Become a Member of the Bridge 47 Network

Are you active in the field of lifelong learning, transformative education and SDG Target 4.7? Then join our Bridge 47 global network!

What is the Bridge 47 Network?
The Bridge 47 Network brings together people who work with transformative learning and education for active citizenship from around the world. It was initiated in 2014, with the aim to create a learning forum for members and help them spot and create inspiring, out of the box opportunities for cooperation. So far Bridge 47 has facilitated numerous transnational connections and we strive to form a vibrant coalition for education that inspires hearts and minds across continents. What is unique about the Network, is that it represents the first such Network to facilitate multi-stakeholder conversations in the broader 4.7 community globally and in Europe.

What do we do?
We advocate for the target 4.7 of the SDGs, which is related to transformative education, e.g. global citizenship education and education for sustainable development. We also offer learning and networking spaces for transformative learning experts and enthusiasts to connect, share participatory educational methods and tools to inspire people to act and simply do things differently. Have a sneak peek in what our global gatherings look like: Unlocking the power of 4.7 (Brussels), Global Citizenship Education for Systemic Change (Belgrade) and Envision 4.7 (Helsinki).

Who can become a member?
Individuals who share our values and who are passionate about education, whether non-formal or formal, as a tool for achieving sustainable development and social justice, can join our story. Our network is very diverse – we represent civil society organizations and academia, we are policy makers, educators and activists, and some of us come from the private sector, too. For now, organisations/ institutions cannot become members, but they are very welcome to reach out and partner up either with us or our members on the different initiatives.

What added value would joining the Network bring for the members?

  • You can join forces with us for advocacy for the target 4.7 of SDGs. Reach out to us if you would like to collaborate on 4.7 advocacy, whether at UN or EU level (or other)
  • You will be able to get your stories, events and resources in the Bridge 47 spotlight in our comms channels with a solid outreach to the world of transformative education
  • You will be informed and at times invited to participate in our trainings, webinars, events and other online and offline learning and networking opportunities
  • We will be happy to hear from you about the work you are doing and help you find interesting organisations or individuals to partner up with
  • You can enrich your work with unique perspectives of members with very diverse geographical, cultural and professional backgrounds
  • Other ideas? Feel free to reach out!

How can you become a member? 
You can join by simply filling in a short form about your expertise, interests and needs from the Network. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes, and it helps us a lot getting an overview of the Network, and ideas how we can best facilitate discussions and cooperation. You can access it here: www.bridge47.org/join

September 26, 2025
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 (hereinafter ‘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!
September 26, 2025
Date: 11 November, 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 on these resources in the IDEA offices on Tuesday, 11 November ,10.30am – 4.30pm. Places are limited to 20 participants and will be given on a first come, first served basis. Please note that this is a repeat of the workshop that took place in May and is aimed at members who did not have the opportunity to participate in May. A vegetarian lunch will be provided. Register below!
September 26, 2025
Date: 06 November a nd 18 November from 3.30–4.30pm Location: IDEA offices, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1 Due to positive feedback following a workshop during our annual conference, we are thrilled to invite members to a full 2-part interactive workshop about “Racial Justice” on 06 November and 18 November. This event will take place in-person in Dublin. Our facilitators Bronwyn April and Mdahyelya Bassi will guide participants through a critical exploration of the interconnections between racial justice, philanthropy, migration, and decolonisation within global and Irish contexts. The workshop will delve into how historical and ongoing colonial legacies influence contemporary issues of racial equity and social justice in Ireland and beyond. The dates for this event are fast approaching, so if you have any specific accessibility requirements, please email events@ideaonline.ie as soon as possible. Places for this event are limited, and registration is mandatory. Deadline to register is Monday, 04 November. Register below!