Bridge 47: Cross-sector Building Bridges Forum on the SDGs

Civil Society Organisations working on Global Citizenship Education (also known as Development Education) came together with responsible businesses to find ways to collaborate to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a unique All-Ireland networking forum on September 26th.

The Building Bridges: Cross-sector Partnerships for the SDGs networking forum is the first event of its kind on the island of Ireland bringing together the third sector and the private sector to address the SDGs. It was run as part of a partnership between the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) and Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITCNI) via Bridge 47 – an EU project that seeks to build global citizenship in pursuit of the SDGs. More than 70 participants from both sectors took part in the event at Allstate Northern Ireland.

IDEA and BITCNI hosted the forum with the aim to bring their member organisations together and foster dialogue between them as part of their wider efforts to encourage collaboration between the Global Citizenship Education sector and the business sector to work towards the achievement of the SDGs.

The private sector participants, primarily from BITCNI membership, ranged from Small and Medium Enterprises to large multinational companies in the fields of construction, IT, insurance, financial services, communications, banking and agriculture. They included Diageo, ASDA, Lidl, Deloitte, Bank of Ireland and Moy Park.

Among civil society and education practitioners, made up primarily of IDEA’s members, participants included Concern Worldwide, WorldWise Global Schools, Green-schools, Children in Crossfire, Global Action Plan, Trócaire, the Centre for Global Education and Proudly Made in Africa whose CEO, Vikki Brennan, acted as master of ceremonies for the day.

Frank Geary, Director of IDEA, told participants that the SDGs “apply equally to every country, and can only be achieved if all sectors of society including Government, Civil Society, businesses, and local communities draw on each other’s strengths and work together towards achieving them.”   He emphasized that “Development Education has a fundamental role to play in the success of the SDGs, as it raises awareness, facilitates participation and supports engagement with the Goals.”

Gillian McKee, Deputy Managing Director of BITCNI, stated that the Goals provide “a valuable opportunity for businesses to engage in helping to find solutions to the world’s biggest sustainable development challenges. They offer a framework for companies to shape and communicate their sustainability strategies. And they matter to your customers and stakeholders. Business has a vital role to play and can bring valuable resources, skills and expertise to support the attainment of the Goals. Partnerships are absolutely key to this. Many of the sustainability issues that businesses are tackling are too big to tackle alone and require the skills and knowledge that the NGO sector and government can bring. We need to create deeper cooperation than has existed previously in order to tackle the monumental issues we face.”

During a panel discussion on cross-sector partnership examples, panellists from Lidl, FoodCloud, Proudly Made in Africa and Deloitte provided insights on how their partnerships came into existence and the benefits that they are gaining from collaborating with one another.   

Participants also took part in parallel workshops facilitated by IDEA members. These workshops provided a deep dive into some of the individual Goals such as Climate Change (Goal 13), Quality Education (Goal 4) and Gender Equality (Goal 5). They provided an opportunity for both sectors to look at possible solutions together.

As the day concluded, in her closing remarks, Vikki Brennan encouraged participants to “Say yes! If someone reaches out to you to start any of these initiatives. It’s never too late to start a partnership, let alone your sustainability journey.”

The response from participants was very positive with one representative from RPS saying, “Thanks so much for facilitating such an insightful and informative event. I learnt a lot to take back into the company, but much broader than that I developed contacts which was the aim of the event and there were many stories and personal experiences which will remain with me and help me to have a personal interest in focusing on the SDGs as well as corporate awareness.”

For more information on this event or Bridge 47’s activities in Ireland, please contact Ji Hyun Kim, National Officer at ji.hyun.kim@bridge47.org.

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

September 8, 2025
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

August 25, 2025
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

August 11, 2025
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.