IDEA Annual Conference 2025

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:
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 .
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.
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Date: 25 November, 10.00am - 4.00pm Location: Brandsma Room, Carmelite Centre, Aungier St, Dublin 2 This workshop will provide an opportunity to explore the findings and recommendations of the Global North-Global South Partnerships in GCE Research , commissioned by Concern Worldwide . The event will bring together organisations working in Global Citizenship Education (GCE) to discuss the research findings, share experiences of partnership-building, and reflect on good practices for equitable and meaningful collaboration. Participants will also have the opportunity to consider how partnerships can be developed and strengthened to support GCE work and contribute to mutual learning across different contexts. The workshop is open to organisations and practitioners with an interest in Global Citizenship Education, research, and international partnership development.

October 6, 2026
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 .

September 26, 2026
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.










