IDEA's Director Frank Geary spoke at a seminar on ‘Education Toward Social Change’ at Queens University Belfast organised by the Centre for Global Education and the Development Studies Association Ireland, Wednesday, 14 June. The discussion focussed on how we can build and develop inter-sectoral co-operation for the achievement of SDG 4.7.

An audience from Belfast civil society, academia and education engaged in a lively and inspiring discussion with a panel from Development Studies Association Ireland, IDEA, ECO-UNESCO, National Youth Council of Ireland and Participation and Practice of Rights, a Belfast based organisation that takes an innovative community based approach to human rights and education.

Frank presented on the Development Education sector’s delivery of SDG 4.7, IDEA’s work on partnerships within and beyond Development Education, and our shared advocacy with Coalition 2030 and Bridge 47.

The discussion covered a broad range of topics from climate change denial to meeting young people where they are at, to using human rights treaties to tackle housing issues in Belfast. It ended with Ruadhan MacCormaic’s assertion at IDEA's Annual Conference, 08 June, that this is “a golden age for activism”.