ireland act decisively ahead of the Hague Group’s 20 September deadline, coinciding with the 80th UN General Assembly.
Ireland has already sent a representative to participate in a recent Hague Group meeting, signalling its engagement with this urgent international initiative. However, civil society organisations stress that formal membership and full endorsement of the Group’s six measures is now essential if Ireland is to match its words with action.

Halting arms transfers to Israel.
Preventing military transit and servicing of vessels carrying such goods.
Enforcing shipping controls, including penalties like de‑flagging.
Reviewing public contracts to eliminate state support for occupation.
Pursuing national or international investigations for serious international crimes.
Enabling domestic prosecutions using international jurisdiction.

The open letter outlines grave concerns over escalating atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, including settler violence, land dispossession, home demolitions, and forced displacement. It points out that, while UN efforts have been blocked, the Hague Group offers an immediate and tangible path toward justice.
For IDEA, the call is also about upholding the principles of Global Citizenship Education (GCE). At its core, GCE is an educational process that helps people of all ages understand global interdependence, think critically about injustice, and develop the skills to take meaningful action. It cultivates empathy, solidarity, and responsibility, encouraging learners to connect local and global struggles. Supporting the Hague Group is therefore not only a matter of foreign policy, but also an expression of Ireland’s commitment to educate for justice and to model these values in practice.
Ireland has until 20 September to join the 13 countries that have already committed to six concrete pledges at the Hague Group summit. As the deadline approaches, this coalition is calling on all TDs and Senators to publicly back Ireland’s membership, advocate for the six pledges within government ranks, and ensure that formal commitment is secured before the UN General Assembly convenes.
Find out more here.

Budget 2026: Investing in Global Citizenship Education is Investing in Global Solidarity

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:51:00 GMT

Budget 2026: Investing in Global Citizenship Education is Investing in Global Solidarity

“Ireland has received international recognition for its development education strategies… Without additional investment, we cannot seize the opportunity to turn development-aware children into development-aware adults.” - OECD DAC Peer Review of Ireland

Read IDEA’s full Pre-Budget 2026 submission here

For over half a century, Ireland has invested in Global Citizenship Education (GCE), enabling people across the island to explore complex issues such as climate justice, human rights, and equality - and to take informed action for a more just and sustainable world.

Between 2021 and 2024, €33.6 million was invested in programmes reaching over 1.2 million people, helping to embed GCE across schools, communities, and other learning spaces. This investment has made Ireland a European and global leader in the field.

But in today’s turbulent context - with rising disinformation, polarisation, climate emergencies, and deepening inequalities - the need for GCE has never been greater. As Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora, Neale Richmond, told the IDEA Annual Conference in May 2025:

“Now is the time to focus on the hard issues… These are among the greatest challenges of our time.”

Why Now?

Budget 2026 comes at a critical moment. Ireland is:

Running out of time to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Preparing a new national GCE strategy for the next five years.
Operating in a global context where democratic values, human rights, and multilateral cooperation are under unprecedented strain.

The OECD has commended Ireland’s strong GCE strategies but has also warned that without additional investment, we risk falling short on SDG Target 4.7 - ensuring all learners acquire the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.

Our Key Budget 2026 Asks:

Increase investment in GCE
Move towards the widely recognised target of 3% of Official Development Assistance (ODA), using a cross-departmental approach and accounting for inflation. Current spending is 1.2% of ODA - far below the €26 million annually needed to reach the 3% target.
Boost GCE/ESD funding under “ESD to 2030”
Provide adequate and dedicated funding for projects led by organisations, schools, and higher education institutions to ensure the successful delivery of the Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development.
Create dedicated GCE/ESD funding lines
Integrate and resource GCE/ESD within the SDG National Implementation Plan, Climate Action Plan, and National Action Plan Against Racism, recognising that climate justice and anti-racism are core components of global citizenship.
Increase Ireland’s ODA
Commit to a €300 million increase in Budget 2026 to make tangible progress towards the UN target of spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA by 2030.
Adopt Coalition 2030 recommendations
Implement budget measures that ensure resources reach those furthest behind first, and align budget lines with specific SDG targets.

Beyond Funding – Policy Coherence and Decent Work

In addition to resourcing, GCE requires stronger coordination across government departments and better integration into policies, institutions, and networks. GCE practitioners must also have secure, decent working conditions in line with SDG 8, ensuring that expertise is retained within the sector.

The Opportunity for Ireland

Ireland is respected globally for its principled, values-based approach to international development. By investing in GCE now, we can:

Strengthen civic trust, participation, and resilience in our society.
Equip citizens to navigate complex global challenges.
Ensure Ireland remains a strong, independent voice for justice, solidarity, and human rights on the world stage.

Budget 2026 is our opportunity to protect the progress made, scale up impact, and deliver on our commitments.

IDEA and our members are ready to work with Irish Aid and across government to ensure Ireland continues to lead with integrity, foresight, and global solidarity.

_______________________________________________________

Read IDEA’s full Pre-Budget 2026 submission here to explore our recommendations in detail and see how, together, we can strengthen Global Citizenship Education in Ireland and beyond.

IDEA Members Summer Knowledge Share Session Catch-Up

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 21:13:00 GMT

Catch-up on a Summer of Learning!

It's never to late to catch up on our 2025 Knowledge Share summer series.
This summer we featured some great sessions hosted by our members on topics including hate speech and anti-migrant rhetoric , ending orphanage volunteering and hearing the unheard voices of migrant women in emergency accommodation in Ireland. Catch-up here anytime.
Just Care: Just Volunteering was a session about a new youth resource from Tearfund, to highlight the damage of orphanage volunteering. The session is valuable for youth workers or teachers who want to explore the issues around orphanage volunteering with young people.
The Integrate GCE resource toolkit is a valuable resource for anyone interested in addressing hate speech and anti-migrant rhetoric. Fiona Duignan, Meath Partnership shared the toolkit which has been designed for educators, youth workers, youth, migrants, community and voluntary workers. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in addressing hate speech and anti-migrant rhetoric. A Partnership with Africa , was an interesting session for post primary educators or GCE professionals to learn about other initiatives in the sector among their peers.
Amplifying Unheard Voices was an important session for GCE practitioners to understand more about the experiences of migrant women living in emergency accommodation centres in Ireland. It was led by Euphomia Edward, AkiDwa. Community Connections is an opportunity to learn about a new pilot project in the sector to integrate GCE into Habitat for Humaity’s social enterprise, Habitat ReStore.
Lizzy Noone, outlined why Pleasure Activism , is an important tool for GCE practitioners when activism seems increasingly demanding and draining. The Cork project, from Creativity and Change in MTU, was partly inspired by the book 'Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good' by Adrienne Maree Brown, exploring various barriers that people face in accessing pleasure, particularly those from marginalised communities.
Co-Creating Regenerative Learning in Community Spaces: Led by Suzie Cahn and Hannah Mole of Carraig Dulra, this session explored how permaculture education served as a collaborative, empowering, and regenerative force within communities. They shared stories from over a decade of co-developing an inclusive Permaculture Design Course (PDC) rooted in community action and ecological ethics.
Shifting Edges: The session was led by the team behind DEFY, a 3-year collaboration between STAND, Comhlámh, finep and Zavod-Voluntariat. Participants learnt about how to build educator reflexivity and a readiness to host others in their learning.
LYCS Global Citizenship through Theatre: Led by Ellen Corby Lourdes Youth & Community Services (LYCS), this session covered the evaluation of LYCS Global Citizenship through Theatre programmes, and the training they offer to services interested in the use of participatory methods to explore complex social justice issues and their solutions in an active, positive way.

Call for Tender: Auditing Services

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 10:02:00 GMT

IDEA invites tender submissions from interested auditing service suppliers to provide auditing and associated professional services to the organisation from the year ending 31 December 2025. IDEA is seeking to engage an experienced auditing service firm that will provide the full range of auditing services required to fulfil its statutory obligations, to comply with relevant accounting and reporting standards and best practice.

All submissions to be made to sal@ideaonline.ie

You can find the full details here.

The deadline for the application is Monday, 11 August, 5pm .

The ABC of Global Citizenship Education 2025

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:09:00 GMT

Date :
Wednesday 17 September, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Wednesday 1 October, 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm
Wednesday 8 October,10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Location :
Session 1: Brandsma Hall, Carmelite Community Centre , 56 Aungier St, Dublin 2, D02 T258
Session 2: Online via Zoom
Session 3: Brandsma Hall, Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier St, Dublin 2, D02 T258

IDEA developed a training called the ‘ABC of Global Citizenship Education’ in collaboration with Concern Worldwide’s Global Citizenship team aimed at supporting newcomers to GCE to deepen their understanding and develop their skills in Global Citizenship Education delivery. Global Citizenship Education enables people to understand the world around them and to act to transform it. It works to tackle the root causes of injustice and inequality, globally and locally to create a more just and sustainable future for everyone. IDEA members use a variety of terms including Global Citizenship Education, Development Education, Education for Sustainable Development, Global Youth Work and related terms. The training is targeted at newcomers to Global Citizenship Education but is open to all. It will also be useful to anyone who wishes to brush up on their Global Citizenship Education skills. It runs in three parts, through a mixture of online and in person sessions. The training will:

Support educators to bring a global justice perspective to your educational work
Explore interactive and participatory approaches to Global Citizenship Education
Provide information on relevant resources and supports for your Global Citizenship Education work
Introduce you to the Code of Good Practice for Development Education
Increase understanding of the context of Global Citizenship Education in Ireland, including relevant stakeholders.

In previous years we have been joined by guest speakers – in 2023 we were joined by Dr Aoife Titley , Maynooth University, and in 2024 by the Hope & Courage Collective . In 2025, youth worker and spoken word artist Dean Oke will join us as a guest speaker for Session 2 (Wednesday 1 October) where he will share his journey into Global youth work and his approaching to exploring global justice issues with young people. This training course was designed and delivered for the first time in 2023 and then run again in 2024.
Fees for members of IDEA is €50.00 and non-members of IDEA is €100.00. Fee for unwaged (refugees, asylum seekers, students, others) is €3.00 - this can be paid in person.
Registration is closed for 2025 edition of this course. If you would like to enquire about future editions, please contact events@ideaonline.ie.

Biographies

Images from our 2024 training

Tender: Video Designer / Animator (Explainer + Educational Focus)

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:56:00 GMT

IDEA is looking for a video production company/ animator for an upcoming video project. We have funding available to create a short animated educational video resource for members as part of The Code of Good Practice. The video will help viewers understand what quality GCE is and why it matters in the world today. The intended audience for the video are people who are connected to the Code of Good Practice and GCE in their work but not yet very familiar with it e.g. non-GCE staff in member organisations, board members of member organisations, teachers, youth workers, European partners, new members to the Code and new staff to IDEA member organisations.

Please submit your CV and a short letter of interest outlining a proposal for the video (including the number of days you envisage and the fee) to code@ideaonline.ie.

The deadline for application is now extended to 06 August, 05pm.

Click here for the full terms of reference.

International GCE Exchange: Latvian Delegation Visits Dublin as Part of IDEA’s Erasmus+ Partnership

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 16:44:00 GMT

In June, a delegation from our Erasmus+ partner organisation LAPAS (Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation) visited Dublin for a two-day learning and exchange visit hosted by IDEA. The visit was part of an ongoing collaboration with LAPAS to strengthen quality global citizenship education (GCE) in Ireland and Latvia, using the IDEA Code of Good Practice as a framework. You can find out more about the Erasmus+ project here.

Five delegates from Latvia attended the events in Dublin, including one staff member from LAPAS and four educators who are members of the new Global Education network for Latvia, which has been created as part of the project. It was a real pleasure to welcome Paula Anškena (LAPAS), Lija Indāne (Riga State classical gymnasium), Laura Bužinska (Green Liberty), Agnese Koligina (Baltic Human Rights Society), and Elīza Loja (Time for Youth) to Dublin! The programme for the LAPAS delegation was designed to support LAPAS as they develop their own national version of the Code and offered opportunities for networking, peer learning, and practical exploration of quality GCE in action.
Day 1: Connecting and Learning at the Code Network Meeting
On 18 June, the LAPAS delegation joined the IDEA Code members at our Code Network Meeting at Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin. The day-long event brought together 45 educators and practitioners from the IDEA community for discussion, reflection and peer learning on quality global education. LAPAS representatives introduced their work and progress on the Code so far. They worked with IDEA members during the morning sessions to share good practice in GCE and reflect on the ‘Code Journey’ and how IDEA members incorporate the Code into their work. We shared both successes and challenges, and we will use these to inform the development of the Latvian Code. There was lots of informal networking throughout the day, and we look forward to seeing what connections develop from this.
We used the workshop space in the afternoon for a focused Erasmus+ session on critical GCE and adapting the Code in Latvia. The session began with more detailed presentations on the Latvian representatives' organisations. IDEA members had the chance to ask questions and dig deeper into GCE practice in Latvia. Georgina Eastaugh (Concern Worldwide), who is part of the Erasmus+ task group and presented at the kick-off meeting for the project in Riga , then led an activity on soft versus critical GCE. We explored the concept of soft and critical GCE as described by educator and activist, Vanessa Andreotti, and worked together to tease out what is involved in a critical approach to an action, activity or lesson. Discussions during the activity helped us to get to the root of what makes quality GCE which is at the heart of the Code of Good Practice.

Day 2: Strategic Support and GCE in Action
Thursday morning began with a project management meeting at the IDEA office where we laid out the next steps for adapting the Irish Code framework for use in Latvia and for future collaboration. This was followed by a dedicated ‘Code Clinic’ session, where LAPAS representatives and IDEA staff reflected on our learnings from the Code Network Meeting and applied these learnings to the Latvian Code and new Global Education Network.
Later, the delegation visited ECO-UNESCO, a leading Irish youth and environmental organisation and IDEA Code member. The ECO-UNESCO team gave us a warm welcome at their Dublin offices. They shared valuable insights into their work and in particular how Irish organisations implement the Code in practice.

Looking Ahead: The Next Steps in the Project Paula Anškena, Head of Education and Sustainability at LAPAS: “This visit helped us to better understand the development of our Code of Good Practice, but most importantly, the development of it after the project ends. Besides the Code, it was the conversations and networking that made the biggest impression on the Latvian team. It's always nice to talk to like-minded people, but especially during these hard times when the strength of democracy has been tested again and again.”
The visit marked another milestone in the collaboration between Irish and Latvian GCE actors and reinforced a shared commitment to strengthening global education practice across Europe. We feel energised by the connections made over this visit and we’re looking forward to building more on those with online meetings between the IDEA and LAPAS GCE communities in the Autumn. On a national level, IDEA’s Erasmus+ task group is developing a visual or video resource on quality, critical GCE to support members in Ireland in introducing the concepts at the centre of quality GCE and the Code to new audiences, be they colleagues, educators, organisations abroad, or members of the public.
As the project progresses, we are excited to continue learning from our peers in Latvia and expanding the reach of quality, critical GCE through the IDEA Code of Good Practice.

Now is the Time to Reinforce Messages of Global Solidarity - Minister Neale Richmond TD

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:24:00 GMT

Now is the time to reinforce messages of global solidarity.

This year our Annual Conference 2025 Reclaiming Ground for Hope, Alternatives, and Action brought together educators, community leaders, artists and activists from across Ireland, to reflect, reconnect, and reimagine the role of transformative education in building a better future.

In the morning, the conference was addressed by Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD . Addressing members, he spoke about the importance of GCE for our society. He also re-affirmed Irish Aid’s commitments to Overseas Development Aid and Global Citizenship Education funding.

“Examining and discussion complex global issues can be daunting, but they also foster values of equality and human rights which can enable us all the become informed global citizens; able for active democratic participation and able to stand up for others to have this right too."

Now is the time to reinforce messages of global solidarity.”

The Minister also stressed the importance of effectiveness and impact for Irish Aid and urged members to bring these issues to ‘the next level’.

“But in this environment, it is incumbent on every one of us implementing projects and programmes with Irish Aid funding to focus relentlessly on the impact and on reaching the furthest behind first. We need to demonstrate that impact with increased effectiveness across the whole Irish Aid programme.

We have invested over €33.6million in support to our GCE partners since Irish Aid's Global Citizenship Education Strategy was launched in 2021 by Simon Coveney. That commitment delivered by many partners here today underpins the importance of supporting critical thinking and public awareness of these rapidly changing and interdependent issues. We need to bring that critical thinking to all our work.”

You can watch the full video below!

IDEA AGM 2025

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:08:00 GMT

Date: Friday 27 June, 10.00am – 12.00pm

Location: Online

IDEA's Annual General Meeting 2025 will take place Friday 27 June, 10.00am – 12.00pm. The link to the event will be shared with registered participants closer to the time.

Members will be asked about accessibility needs in the registration form. It is particularly important to register by 20 June so that we can ensure the event is as accessible as possible.

You must be a member of IDEA to attend. If you have any questions about your IDEA membership for 2025 please contact sal@ideaonline.ie.

President Higgins Receives 'Voice for Humanity' Award at IDEA Conference

Wed, 28 May 2025 16:57:00 GMT

IDEA Members Honour Michael D. Higgins at Annual Conference

Approximately 200 educators, artists and activists honoured President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins with the inaugural Global Voice for Humanity Award at the IDEA annual conference, which took place this week in Malahide, Dublin. IDEA members presented President Higgins' with the award in recognition of his commitment to justice, equality, and global citizenship education throughout his life.
You can watch the full video of his address below!

Speaking at the event award recipient President Michael D. Higgins said;
“May I thank the Irish Development Education Association for this great honour, the Global Voice for Humanity Award, for which I am most grateful. I have always viewed education as a catalyst for social change, and that is why the work of the Irish Development Education Association is so important. The need to cultivate independent thought, and to create mechanisms to ensure that everyone across our shared, vulnerable planet in peril has access to quality learning opportunities is a fundamental necessity for a fruitful, vibrant and participative life. May I take this opportunity to thank all those operating, in whatever your field, for your passion and your unwavering commitment to social justice globally, to development education, global citizenship education and the advancement of a strong and ethical global consciousness. I will continue to champion your causes.”

Speaking at the event, the CEO of the Irish Development Education Association, Ruairí McKiernan said
“President Higgins has long been a rare kind of leader - someone who combines intellectual courage with deep humanity. He has spent a lifetime speaking out against injustice, standing with the marginalised and challenging us to think critically and act with compassion. Through his words, his leadership, and his example, he has inspired people in Ireland and beyond to believe in the power of education and the responsibility of citizenship."

"The role of Global Citizenship Education educators in Ireland cannot be underestimated. The climate emergency, global instability, and far-right extremism, misinformation and racism have increased the need for Global Citizenship Education now more than ever in our society. Educators are at the frontline of countering division by creating opportunities to learn about the world, the interconnectedness of the challenges we face, and how we can take positive action in ways that build bridges and foster hope. President Higgins has inspired many of the educators leading Global Citizenship Education in Ireland today, and we are privileged to honour him with our inaugural Global Voice for Humanity Award." said Ruairi.

IDEA to Honour President Higgins at Annual Conference

Mon, 12 May 2025 14:47:00 GMT

IDEA to Honour President Higgins with Inaugural Global Voice for Humanity Award at Annual Conference

IDEA is deeply honoured to announce that we will be presenting President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins with our inaugural Global Voice for Humanity Award at the IDEA annual conference on Wednesday, 28 May at the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Dublin.
The Global Voice for Humanity Award has been created by IDEA to honour individuals whose life and work exemplify the values at the heart of Global Citizenship Education and Development Education - values such as justice, human dignity, solidarity, critical thinking, and the power of education to transform lives and societies.
As Ireland’s national network for Development Education and Global Citizenship Education, IDEA represents over 100 organisations and educators working to foster global justice through learning. The award seeks to celebrate those who have used their voice, leadership, and vision to inspire positive change - both within Ireland and globally.
It is difficult to imagine a more fitting first recipient than President Higgins . A former academic and lecturer, poet, parliamentarian, Minister for the Arts, and now President of Ireland, he has spent his life standing up for the marginalised, promoting peace and equality, and advocating for a fairer world. Through his words and his actions, he has consistently reflected the values that guide the Global Citizenship Education community.
“President Higgins has long been a rare kind of leader - someone who combines intellectual courage with deep humanity. He has spent a lifetime speaking out against injustice, standing with the marginalised, and challenging us to think critically and act with compassion. Through his words, his leadership, and his example, he has inspired generations across Ireland and beyond to believe in the power of education and the responsibility of citizenship. In honouring him with the Global Voice for Humanity Award, we’re not only recognising his legacy - we’re celebrating the values that drive our work every day: justice, dignity, solidarity, and hope. It’s a privilege to honour him in the company of our members and the wider community at a time when those values are needed more than ever.” Ruairí McKiernan, CEO of IDEA
The award will be presented during a special ceremony from 12-1pm , as part of IDEA’s all-day Annual Conference 2025 .
Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora will address the conference, which will be attended by organisations and educators across the Global Citizenship Education and Development Education sector.

IDEA Conference 2025
The theme of this year’s conference, “Reclaiming Ground for Hope, Alternatives, and Action” invites us to come together to reflect, reconnect, and reimagine the role of transformative education in building a better future.
The IDEA Annual Conference 2025 brings together educators, community leaders, artists, activists, and change-makers for a day of music, workshops, fireside chats, panel discussions , and shared learning.
This year’s powerful line-up of speakers includes :
Grace Dyas - award-winning artist, activist, and director Joe Caslin - street artist and educator whose public work has inspired national conversations Dean Oke - youth worker and spoken word artist using creativity for social impact Neale Richmond - Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora Senator Lynn Ruane - Senator and lifelong campaigner for equality and community justice Seán McCabe - Head of Climate Justice at Bohemian FC, bridging sport and social change Donnah Vuma - human rights advocate and migrant justice leader And many more contributors across education, activism, and creative practice.
This will be a landmark moment for the IDEA community - a day to pause, honour, connect, and gather strength for the work ahead. It will also be an opportunity to come together in deep appreciation of a President whose life’s work reflects the very spirit of global solidarity and justice we strive to nurture every day - through education, community, and courageous action. We hope you’ll join us.
Please note: Attendance is by registration only and spaces are almost fully booked. A few final places remain - once full, a waiting list will be established.
Conference details ®gistration
For any questions relating specifically to the awards ceremony , please contact: ruairi@ideaonline.ie

IDEA’s Lab 2025: Co-Creating Equity-Driven Solutions in GCE

Fri, 02 May 2025 14:21:00 GMT

Updated!

Dates:
Part 1: Friday 11 July, 10.00am-4.30pm, in-person.
Part 2: C o-designed with participants, 12 September, Online, 10.00am-12.00pm

Location:

Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier St, Dublin, D02 R598

We are now taking registration for our updated 2025 iteration of the IDEA's Lab on the theme "Co-Creating Equity-Driven Solutions in Global Citizenship Education". Based on feedback from members, we will now conduct a two-part workshop instead of a residential training. Part 1 will be held on 11 Friday July, 10.00am-4.30pm. We expect part 2 to take place end of August/early September.

The format and focus for part 2 will be co-designed with participants based on the outcome of part 1.

Join us for a full-day interactive workshop designed to help members co-create equity-rooted Global Citizenship Education (GCE) ideas. Grounded in the Double Diamond design thinking model, this session will explore with practitioners new design and working methods.

We will discuss self-care, participatory and justice-centred approaches, barriers to meaningful engagement with marginalised communities, inclusion, co-agency, accessibility and much more. The workshop will be centred on equity and collective transformation and through storytelling, visualisation, and co-design, participants will develop practical insights to guide their work.

This event is only open to members of IDEA. Each participant is however encouraged to bring a team member/colleague along, who could be a member, non-member or even work outside of the sector.

There is a fee to attend this event.

Fees for members of IDEA is €50

Bring a colleague along: 2 for 1 Offer

Please let us know if the fee is a barrier to your participation by writing to Anya anya@ideaonline.ie

Code Network Meeting 2025

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:14:00 GMT

Date: Wednesday 18 June, 10.00am - 4.00pm

Location: Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1

IDEA is looking forward to welcoming all members of the Code of Good Practice for Development Education to our upcoming Code network meeting on Wednesday 18 June, in Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1. There are places for two representatives (staff, volunteers etc.) from each Code member.

We are very excited to be joined at the meeting by 5 representatives from LAPAS , who IDEA has partnered with on the Erasmus+ project ‘GCE Code of Good Practice & Community of Practice: Ireland & Latvia’. You can find more information on the project here .

One of the commitments in joining the Code is to contribute to the Community of Practice for this Code including sharing successes and learning with other Code members and attending at least one of two Code network meetings annually.

Registration for this event has now closed. If you have questions, or would like to attend, please contact code@ideaonline.ie.

Catch up on our Palestine Webinar

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:41:00 GMT

Last week, IDEA hosted the second webinar from our 2025 series, ‘Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education, ' focusing on Palestine.
If you missed out, you can watch the full video below!

The webinar had voices from Northern Ireland, Palestine, academic researchers and teachers offering powerful perspectives and practical supports for educators.
We examined our responsibilities as educators when we discuss conflict-related violence and displacement? What approaches can we use to do this?
A native of Belfast, Brendan Ciarán Browne , PhD, FTCD is Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution, and a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin opened the webinar with a passionate input. He has spent much of his professional career working in Palestine or focused on the Palestinian struggle, anticolonialism and resistance.
“As educators we must be continuously educating ourselves, understanding and be truly committed. The cause of liberation of Palestine required you to be up-to-date not only on the foundational work... but the swathes of materials being produced by our colleagues in Palestine, [who] are being erased off the face of the earth. You have to be committed to do the educational work yourself.”
“You have to unashamedly declare your position as being against anti-Palestinian racism. As being for Palestinian determination and resistance. If you can’t make that commitment, then you don’t have a right to occupy the space to talk about Palestine. Many people have vulnerabilities that undermine their ability to do this. If you have those vulnerabilities, we are sympathetic but if that is the case- vacate the space.”
“Let’s own our language. Let’s be bold and determined to call Zionism what it is.”
Watch his full input below!

Bana Abu Zuluf is a Palestinian educator and interdisciplinary PhD researcher in International Law in the School of Law and Criminology in Maynooth, Ireland. Bana focused on demystifying Palestine
“I know people are keeping an eye on what’s happening in Gaza but they are not understanding it in the broader light of Zionism and its project in Palestine. There is a danger tendency to complicate what’s going on in Palestine. In fact, it’s quite simple.”
“Looking at settler colonialism and the displacement of Palestinians... it’s very important not to focus on certain events but to focus on it as a structure. I think educators need to focus on it has a structure. And when speaking about genocide they need to relate to it as a part of colonial erasure.”
“I want educators to go deeper and look into Zionism as a settler colonial ideology. The issue here is that the people see Israel, Zionism, and settler colonialism. They don’t really merge those together.”
Check out her full input below!

Andrew Phelan , co-founder of Teachers for Palestine offered more practical insights from his perspective as a Post-Primary Physical Education teacher, currently teaching in a school in Dublin and how Teachers for Palestine began. He gave a fast paced tour of all the ways which teachers can educate about Palestine.
“We noticed... you can’t do that fundraiser here, or you can’t teach about that history in your class. You can’t bring in a speaker from Palestine here. You can’t do those things. Because it’s too political is what Principals were saying. This is not coming from the Department of Education.... because some Principals were doing it and doing a fantastic job.”
“We started to look at all the different subjects, and it’s very important to see there’s lots of different avenues in our curriculum. There are loads and loads of opportunities and there’s actually no excuse for us not to teach it.”
Andrew took participants through the Let’s Talk About Palestine resources for educators LetsTalkAboutPalestine “You don’t have to go to your Principal. You can just teach your subject using the curriculum and using Palestine as your lense. There’s really no excuse there.”
You can watch Andrew's input in a video below!

Finally, Aline Batarseh, Executive Director of Visualizing Palestine. Aline is a Palestine from occupied Jerusalem, based in the US. Aline talked about Visualizing Palestine and their approach using data and research to visually communicate Palestinian experiences and provoke a change of traditional narratives. She also spoke about how educators can practically use the resources when you are educating about Palestine.
“We have to address what’s happening in Palestine as a whole rather than as a fragment. This is a challenge when we talk about Gaza. The Israeli genocide in Gaza is not an isolated incident and it is our responsibility to place it in historical context. During the Nakba commemoration in 2024 we produced this visual to really show this ongoing Nakba, this ongoing expulsion, ongoing destruction of homes of villages of people’s lives, ongoing massacres, ongoing colinisation and Zionist idealogy.
See Aline's input below!

IDEA’s Erasmus+ Project Kicks Off in Riga: Strengthening Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Ireland and Latvia

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 15:10:00 GMT

At the end of March, IDEA staff and representatives from three IDEA members travelled to Riga, Latvia, for a two-day event marking the launch of IDEA’s Erasmus+ project with our partner LAPAS (Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation) focused on the IDEA Code of Good Practice
The project’s core objective is to enhance the quality of global citizenship education (GCE) at local , national and European levels. Central to this work is the creation of a Code of Good Practice for Latvia based on learning from the IDEA Code that will support Latvian GCE practitioners, including teachers, NGOs, youth workers and others, by fostering a common understanding and approach to GCE. This represents the first piloting of the IDEA Code in an international context. The new IDEA task group for the project, made up of Code members, alongside IDEA staff, are supporting LAPAS members to adapt the Code for the Latvian national context by sharing our own experiences and learnings from the Code and GCE in Ireland. The event in Riga was the first in-person gathering of the project, bringing together LAPAS and IDEA members. This face-to-face interaction allowed us to begin the process of knowledge exchange, and mutual learning which will spread the Code’s reach and strengthen our GCE practice. IDEA was represented in Riga by Dean Oke (CDYS (Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service), Georgina Eastaugh (Concern Worldwide) and Claire Glavey (Global Village), alongside IDEA staff Elaine and Aine.

Day 1: A Day of Learning and Sharing around Quality GCE The first day of the event was dedicated to a training session delivered by the IDEA delegation for LAPAS members and staff. The session began with a deep dive into what GCE mean for LAPAS members in the context of different organisations and education spaces. The conversation covered topics such as Vaness Andreotti’s ‘soft versus critical’ approaches to GCE and discussions on the global and local justice issues that are most pressing for educators in Latvia. IDEA staff Elaine and Aine provided an overview of the IDEA Code of Good Practice as it is applied in Ireland, drawing on the experiences and learnings from the Irish Erasmus+ project task group. This was followed by three insightful case studies from the IDEA members who showed how the Code is applied to their work in practice. It was inspiring and motivating to hear how our members have integrated the Code into their work and to really see its impact on the work of their organisations. During the afternoon session, the Latvian practitioners applied some of the Principles of the Irish Code of Good Practice to their own work. The rest of the session, which took place in Latvian, provided space for the Latvian members to reflect on their own challenges and aspirations for GCE in Latvia, and to begin the development of their Code. IDEA is excited to continue to support the Latvian members in this process!

Day 2: Connecting with Government and Grassroots Organisations Day two began with a meeting with the Latvian Ministry of Education & Science. The Ministry are important actors in GCE in Latvia and some Ministry staff had attended IDEA’s training for LAPAS on the previous day. We were glad to have the opportunity to talk more with them following this. We spoke about the importance of GCE globally and in Ireland, and the IDEA delegation shared their experience of how GCE is integrated in Ireland in formal education, youth work and adult & community education. The IDEA delegation also had the opportunity to meet with LAPAS member organisation KlubsMaja. KlubsMaja are a dynamic and truly youth-led youth organisation based in Riga. The passionate volunteers from KlubsMaja shared their work with the UN youth delegate programme and their information campaigns for young people in Latvia. Their stories highlighted the important role young people play in education around global justice issues.
The day concluded with a warm welcome from the Irish Ambassador to Latvia, Eimear Friel. We introduced the IDEA Code and our Erasmus+ project with Latvia, and chatted about everything from Irish/Latvian connections to the transformative power of storytelling, literature and libraries.

Looking Ahead: The Next Steps in the Project The next phase of the project will take place in the coming months, where IDEA and LAPAS members will reconnect, both online and in person when the LAPAS delegation join the IDEA Code network meeting in Dublin on 18 June. We will hear updates on the progress of the Code for GCE in Latvia, and IDEA members will share their experiences and support LAPAS members with any challenges or questions they have around the Code. We’re looking forward to learning about the different education and justice contexts in Ireland and Latvia. On a national level, IDEA’s Erasmus+ task group will develop a visual or video resource on quality, critical GCE to support members in Ireland in introducing the concepts at the centre of quality GCE and the Code to new audiences, be they colleagues, educators, organisations abroad, or members of the public.
As the project progresses, we are excited to continue learning from our peers in Latvia and expanding the reach of quality, critical GCE through the IDEA Code of Good Practice.

IDEA Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide Workshop

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:13:00 GMT

Date: 06 May, 10.30am – 4.30pm.

Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row

IDEA will facilitate a full-day in-person workshop on these resources in the IDEA offices on Tuesday, 06 May ,10.30am – 4.30pm. Places are limited to 20 participants and will be given on a first come, first served basis. Each participant will receive a hard copy of the resource pack, which includes a Background Note, the Advocacy Toolkit, the Policy Guide to Global Citizenship Education in Ireland and the Wider World and an A1 poster of the GCE policy map at four levels - global, European, national and local.

Lunch will be provided.

Register below!

Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education: Between Neutrality and Militarisation

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:25:00 GMT

Date: Wednesday 30 April, 12.30-2.00pm Location: Online via Zoom

Global tensions are rising, with increasing drum beats of war and militarism. The human cost of war, conflict and genocide is evident across the globe while the arms trade is profiting hugely from this bloodshed. Militarism fuels violence, displacement and inequality threatening life on every continent. In Ireland, the long-held policy of military neutrality is also coming under threat, and the war in Ukraine has pushed the European Union ever closer towards a militaristic approach to security and defence. For some, Irish neutrality is an illusion amid growing geopolitical turbulence, while for others, it is at the core of who we are in terms of peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and humanitarian interventions.
What does the future hold for Ireland’s role internationally? The ethos of Global Citizenship Education is based on global solidarity, empathy, and partnership, as well as challenging unequal power relations. How do we explore militarization through this lens and encourage critical thinking in the face of political hostilities?
This third session will explore the topics of militarisation, neutrality, and peace education. Speakers will share their experiences and knowledge on the topic to equip educators to explore issues related to militarisation locally and globally. Participants will gain insight into the global arms trade and conflict, as well as increased confidence to incorporate these topics into their work as educators. Participants will also have time dedicated to a Question & Answer session.

Image Credit: Myko Makhlai Attribution: Unsplash

Speakers

Moderator

Catch up on our ‘Climate Justice, the Missing Voices’ webinar

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:18:00 GMT

IDEA's ‘Climate Justice, the Missing Voices’ webinar gave some invaluable insights about how women, marginalised communities, people with disabilities and young people are working for climate justice.
Vanessa Conroy is a policy specialist who worked on Ireland's first report examining the inclusion of women and communities in climate policies. Vanessa focused on learning from ‘Feminist Communities for Climate Justice’, a joint project between the National Women’s Council and Community Work Ireland, examining climate justice through a feminist and community work lens.

Also, check out this fascinating overview in the video below!

Sumaya Mohammed is a youth climate justice activist from Cork and founder of the Students’ Climate Action Network (SCAN), a national network of students and teachers advocating for climate justice. Sumaya offered the perspective of young people and their passion and impatience for progress. “We see mainstream environmentalism is historically being dominated by white middle-class perspectives...” Sumaya highlighted her experience at COP conferences as “dystopian and needing reform”.

Claire Kenny a disability advocate & policy specialist with Independent Living Movement Ireland, echoed the findings of the 'Feminist Communities for Climate Justice' report highlighting the lack of inclusion for people with disabilities around issues such as housing and climate adaptation. “Climate action must not undermine our commitments to include disabled people.”

Our host was Valery Molay a climate and racial justice policy expert and activist with Women Engage for a Common Future, a feminist sustainable development network reaching across 70 countries.
Catch up with full video below!

IDEA Annual Conference 2025

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 17:37:00 GMT

Reclaiming Ground for Hope, Alternatives, and Action
Date: Wednesday 28 May, 10.30am - 5.00pm Location: Grand Hotel Malahide, Malahide, Co. Dublin, K36 XT65 Around the world, the threats of climate breakdown, genocide, and the stripping back of human rights are accelerating daily. At the same time, the escalation of disinformation, militarism, extremism, and authoritarianism undermines hard-won battles for equality and social justice at many levels of society. As educators whose work is centred on global justice and solidarity, what is our role in reclaiming ground to imagine, explore, and create alternatives to this current reality? As practitioners of Global Citizenship Education, what can we do to retain focus and remain energised, active, and hopeful in unlocking alternatives for a better world?
Join us at the IDEA Annual Conference 2025 to hear from inspiring educators, thinkers, leaders, and activists who will share their experiences of co-creating change and reclaiming ground for social and global justice. This year, we are honoured to present President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins with the inaugural Global Voice for Humanity Award , recognising his lifelong commitment to justice, equality, and education. The award ceremony will feature a special musical performance by acclaimed composer and violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire .
The conference will also feature contributions from a diverse lineup of speakers:

Grace Dyas: Award-winning artist and activist known for her work addressing social justice issues through theatre and film.
Joe Caslin: Renowned street artist whose large-scale murals highlight themes such as mental health and LGBTQ+ rights.
Dean Oke: Youth worker and spoken word artist focusing on empowering young people through creativity and social impact.
Lynn Ruane: Independent Irish politician and advocate for marginalized communities, with a background in community drug services.
Seán McCabe: Head of Climate Justice and Sustainability at Bohemian Football Club, engaging communities in climate transition initiatives.
Donnah Sibanda Vuma: Human rights advocate supporting migrant and refugee victims of exploitation and violence.

Come together with other IDEA members to share challenges and successes, and to reflect on the ways Global Citizenship Education can contribute to a fairer world. This conference will provide an opportunity to strengthen our collective work – through education – to reclaim space for hope, alternatives, and action.
Find out more
The event has sold out, please email Áine at aine@ideaonline.ie to be added to the waiting list If you have any specific questions regarding the award ceremony, please email ruairi@ideaonline.ie .

Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by any speaker, host, facilitator, trainer or participant in IDEA webinars, seminars, events, talks, trainings, workshops, videos or podcasts are solely those of the individual(s) concerned. These views do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or values of IDEA, its National Council, its members, funders, or partner organisations. IDEA provides platforms for dialogue and learning in the spirit of critical engagement, inclusivity, and diversity of thought. The hosting or facilitation of any individual, group or event does not constitute endorsement of any specific viewpoint expressed.

Call for Tender: Analysis of Data from 2024 - Code of Good Practice for Development Education in Ireland

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 09:10:00 GMT

IDEA is seeking a researcher to analyse the data gathered during 2024 as part of the IDEA Code of Good Practice for Development Education (DE) in Ireland. The research will examine what the Code data represents about Development Education practice in Ireland including strengths, gaps, innovation, and how this data can help articulate the impact of DE in Ireland.

The research will culminate in a report reflecting insights and observations by the researcher, findings on the impact of the DE sector in Ireland, and potential areas for future strategic development of the Code.

The deadline for application is Wednesday, 23 April.

Please contact code@ideaonline.ie for any questions.

Full terms of reference are available here

Vision 2030 Online Consultation Workshop - shaping a new vision for Development Education/GCE in Ireland

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:37:00 GMT

Date: Thursday 10 April, 11.00am - 1.00pm

Location: Online/Zoom

Vision 2025 - Towards a Society of Global Citizens  was produced by IDEA in 2021, based on the inputs, knowledge, and expertise of a cross-section of members. In 2022, it was updated again in consultation with members. Now we would like to produce Vision 2030 - Towards a Society of Global Citizens (working title) - a fresh vision and roadmap for Development Education/GCE in Ireland for the coming five years. This vision and roadmap will guide us in our work towards co-creating a society of global citizens in Ireland, during the term of the current Government and Oireachtas and in the last phase of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We invite members to join us on Thursday 10 April to participate in an online consultation workshop as part of the process of developing Vision 2030. Together we will co-create a valuable shared tool to communicate the overall collective vision and roadmap for DE/GCE on the island of Ireland as well as the vision and aims of DE/GCE practitioners for the formal education and non-formal education sector with a range of stakeholders, including policymakers, donors, decision-makers and decision-influencers at national and local level.

This event is for IDEA Members only!

Please register below!

Vision 2030 In-person Consultation Workshop - shaping a new vision for Development Education/GCE in Ireland

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:25:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 8 April, 10.00am-2.00pm

Location: IDEA Offices, 6 Gardiner Row

  Vision 2025 - Towards a Society of Global Citizens  was produced by IDEA in 2021, based on the inputs, knowledge, and expertise of a cross-section of members. In 2022, it was updated again in consultation with members. Now we would like to produce  Vision 2030   - Towards a Society of Global Citizens  (working title) - a fresh vision and roadmap for Development Education/GCE in Ireland for the coming five years. This vision and roadmap will guide us in our work towards co-creating a society of global citizens in Ireland, during the term of the current Government and Oireachtas and in the last phase of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We invite IDEA members to join us on Tuesday, 8 April, to participate in an in-person consultation workshop as part of the process of developing Vision 2030. Together, we will co-create a valuable shared tool to communicate the overall collective vision and roadmap for DE/GCE on the island of Ireland as well as the vision and aims of DE/GCE practitioners for the formal education and non-formal education sector with a range of stakeholders, including policymakers, donors, decision-makers and decision-influencers at national and local level.

We will provide lunch at this event.

This event is for IDEA Members only!

Register below!

Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education: Palestine

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 15:40:00 GMT

Date: Wednesday 02 April, 12.30-2.30pm Location: Online via Zoom

Join us for the second session of our 2025 webinar series: "Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education "entitled "Palestine: educating about conflict-related violence, displacement, and justice ". It will be held online, Wednesday April 2, from 12.30-2.30pm.
Last year, we hosted one of our webinar sessions on educators’ responses to the ongoing crisis in Gaza. The event aimed to equip those working in Global Citizenship Education with ways foundational knowledge to bring Gaza into their work as educators. A recording of the session is available online . This year we will explore the current war on Gaza but also the long-standing oppression and conflict in Palestine through the lens of peace and justice. What are our responsibilities as educators when we discuss conflict-related violence and displacement. What approaches can we use to do this? How do we ensure dignity and solidarity are central to our practice?
We will explore these concepts with a variety of speakers that can help contextualise those issues in the reality of the Palestinian struggle, and also hear from educator’s’ experiences to learn from their practice.

Speakers

Moderator

2025 Research Showcase: Pathways to Decolonial Practices in Global Citizenship Education

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 17:04:39 GMT

Date: Thursday 20 November, 10.00 - 11.30am

Location: Online

IDEA is thrilled to invite you to our 2025 Research Showcase, "Pathways to decolonial practices in Global Citizenship Education” on Thursday, 20 November, 10.00 - 11.30am, online. This year’s theme is inspired by Principle 3 of the CODE of Good Practice for Development Education , “Be explicit about the ethos of Development Education – global solidarity, empathy and partnership, and challenging unequal power relations across all issues we work on.” This has always been a central element of quality Global Citizenship Education and the practice of IDEA members.

Challenging unequal power relations across all issues is something we all strive for in Global Citizenship Education, but how can we embed this Principle even further in our educational practice? This year’s Showcase will be an opportunity to dig deeper into our engagement with communities affected by injustice.

Speakers include Dr Tanya Wendt Samu, a senior lecturer in the School of Critical Studies in Education, Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Auckland, and Dr Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro, who has published extensively on race, identity, and the Anthropocene.

The speakers will share their expertise on pathways to shift the balance of power differentials in our practice, as well as related risks and opportunities. We will discuss the importance of indigenous knowledge and decolonial theoretical frameworks and explore what these look like in practice. We hope to equip participants with tools for meaningful representation and help them reflect on their own positionality.

The showcase is also an opportunity to explore current Global Citizenship Education research, meet academics and explore the applicability of the research to your own practice.

More information about speakers to come soon!

REGISTER HERE Register now!

Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education: Climate Justice, the missing voices

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:35:00 GMT

Date: Wednesday 19 March, 12.30-2pm Location: Online via Zoom

Join us for the first session of our 2025 webinar series: "Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education". The session kicking off this year's series is entitled "Climate Justice, the missing voices" and will be held on Wednesday, 19th March, online from 12.30-2.00pm.
Climate change is one of the major crises of our times. As educators, we seek to address gaps in our knowledge, acknowledge bias in our understanding and spotlight voices from diverse groups affected by the issue. This webinar will equip educators to address some of these gaps when we educate about Climate Change and Climate Justice. What are the consequences and risks for women and marginalized communities to be left out of the picture? How should their experience of environmental collapse guide our Development Education/Global Citizenship Education programmes?
We will introduce concepts of “intersectional feminism”, climate justice, and the differential impact of climate change on marginalised communities. Speakers will include those working on climate justice from a variety of perspectives to illustrate and translate these abstract notions into a real-life context locally and globally. Participants will be equipped with more perspectives on climate justice and a deeper understanding of the experience of those directly affected by climate breakdown. Participants will also have time dedicated to a Question & Answer session.

Image Credit: Markus Spiske Attribution: Unsplash

 Disclaimer The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by any speaker, host, facilitator, trainer or participant in IDEA webinars, seminars, events, talks, trainings, workshops, videos or podcasts are solely those of the individual(s) concerned. These views do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or values of IDEA, its National Council, its members, funders, or partner organisations.
IDEA provides platforms for dialogue and learning in the spirit of critical engagement, inclusivity, and diversity of thought. The hosting or facilitation of any individual, group or event does not constitute endorsement of any specific viewpoint expressed.

Biographies

Moderator

Speakers

Board Member with HR/People and Culture Expertise

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:45:00 GMT

IDEA is seeking a new Board (National Council) member with significant experience in human resources (HR) and people and culture. This is a voluntary role, and the successful candidate will provide strategic HR insight to support the development of IDEA’s people and culture strategy.

The right candidate will play a key role in contributing to IDEA’s governance, ensuring the organisation has strong HR strategies and policies to support its mission and objectives.

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) is the national network for global citizenship and development education in Ireland. We support and represent members to ensure that everyone in Ireland has access to quality development education to become active global citizens. Our work strengthens global citizenship education by building expertise, fostering collaboration, and influencing policy.

Our values are rooted in social justice, equality, and sustainability, and we work collectively to build a more just, sustainable, and equal world.

Governance

IDEA is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, governed by a voluntary Board (National Council) that provides strategic oversight. The National Council consists of individuals with governance skills relevant to the development education sector. IDEA is committed to the highest standards of governance and complies with the Charities Governance Code.

Key Responsibilities

Chair the Remuneration & Nominations Committee, leading discussions on HR policy, recruitment, and governance matters.

Provide HR expertise and guidance in areas such as organisational culture, workforce planning, and people development.

Support the review and implementation of HR policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with best practices in the not-for-profit sector.

Advise on staff wellbeing, diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.

Offer guidance on best practice HR management, supporting IDEA’s leadership team in people-related decision-making.

Work collaboratively with other Board members to provide strategic oversight and ensure IDEA meets its governance responsibilities.

Time Commitment

Board meetings: Six times per year, hybrid, typically 5.00pm-7.30pm.

Board development day: One in-person meeting per year, typically in January.

Annual General Meeting (AGM): Attendance required (approx 2.5 hours hybrid or online)

Committee work: This role includes chairing the Remuneration & Nominations Committee, which meets via Zoom 2-4 times per year.

Term of Appointment

Board members serve a three-year term, with the option for reappointment for a second term.

Who Should Apply?

We welcome applications from candidates who have:

Experience in HR, People & Culture

A passion for social justice, education, sustainability

Previous Board experience (desirable but not required)

Knowledge of the not-for-profit or education sector (desirable but not required)

Experience in modern hybrid work environments

How to Apply

If you are interested in this role, please apply via Boardmatch or if you have specific questions, please contact sal@ideaonline.ie. Recruitment will be via a selection committee that includes an external consultant with relevant expertise.

IDEA is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

The deadline of application is 24 March, 9.00am.

Tips from the Educators’ Guide to Depolarisation

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:00 GMT

Whether it’s local immigration policy, global trade tariffs or transgender policies the world seems to be at odds. As educators we often work with groups where the participants have polar opposite views on many issues. A group of people may see the world so differently but what happens when we want that group to work together, build a connection or feel safe and inclusive for everyone? Recently IDEA hosted training on the Educator’s Guide to Depolarisation, a toolkit and guide developed by the DARE Project (Depolarisation Activism for Resilient Europe). The room was full of energy and enthusiasm. But given the reality facing our world today feelings of concern and fear for the future were also expressed. With good reason.
The Educators’ Guide to Deploratisation, a 2-day training, looked to enhance IDEA members’ skills in successfully engaging with polarising topics and views and establishing a dialogue where before there was only opposition. At depolarisation training we approach conflict as an interpersonal and social inevitability rather than something that should be avoided to ‘keep the peace’. We then focus on our own power to transform disagreement and diversity of views into constructive engagement. How to convince people to think like us? One of first steps many of us struggle with when we begin to explore depolarisation, even with our own professional experience as GCE educators, is letting go of the desire to make everyone think like us and agree with us. Our desire to make the world a better place can often stand in our way. This desire can prevent us from connecting with other people and their views. But connection is critical for depolarisation. Dialogue vs Debate? Some tips from the Educators’ Guide to Depolarisation training includes the ‘Debate vs Dialogue’ challenge. When you are in conversation with a colleague or facilitating a conversation with a group you need to identify is this ‘a dialogue’ or ‘a debate’. Do you know the difference? Do you want to win the argument? or Do you want to understand different perspectives? Are you listening to find flaws? or Are you listening to understand? Are you speaking based on your assumptions about other people’s motivations? or Are you speaking only from your own understanding? Depolarisation; No winners, only learners. To learn more about having or facilitating difficult discussions the Educators’ Guide to Depolarisation provides tools to guide educators through uncomfortable conversations. A group will get closer by learning and asking questions of each other rather than simply stating their own beliefs. So, what’s the origin of our different beliefs? Is a group disagreeing on immigration/ Trump/ transgender policies?
Try to have a difficult conversation by asking both sides 5 questions.

Do you recall when you heard about or experienced this issue first?
Why is this so important and difficult to just 'agree to disagree'?
Mirror as best you can what you have heard from your conversation partner- why is this so important?
If you woke up tomorrow in a world where the opposite of your belief is the status quo- how would you feel?
Is there a way to prevent this issue?

Finally, ask people to reflect what they have learned from each other. Being able to have a dialogue that doesn’t descend into a debate with winners and losers is one big step for any group. Along the journey to depolarisation there can be no winners, only learners.
If you missed the IDEA training with Hermes, explore the Educators’ Guide to Depolarisation training, toolkit and resources here

IDEA Global Education Champion Candidate Pledge 2025

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 18:02:00 GMT

With the polling for the 2025 Seanad Election under way, IDEA has been advocating with election candidates to sign our Global Education Champion pledge

Global Education Champion Pledge

Mindful of the critical challenges facing our world, including climate change, poverty, inequality, war and conflict, I hereby pledge to become a Global Education Champion. If elected, I commit to championing Global Education in pursuit of a fairer and more sustainable future for all, by advocating for increased cross-departmental investment and support for Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, and its expansion across all sectors—formal, non-formal, and informal. The following candidates have signed the pledge so far:

If you are a candidate who would like to sign it or if you are a member of IDEA and would like to send the pledge to candidates, please contact Leigh at leigh@ideaonline.ie

Tender: Project Coordination & Facilitation for “Shared Island, Shared World, Shared Future

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 17:07:00 GMT

Project Overview:
The initiative, led by Dóchas, CADA, and IDEA, seeks to enhance cross-border collaboration on Global Citizenship Education (GCE) across the island of Ireland. It builds on the momentum of the 2022 “Shared Future” conference, focusing on practical challenges and opportunities in implementing an all-island GCE vision, guided by IDEA’s Code of Good Practice for Development Education.

Please see the summary info below. The full terms of reference is here.

Scope of Work:
The consultant(s) will coordinate and facilitate a series of workshops and events between January and December 2025, aiming to:

Address obstacles to cross-border GCE implementation.

Foster dialogue on GCE practices and their impact on border communities.

Use IDEA’s Code of Good Practice as a structured framework for discussions.

Deliverables:

Organise and facilitate six workshops/events (online and in-person).

Develop materials, promotional content, and a final report documenting activities, outcomes, and recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.

Engage stakeholders, manage logistics, and monitor timelines and budgets.

Qualifications Required:

Proven experience in project coordination and facilitation, particularly in GCE or cross-border projects.

Strong organisational, communication, and virtual platform skills.

Familiarity with the GCE sector and IDEA’s Code of Good Practice.

Budget:
The maximum budget for this project is €15,000, inclusive of VAT and any applicable taxes. Additional expenses must be agreed in advance.

Application Details:

Please read full terms of reference before applying: here

Submit an expression of interest, including skills, experience, methodology, and rates, by 9.00 am, 05 February 2025 to anna@dochas.ie.

The project will commence in mid-February 2025.

Workshop: Healthy Conflict & Constructive Dialogue - Educators' Guide to Depolarisation

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 15:31:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 18 February 10.30 am - 4pm, Wednesday 19 February 10.00 am - 3pm Location: Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier St, Dublin, D02 R598

This 2-part training workshop is being provided by IDEA to support educators in practically addressing and successfully engaging with polarising views and topics when carrying out GCE/DE programmes and activities.
IDEA has invited Tvrtko Pater a trainer from HERMES , Croatia to introduce participants to a guide developed by the DARE Project ('Depolarisation Activism for Resilient Europe'). The guide is a practical toolkit for educators engaging with learners on all issues related to Global Citizenship Education and aims to support educators to confidently deal with polarising views and controversial topics. The guide contains both a theoretical section which uncovers the psychology and sociology of polarisation in society, and is followed by a vast number of exercises and skill-building activities that seek to empower individuals to seek out, engage with and enter into dialogue with people whose views (radically) differ from their own on questions of identity, belonging, discrimination, globalization, and power inequalities. Over the course of two full days, the trainer Tvrtko Pater, will run you through the toolkit step by step, using practical examples of methodologies and approaches, and support you in bringing them to your own educational context and practice.
The DARE project is a strategic partnership between five civil society organisations from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Serbia and Sweden. It was created to inspire a critical learning space and youth-led and action-oriented dialogue about various contemporary challenges such as polarisation, radicalisation, mental health, human rights violations. The method’s theoretical background is inspired by and rooted in Narrative Therapy, Positive Youth Development, Non-Violent Communication approaches, Critical Pedagogy, Conflict Transformation and Bohmian Dialogue.
Please note that there is a fee to attend this event. Fees for members of IDEA is €50 Fees for non-members of IDEA is €100.00. Fee for unwaged (refugees, asylum seekers, students, others) is €3.00 - this can be paid in person.
Registration has now closed. Please email anya@ideaonline.ie to be added to the waiting list.
The training takes place in person in Dublin over two full days. Places are limited and priority will be given to participants who can attend in full for both days.

A print-out copy of the guide will be distributed on the day, please let us know in the comment box as you register if you do not desire a hardcopy.

Image Credit: Jenkin Shen Attribution: Pexels.com

Biographies

Enact the Occupied Territories Bill: Online Solidarity Event

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:08:58 GMT

Date: Wednesday, 19 November, 1.00pm Online via Zoom

People are often fascinated by the journey of discovering individual identity. At some point in your life, you’ve probably taken a personality test, figured out your astrological sign, or taken an online quiz to figure out what flavor of Doritos you are. All of these try to tell us who we are and where we belong in the world.

IDEA stands firmly behind the Occupied Territories Bill as a necessary and timely step towards justice, accountability, and lasting peace.

ReGISTER: Register here

IDEA Global Education Champion Candidate Pledge

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:33:00 GMT

With the General Election around the corner, IDEA has been advocating with election candidates to sign our Global Education Champion pledge

Global Education Champion Pledge

Our candidate pledge aligns with IDEA’s election manifesto for the General Election 2024, which can be read here .
If you are a candidate who would like to sign it or if you are a member of IDEA and would like to send the pledge to candidates, please contact Leigh at leigh@ideaonline.ie

IDEA Election Manifesto 2024

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:24:00 GMT

IDEA Election Manifesto 2024

Ireland in a Changed and Turbulent World: A Manifesto for a Society Ready to Overcome Local and Global Challenges

In a world of rapid change and mounting crises, Ireland must prioritise equipping its citizens with the education, values, and skills necessary to overcome both local and global challenges. From climate breakdown and deepening inequality to the spread of disinformation, discrimination, and the rise of racism - this new era presents unprecedented issues that demand informed and engaged collective responses.
Ireland’s commitment to Global Citizenship Education (which includes Education for Sustainable Development) plays a crucial role in fostering the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to navigate today’s interconnected world.
By embracing these educational frameworks, in line with our commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.7 , we affirm our dedication to justice, peace, democracy, human rights, partnership, global solidarity, and environmental stewardship.
Our efforts are already having a real impact , such as improving school curricula and teacher education and reaching at least 362,000 learners across Ireland in 2023 alone. However, the scope and urgency of today’s crises call for renewed dedication and focus. Ireland must strengthen its commitment to Global Citizenship Education as we navigate complex, interconnected challenges at home and abroad, while approaching critical climate tipping points. This requires increased investment, strategic prioritisation, and a whole-of-government approach.
Only by championing Global Citizenship Education and taking decisive action can we ensure that Ireland and its people are prepared to meet the pressing challenges of our time, fostering a more sustainable and fairer society in a turbulent world.
In the next Programme for Government, Ireland must:

Significantly increase our investment in Global Citizenship Education and Education for Sustainable Development while instituting a whole-of-government approach.

To download a PDF version of this manifesto, click here .
IDEA has also developed a Global Education Champion candidate pledge for candidates to sign up to. If you are a candidate who would like to sign it or if you are a member of IDEA and would like to send the pledge to candidates, please contact Leigh at leigh@ideaonline.ie

Code Network Meeting

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 12:37:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 03 December, 10.00am - 4.00pm Location: Ashling Hotel, 10 - 13 Parkgate St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 8
IDEA is looking forward to welcoming all members of the  Code of Good Practice for Development Education  to our upcoming Code network meeting on Tuesday 03 December, in the Ashling Hotel, 10 - 13 Parkgate St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 8, D08 P38N1. The event runs from 10.30am - 4.00pm with tea/coffee available from 10.00am. Lunch will also be served. Please let us know of any dietary requirements when registering. One of the commitments in joining the Code, is to also contribute to the Community of Practice for this Code including sharing successes and learning with other Code members and attending Code network meetings.
This meeting will be a wonderful opportunity to bring Code members together in person to review progress, share updates from IDEA and celebrate successes.
There are places for two attendees from each Code member. Grainne O’Neill and Morína O’Neill will facilitate the meeting.
R egistration for this event is closed. For any questions, please contact events@ideaonline.ie

Biographies

IDEA Annual Conference and 20th Anniversary “We Have to Turn the Mirror on Ourselves.”

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:50:00 GMT

At the recent 2024 IDEA Annual Conference, we had a lively panel discussion of ‘Current Context and Considerations for the Future of GCE’. Our panellists challenged, entertained, and inspired us all.
Check out our 4 panellists and catch up on their presentations.
Dr. Lilian Nwanze-Akobo, Director of the Higher Diploma in Further Education, Maynooth University
Niall Tierney, Director, Global Programmes and Global Citizenship Education Unit, Irish Aid
Mohammad Naeem, Activist & Former UN Youth Delegate for Ireland Sarah Kelleher, CEO, Lourdes Youth & Community Services (LYCS)

“Get over yourself. If we are going to do this work, we have to turn the mirror on ourselves. We need to understand the critical aspects, the power imbalances the systems the structures. We have to put our money where our mouth is. We can’t say we want an even, beautiful world... but what policies are we going to pass if it is a monochromatic meeting?!” Dr. Lilian Nwanze-Akobo, Director of the Higher Diploma in Further Education, Maynooth University.

“You have to speak the language of the people who are sitting in front of you. We have a community training centre for early school leavers. They are required to get 5 training modules every year. I don’t care if they get them- that's the truth. What I care about is that they leave us after 2 years and they have registered to vote. That’s what I care about. They have become active citizens. That they know they can be part of the world. Because all these people feel excluded, I can tell you.” Sarah Kelleher, CEO, Lourdes Youth & Community Services (LYCS).

“Growing up in a very rural area and attending a secondary school that was heavily focused on sports I found very few opportunities to explore... [CGE], empowering young people like me to engage in global issues and to think critically about the world around them. Unfortunately, that wasn’t provided to me during my education. Mine was the first year that CSPE was removed as an exam subject. When the pandemic hit, I was in Junior Cert and like many others I faced the challenge of isolation however what I initially saw as a barrier turned into an opportunity for me. The shift to online platforms meant that I could access a wealth of opportunities that were previously out of reach for me due to location and travel constraints.” Mohammad Naeem, Activist & Former UN Youth Delegate for Ireland

"One of the key challenges is in the cacophony of noise and disinformation and immediacy... the immediacy of my prejudices, the immediacy of my perceived needs, my perceived right, is making the architecture and toolkit that educators like yourselves are trying to build through GCE, in every citizen's mind to give that breathing space, that mental step back to understand.... how is Ireland benefitting from multilateralism?" Niall Tierney, Director, Global Programmes and Global Citizenship Education Unit, Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs.

A very warm thanks to all our panellists, speakers and facilitators on the day.

Improving Your Results Framework Workshop

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:16:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 19 November, 10am - 12pm, Location: Online via Zoom
This workshop is part of IDEA’s support on the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round. It is the second of two distinct and complementary workshops developed by IDEA on ‘Results Frameworks for Global Citizenship Education’ that we are running this year. This session will be led by Elaine Mahon, IDEA and Lisa-Marie Salley-Kerhascoet of Organisational Development Support - ODS. This session is focused on supporting those who are familiar with Results Frameworks and have begun work on the Results Framework for their application. This runs on Tuesday 19 November, 10am - 12pm, online via Zoom. Participants are invited to prepare for 'Improving Your Results Frameworks’ session as follows: a) Those participants from organisations who have previously submitted a Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education to Irish Aid should be familiar with their existing Results Framework. Before the event they will be asked to share (with the trainer and IDEA) an outcome and associated indicators that is working well and also identify an outcome and associated indicators that posed some challenges. b) Those participants from organisations who have NOT previously submitted a Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education to Irish Aid and/or people who are new to Results Frameworks should first view the session called ‘ Results Frameworks for Beginners’ , led by Susan Gallwey and Elaine Mahon, before attending the Workshop. The video is available here. IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support is free of charge to all and offered online. As in recent years, this year we also invite any other actors who are not yet members of IDEA to these training events. Register below!
Image Credit: Nick Youngson Attribution: Pix4free.org

Biographies

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications 2025

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:45:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday 12 November 2024, 11.00am – 1.00pm Location: O nline via Zoom.
Our first training event on the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Round is a Grants Clinic, focusing on the application form that will be facilitated by Bobby McCormack, CEO of Development Perspectives and Chairperson of IDEA National Council, and Elaine Mahon, IDEA. This will take place on Tuesday 12 November, 11.00am – 1.00pm, online via Zoom. IDEA provides support for members - and spaces for members to support one another - in applying for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants. This training and support is free of charge to all. As in recent years, we are also inviting any other actors who are not yet members of IDEA to these training events. To make this training as useful as possible for all attending, please make sure that you have a copy of any previous application form you have worked on relating to the Irish Aid GCE grants available to you during the session.
Register below!
Image Credit: Nick Youngson Attribution: Pix4free.org

Biographies

Workshop: Brave Spaces for Racial Justice - Navigating Power, Privilege and Decolonisation

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:48:00 GMT

Date: 06 November and 18 November, 10.30am-4pm Location: In person in IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1 Following the overwhelmingly positive response from the workshop on Decolonising Justice at the IDEA annual conference in September 2024, we are delighted to welcome back the same trainers to offer a two- day interactive and in person workshop on promoting racial justice in our Global Citizenship Education work."
Led by facilitators Bronwyn April and Mdahyelya Bassi , this workshop will provide a deep dive into the intersections of racial equity, philanthropy, migration, and decolonisation, framed within both global and Irish contexts.
Participants will engage in critical discussions on how colonial legacies continue to shape social justice and explore tools like the "Quadrant of Oppression" to challenge internalised power structures. With an emphasis on self-reflection, positionality, and fostering brave spaces, this two-day workshop aims to equip participants with the knowledge and language to address racial justice in their work.
Please note that there is a fee to attend this event.

Fees for members of IDEA is €50
Fees for non-members of IDEA is €100.00.
Fee for unwaged (refugees, asylum seekers, students, others) is €3.00 - this can be paid in person.

Registration for this event is closed. Please email events@ideaonline.ie for requests to be added to the waiting list.

Biographies

The 2025 Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Call for Proposals is now open

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:34:00 GMT

The call for proposals can be found at this   link  under the ‘Applying for Funding’ tab. It also includes links to the Guidelines, FAQ documents, as well as information on DEAR co-funding.

Key dates include:

Friday 18 October: Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Call for proposals published on Irish Aid website.
Wednesday 06 November at 2.00pm: Irish Aid Information Session on the GCE Grants. If you are interested, please register for the information session by emailing globalcitizenshipeducation@dfa.ie . A link for the videoconference will then follow next week.
Friday 08 November, 5.00pm, Deadline for receipt of eligibility forms: Please note an important change to the eligibility process: ALL organisations hoping to apply must complete an eligibility form. Eligibility forms can be requested by emailing the Global Citizenship Education Mailbox. Completed eligibility forms must be submitted to the Global Citizenship Education Mailbox. Organisations who fail to meet the eligibility deadline cannot be considered
Wednesday 13 November: Organisations will be notified of their eligibility
Thursday 05 December, 12.00pm, Deadline for applications: The completed application form, signed by the legal representative of the organisation (e.g. the CEO or the Chair of the Board) should be e-mailed to the Global Citizenship Education Mailbox. Please note, applications which are received after this date will not be considered. Just so you are aware of the earlier submission deadline - 12 noon rather than 5.00pm as was stated previously.
It is intended that the appraisal of applications will take place in Quarter 1 2025 and notification of funding decisions will issue

IDEA Support for the Grants Round

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications will take place Tuesday 12 November, 11.00am – 1.00pm, on Zoom. Find out more...
Results Frameworks for Beginners Workshop: Instead of a live workshop, IDEA has recorded a session which goes through Results Frameworks for Beginners. This was published on IDEA Youtube channel on Monday 4 November 2024 and is available here
Improving your Results Frameworks Workshop: This will take place on Tuesday 19 November, 10am - 12pm, online. Find out more...
IDEA annually produces a resource Results-based Approaches in Development Education - A practical toolkit . This toolkit aims to help practitioners developing Results Frameworks for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education projects. It takes you step by step through the process of building an effective results table to reach the change you want to achieve, within the timeframe of your project. While created to reflect Irish Aid’s Results Framework for Development Education/Global Citizenship Education Grants rounds, the approach outlined in the toolkit can be applied to many other Development Education settings. The toolkit for the 2025 grants round is now available on the IDEA website here .

As in recent years, we are inviting any other actors who are not yet members of IDEA to these training events. All training events are free of charge.

Global Citizenship Education Research Showcase 2024

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:33:00 GMT

Date:   Monday 25 November, 10.00am -12.30pm Location:   Online via Zoom 
IDEA and Ubuntu are thrilled to invite you to the second edition of our Global Citizenship Education (GCE) Research Showcase on Monday 25 November, online, 10.00am -12.30pm. This event is free of charge.
The aim of this event is to showcase contemporary GCE research. You will be introduced to thought-provoking and engaging inputs and have an opportunity to reflect with fellow participants on the applicability of the concepts discussed to your GCE practice.
For the purpose of this event, the term research will be taken in its broadest sense, encompassing academic research; action research; documented practice; documented learning; conceptual research articles; case studies etc.
Click here to see the Agenda
Registrations have now closed.
Please email Anya Sparynska at anya@ideaonline.ie if you would like to attend.

Biographies

IDEA Appoints New CEO

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 09:18:00 GMT

We Are Delighted to Announce our New CEO

IDEA is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruairí McKiernan as our new CEO. With over 20 years of experience as a respected non-profit leader, activist, and social innovator, Ruairí brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our organisation.
Ruairí is the founder and former CEO of the pioneering national youth organisation Spunout. He served on the Council of State for seven years as one of President Michael D. Higgins's appointees. He was part of the founding team behind Uplift, the digital campaigning organisation, and established Change Innovations, a social impact consultancy. Ruairí has served on the boards of the Soar Foundation and Gaisce. He has held leadership roles with the refugee and migrant rights organisation Doras and the global empathy education charity Narrative 4. He has also worked closely with the peace and justice group Afri on development education, public engagement, and campaigning for many years.
Ruairí’s international experience includes youth development work in Tanzania, and he recently returned from living in Australia, where he focused on Indigenous rights and advocating for gambling industry reform.
His activism has spanned various causes, including anti-war campaigns, environmental protection, mental health reform, and gender-based violence. Ruairí is also a regular media contributor, a published non-fiction author, and the host of a popular social change podcast, Love and Courage. He is a Fulbright Fellow in Civic Engagement and holds a degree in Management, and an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy. He is currently undertaking a Postgraduate qualification in Sustainability Leadership.
"It is a great privilege to serve IDEA as CEO. I've had the good fortune of working with IDEA and many of its members over the years. I've always been struck by the sense of integrity, passion, and dedication among the IDEA community, and the culture of care, cooperation, solidarity, and professionalism that underpins it.
This is a community ready-made for these extraordinary times. The climate emergency, biodiversity loss, war, genocide, disinformation, extremism, racism, and rampant inequality — the threats to life on our shared planet are many and increasingly urgent. If ever there was a time to unleash the vast liberating power of Development Education and Global Citizenship Education, it is now. Herein lies a historic opportunity: a call to radical reimagining that requires us to stand firmly with the oppressed, forge new and diverse alliances, and take bold and fearless action to inspire new hope for humanity and our beautiful planet.
I look forward to working with the staff, the National Council, our members, partners, funders, and the broader community as we work together for a world of peace, justice, and possibility." Ruairí McKiernan
We look forward to the energy, experience, and vision Ruairí will bring to IDEA as we expand our impact on development education and global citizenship education.

Code of Good Practice Support Officer

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:11:00 GMT

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) is seeking a dedicated and organized individual to join our team as a Code of Good Practice Support Officer. This 12-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension, offers a unique opportunity to support the management of the IDEA Code of Good Practice for Development E

Key responsibilities include coordinating member engagement, maintaining accurate records, supporting international outreach, promoting the Code, and organizing training and events. The ideal candidate will have at least one year of experience in project management or administration, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to IDEA’s vision and values.

To apply, send your CV and a letter of motivation to recruitment@ideaonline.ie. Interviews are expected to be held on Friday 25 October.

The full Terms of Reference is here.

The deadline for application is Monday 21 October, 5.00pm.

Theory of Change for Global Citizenship Education: Introductory Session for IDEA Members

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 10:22:00 GMT

Date:  Tuesday, 24 September, 2.30 – 3.30pm

Location:   Online via Zoom 

A Theory of Change is an important step in identifying the cumulative impact of Global Citizenship Education in Ireland. IDEA has recruited a consultancy firm ( Organisational Development Support - ODS ) to facilitate the development of a Theory of Change for GCE in Ireland. This builds on work already carried out on impact measurement of DE/GCE in Ireland by IDEA and our members.

A Theory of Change is essentially a comprehensive description and illustration of  how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context .

ODS staff will work with IDEA staff and members throughout this process. An important element is the convening of a task group of IDEA members to support the development of the Theory of Change. This task group will work between October-November on the drafting of the Theory of Change for GCE in Ireland.

Ahead of the establishment of the task group, ODS will run an introductory session which is open to all IDEA members. This open information session will share details on the process of development a Theory of Change for GCE. This session is relevant to all IDEA members, and in particular should serve to inform those potentially interested in joining the task group what is involved.

This introductory session takes place on Tuesday 24 September from 2.30-3.30pm. The session will 1) present the process to interested IDEA members 2) present the role of the Task Group and what is expected of those joining the Task Group 3) give a short intro to Theories of Change and what they are.

The session will be led by Anna Cesari and Lisa-Marie Salley-Kerhascoet of Organisational Development Support - ODS .

Registration is now closed. For any questions on the process and the work of the task group, please contact elaine@ideaonline.ie

The Role of Global Citizenship Education in the Future We Want to Create

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:08:00 GMT

Date: Tuesday, 17 September, 1.00 – 2.00pm, Irish time/2.00-3.00pm, CET Location: Online via Zoom
Bridge 47 and the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) invite you to an online side event on the eve of the UN Summit of the Future on Tuesday, 17 September, 1.00 – 2.00pm, Irish time/2.00-3.00pm, CET.
A panel of distinguished international speakers will discuss the role of Global Citizenship Education in the future we want to create in the framework of the Pact for the Future, which is to be signed during the UN Summit of the Future on 23 September 2024. Humanity is at a crossroads. The world is changing at an ever-increasing pace. We are facing unprecedented global challenges that require global and local solutions: increasing inequality and injustice, climate breakdown, genocides and war, rising fascism, authoritarianism, deterioration in human rights, crisis of multilateralism, crisis of legitimacy of universal human rights law and international humanitarian law.
How can we ensure that people are equipped with the knowledge, skills and values needed to come together to solve and mitigate these challenges? How do we ensure everyone feels like they belong to the global human community? How do we ensure they are invested enough to change the behaviours and choices needed, in their respective roles and responsibilities? 
The Pact for the Future that is to be endorsed and signed at the UN Summit of the Future on 23 September 2024 commits to achieving “quality, inclusive education for all and lifelong learning”. It does not specify however what the content of this education and learning should be. In addition to universal education which addresses literacy and numeracy, we must prepare future generations with the knowledge, skills and values to deal with the world they are inheriting. Global citizenship education is essential for a sustainable future, as UNESCO and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development attest. The aspirational goals set out in SDG target 4.7 could make education truly transformative. Looking at the global policy framework, this event will explore opportunities to ensure we achieve quality, inclusive global citizenship education and lifelong learning for all. We will also discuss potential solutions to the challenges in implementing these policies globally.
These questions will be debated and answered by international speakers and an online audience on the eve of the UN Summit of the Future. 
Guest speakers are: Prof. Patrick Paul Walsh, Vice Director of Education & Director of the SDG Academy, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Professor of International Development & Director of the M.Sc in Sustainable Development, UCD.
Prof. Leonardo Garnier , former Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General for the Transforming Education Summit. Former Minister of Education in Costa Rica.
Temilade Salami, Founder and Director, EcoChampions, Nigeria and Africa-wide. Youth Leader, Global Partnership for Education.
This event will be moderated by Mr. Rilli Lappalainen, CEO, Bridge 47.
Registration for this event is now closed!

Biographies

IDEA Annual Conference 2024

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 13:55:00 GMT

United in Impact: Celebrating our journey, charting our future

Date: Wednesday, 04 September, 9.30am-5.00pm

Location: Richmond Barracks in Dublin

Join us for the IDEA Annual Conference 2024 on “United in Impact: Celebrating Our Journey, Charting Our Future,”. This event will take place on Wednesday, 04 September, at Richmond Barracks in Dublin.

This year’s event will be a chance to celebrate our shared history, acknowledge our present context, and envision an impactful future for GCE. This year also marks 20 years since IDEA’s establishment as a network for DE in Ireland.

This is an in-person event, but for anyone who can’t join in person, the keynote address and speaker sessions will be recorded and shared online after the event.

Please note that if you want to register now, contact us via conference@ideaonline.ie and you will be added to a waiting list and contacted if a place becomes available.

Conference Programme available here

Find out more

Recruitment services to help find our next CEO in IDEA

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 08:07:00 GMT

IDEA invites tender submissions from interested recruitment agencies/consultants to provide recruitment services to IDEA in recruiting a CEO. Specifically, the recruitment services will work with the Board of IDEA (our ‘National Council’). This service will include working with our board on job design and developing the job specification as well as advertising the post, proactively identifying suitable candidates, shortlisting candidates and supporting the Board with the recruitment and appointment of the successful candidate.

Interested Recruitment Consultancy Services Suppliers should submit a proposal by email to elaine@ideaonline.ie.

The full Terms of Reference is here.

The deadline for application is Monday 17 June, 11.00am.

IDEA Online

Improving your Results Framework Workshop 2026

Results Frameworks for Beginners Workshop 2026

IDEA signs citizenship statement and encourages organisations to support

IDEA calls for GCE to be included in Northern Ireland’s new curriculum framework

Code Network Meeting December 2026

Research on Global North-South Partnerships in Global Citizenship Education

Call for Consultant to Analyse Data Captured During the Pilot of the Theory of Impact for the GCE Tool

IDEA joins members Afri and Talamh Beo in call for action on global land rights

There is No Alternative or is there? We need to talk about economics in GCE.

Innovation Showcase Lunch

Gaza Student Visas: IDEA Calls for Urgent Government Action

We're Hiring - Communications Manager

Call for Tenders: Research Consultancy on Global North-South Partnerships in Global Citizenship Education

Budget 2027: Invest to strengthen Ireland's leadership in Global Citizenship Education and global solidarity

IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Programme for IDEA Annual Conference 2026

IDEA Voices: Pockets of Hope in Our Troubled World

IDEA Annual Conference 2026

Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Strategy 2027 – 2031 Consultation Process

Information Webinar on Irish Aid GCE Strategy Consultation Process

Climate, Culture & Hope: A Conversation with Michael D. Higgins

Keynote Speaker Announcement: IDEA Conference 2026

Have your say! Invitation to focus groups for IDEA programme

Join the pilot of the Theory of Impact for GCE

Webinar Series - ‘Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education 3: Resistance to Imperialism

Launch of the Theory of Impact Tool

IDEA Knowledge Shares

Expression of Interest for IDEA annual conference workshops 2026

Webinar Series - ‘Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education 2: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

Webinar Series - ‘Exploring Contemporary Issues through Global Citizenship Education 1: Critically thinking about Critical Minerals

IDEA Celebrates International Women’s Day with Energy, Stories, and Solidarity

Informal Education and the Theory of Impact for GCE

IDEA AGM & Evaluation and Needs Analysis

Code Network Meeting June 2026

Celebrate International Women’s Day with IDEA

Vision 2030 Advocacy Strategy - Have Your Say!

Launch of new Global Citizenship Education Higher Education Forum

The ABC of Global Citizenship Education 2026 - Rescheduled

IDEA Voices: Standing in Solidarity with Gaza as Global Educators

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications 2026

IDEA Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide Workshop

Calls for urgent investment to empower people amid rising disinformation, racism, and polarisation

IDEA wins Good Governance Award 2025

Welcoming Lizzy Noone: IDEA’s New Capacity Developlment Manager

Enact the Occupied Territories Bill: Online Solidarity Event

IDEA represented at European Global Citizenship Education Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria

2025 Research Showcase: Pathways to Decolonial Practices in Global Citizenship Education

Calls for urgent investment to empower people amid rising disinformation, racism, and polarisation

Grants Clinic for Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Funding Applications 2026

Biographies

Improving Your Results Framework Workshop 2025

Biographies

The 2026 Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Grants Call for Proposals is now open

Call for Tender: Design of an Interactive Data Visualisation Tool, Theory of Impact for Global Citizenship Education in Ireland

Anya’s Next Chapter: Farewell and Legacy

We’re Hiring: Capacity Development Programme Manager

Launch of IDEA's Theory of Impact for GCE

IDEA Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide Workshop

Code Network Meeting November 2025

Global Citizenship Education in Ireland to 2030 - Launch of IDEA´s new vision document

We’re Hiring - Capacity Development Programme Manager

IDEA CEO Addresses Major International GCE Conference in Seoul

Flying the Irish flag in Seoul

Ireland’s commitment to solidarity

A vibrant GCE sector in Ireland

A meeting of nations and ideas

Why it matters for IDEA

IDEA Joins 30+ Organisations Demanding Irish Government Push for UN Action on Gaza

IDEA Backs Call for Ireland to Join Hague Group and Help End Genocide in Palestine

Budget 2026: Investing in Global Citizenship Education is Investing in Global Solidarity

IDEA Members Summer Knowledge Share Session Catch-Up

Catch-up on a Summer of Learning!

Call for Tender: Auditing Services

The ABC of Global Citizenship Education 2025

Tender: Video Designer / Animator (Explainer + Educational Focus)

International GCE Exchange: Latvian Delegation Visits Dublin as Part of IDEA’s Erasmus+ Partnership

Now is the Time to Reinforce Messages of Global Solidarity - Minister Neale Richmond TD

IDEA AGM 2025

President Higgins Receives 'Voice for Humanity' Award at IDEA Conference

2025 Research Showcase: Pathways to Decolonial Practices in Global Citizenship Education

2025 Research Showcase: Pathways to Decolonial Practices in Global Citizenship Education