Eiad Husham is a Sudanese independent journalist with extensive experience in investigative reporting covering conflict and the human cost of the arms trade.. Currently working with Sudans Post, Ayin, The New Humanitarian, The New Internationalist and Geeska Platform, he focuses on conflict, governance and human rights. Eiad aims to amplify marginalised voices and connect Sudan’s local realities with global audiences through in-depth storytelling.
Exploring Contemporary Crises and Issues through Global Citizenship Education: Between Neutrality and Militarisation
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
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
Niamh Ní Bhriain coordinates the Transnational Institute's (TNI) War and Pacification programme, which focuses on the permanent state of war and pacification of resistance. She holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG).
Before coming to TNI, Niamh spent a number of years living in Colombia and Mexico working with civil society organisations and the UN in the areas of peace-building, transitional justice, the protection of Human Rights Defenders and conflict analysis. She also spent some time in Brussels doing political advocacy before European institutions related to the conflict in Colombia.
Katie Martin is the Coordinator of Afri (Action from Ireland), an organisation committed to peace, justice, human rights, and sustainability since 1975. As an experienced GCE practitioner, Katie passionately advocates for creative and engaging methodologies, seeing their efficacy as powerful catalysts for deeper understanding and action for our shared world. She believes critical hope, active citizenship, and decolonisation are key in imagining and creating more peaceful and equitable futures. Katie holds two first-class honours degrees, a BA in International Relations from DCU and an MA in International Peacebuilding, Security, and Development Practice from Maynooth University. Last but certainly not least, Katie is a proud member of Comhlámh Justice for Palestine, a very active solidarity group based in Dublin.
Moderator
Ruairí McKiernan is the CEO of IDEA, the Irish Development Education Association. His activism has spanned various causes, including anti-war campaigns, environmental protection, mental health reform, and gender-based violence. 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 advocated for reform of the gambling industry. Ruairí is also a regular media contributor, a published non-fiction author, and the host of a popular social change podcast, Love and Courage. 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. 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.
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 is Wednesday, 29 October, 5.00pm. Read the full terms of reference here.
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.”
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!
