IDEA Appoints New CEO

We Are Delighted to Announce our New CEO

IDEA is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruairí McKiernan as our new CEO. With over 20 years of experience as a respected non-profit leader, activist, and social innovator, Ruairí brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our organisation. 


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. Ruairí has served on the boards of the Soar Foundation and Gaisce. 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.


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 advocating for gambling industry reform. 


His activism has spanned various causes, including anti-war campaigns, environmental protection, mental health reform, and gender-based violence. Ruairí is also a regular media contributor, a published non-fiction author, and the host of a popular social change podcast, Love and Courage. He is a Fulbright Fellow in Civic Engagement and holds a degree in Management, and an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy. He is currently undertaking a Postgraduate qualification in Sustainability Leadership. 


"It is a great privilege to serve IDEA as CEO. I've had the good fortune of working with IDEA and many of its members over the years. I've always been struck by the sense of integrity, passion, and dedication among the IDEA community, and the culture of care, cooperation, solidarity, and professionalism that underpins it.


This is a community ready-made for these extraordinary times. The climate emergency, biodiversity loss, war, genocide, disinformation, extremism, racism, and rampant inequality — the threats to life on our shared planet are many and increasingly urgent. If ever there was a time to unleash the vast liberating power of Development Education and Global Citizenship Education, it is now. Herein lies a historic opportunity: a call to radical reimagining that requires us to stand firmly with the oppressed, forge new and diverse alliances, and take bold and fearless action to inspire new hope for humanity and our beautiful planet.


I look forward to working with the staff, the National Council, our members, partners, funders, and the broader community as we work together for a world of peace, justice, and possibility."  Ruairí McKiernan


We look forward to the energy, experience, and vision Ruairí will bring to IDEA as we expand our impact on development education and global citizenship education. 









May 12, 2025
IDEA to Honour President Higgins with Inaugural Global Voice for Humanity Award at Annual Conference
May 2, 2025
Dates: Thursday 10 July,10.00am-6.00pm and Friday 11 July, 10.00am-3.00pm Location: An Tairseach, Wicklow IDEA is thrilled to open applications for our second iteration of the IDEA's Lab. In this first of its kind residential Lab, we will create space where members can bring their ideas for projects and try out new planning and design methods. Participants will have the opportunity to work on an idea from scratch to (almost) finish with the support of expert trainers and learn through group exchange in a welcoming and inspiring setting. Participants will come out of the training with: An early project design proofed, tested and built through group feedback, iteration, trialling and support. New approaches in designing innovative projects they can apply to their workplace Headspace and time to work on the design of an innovative project A chance to actively learn through group exchange and strengthen the sense of an innovative community of practice in Ireland How? Please email anya@ideaonline.ie to request an application form. Requesting an application form does not commit you to applying. The deadline for returning application form (including organisational sign off letter) is Friday 23 May, midnight . You will find further details in the application form. Participants must register as a team of 2min.- 4 max. Participants without a team member will be asked to pair up with other individual participants or find a partner outside their organisation. Cost : This training is funded by Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and offered at a reduced rate. This training is only available to IDEA members. Non-IDEA members can participant as part of an IDEA member team. Fees for members of IDEA is €50  Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas development programme which supports partners working in some of the world’s poorest countries. Irish Aid also supports global citizenship education in Ireland to encourage learning and public engagement with global issues the ideas, opinions and comments expressed in this training are entirely the responsibility of its author(s) and do not necessarily represent or reflect DFA policy. Timeline: Applications open: 07 May Applications close: 23 May, midnight Preparatory session with trainer (30min, online): Mid June Lab arrival: Where possible we advise arrival on Wednesday 09 July in the evening. Accommodation and food will be provided from 09 July, 5.00pm - 11 July, 3.00pm Lab: 10 July,10.00am-6.00pm. 11 July, 10.00am-3.00pm Please don’t hesitate to get in touch at anya@ideaonline.ie if any of the above pose a barrier to your participation, or if you have any other questions.
April 29, 2025
Wednesday 18 June, 10.00am - 4.00pm Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1