IDEA CEO Addresses Major International GCE Conference in Seoul

IDEA CEO, Ruairí McKiernan, was among the speakers at the recent 10th International Conference on Global Citizenship Education (IConGCED) in Seoul, co-organised by APCEIU (the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding under the auspices of UNESCO), the Korean Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UNESCO. The conference brought together more than 350 participants from 51 countries under the theme “Democracy in the Post-Truth Crisis: The Role of GCED.” Ruairí was the only Irish speaker, sharing perspectives shaped by Ireland’s history of conflict, peacebuilding, and global solidarity.

Flying the Irish flag in Seoul

In his contribution, Ruairí spoke about the urgency of defending democracy and peace in an era of rising disinformation, authoritarianism, and conflict. Drawing on his experience of growing up near the Irish border, he reflected on how easily peace can be undermined. He pointed to the dangers posed by racist anti-migrant campaigns and the war in Palestine as stark reminders of the need to protect human rights and international law.


“Hard-won peace can never be taken for granted,” he told delegates. “We must invest in peace with greater determination than is invested in war. That means dialogue, empathy, education, critical thinking, courage, and compassion.”


Ireland’s commitment to solidarity

He also highlighted Ireland’s long tradition of solidarity and global engagement. He praised the commitment of Irish Aid, championed by Minister Neale Richmond, and acknowledged the work of NGOs such as Concern Worldwide, which maintains an office in South Korea. “Ireland’s national consciousness is rooted in empathy, resistance, and solidarity,” he said. “That is why Global Citizenship Education is so central to who we are as a people.”


A vibrant GCE sector in Ireland

Ruairí spoke about Ireland’s vibrant Global Citizenship Education sector and the dedication of the many organisations and educators who sustain it. He outlined IDEA’s role as the national platform for this work, including the IDEA Code of Good Practice which supports quality, coherence, and accountability across the sector. He highlighted the importance of Irish Aid’s GCE Strategy, the Shared Island cross-border initiatives, and the Dublin Declaration on Global Education to 2050, all of which place Ireland among the leading countries advancing GCE at national and international levels. He emphasised that the strength of Ireland’s sector lies in its collaboration and its ability to connect local realities with global justice issues.


A meeting of nations and ideas

The conference created valuable opportunities to connect with international leaders, NGOs, and academics from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. These exchanges further strengthened IDEA’s role in advancing Global Citizenship Education on a global stage.


Ruairí also met with Ambassador Michelle Winthrop at the Irish Embassy in Seoul to discuss Ireland’s investment in international development and multilateralism. He learned more about the work of Concern Worldwide in Korea, and about the remarkable role played by Irish missionaries and humanitarians who dedicated themselves to Korea, including during the Korean War. Many lost their lives while working among the poor, while others are still alive and serving today. This history of sacrifice and solidarity further underlines Ireland’s global footprint and reputation for standing with those in need.


This was Ruairí’s first return to Korea since taking part in the Korea Foundation leadership programme in 2013. Reflecting on Korea’s remarkable journey from war to democracy, he said: “It is powerful to imagine Ireland and South Korea standing together on the world stage - as champions of inclusive, thriving democracies.”


Why it matters for IDEA

For IDEA and its members, the conference reinforced the vital role of Global Citizenship Education in building resilience against disinformation, polarisation, and democratic decline. It also showcased Ireland’s contribution - through policy, practice, lived experience, and humanitarian legacy – to the global GCE community.


As Ruairí concluded in Seoul: “If ever there was a moment for courage and leadership, it is now. Let us be the voice of peace and show that even in the darkest times, peace is always possible.”

Launch of IDEA's Theory of Impact for GCE

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!

IDEA Advocacy Toolkit and GCE Policy Guide Workshop, November

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!

Code Network Meeting November 2025

September 17, 2025
Date: Wednesday 26 November, 10.00am – 3.30pm Location: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 YY05 IDEA is looking forward to welcoming all members of the Code of Good Practice for Development Education to our next Code network meeting on Wednesday, 26 November, in Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin. There are places for two representatives (staff, volunteers, etc.) from each Code member. One of the commitments in joining the Code is to contribute to the Community of Practice for this Code, including sharing successes and learning with other Code members and attending at least one of two Code network meetings annually. Register below!