IDEA Annual Conference and 20th Anniversary “We Have to Turn the Mirror on Ourselves.”
At the recent 2024 IDEA Annual Conference, we had a lively panel discussion of ‘Current Context and Considerations for the Future of GCE’. Our panellists challenged, entertained, and inspired us all.
Check out our 4 panellists and catch up on their presentations.
Dr. Lilian Nwanze-Akobo, Director of the Higher Diploma in Further Education, Maynooth University
Niall Tierney, Director, Global Programmes and Global Citizenship Education Unit, Irish Aid
Mohammad Naeem, Activist & Former UN Youth Delegate for Ireland
Sarah Kelleher, CEO, Lourdes Youth & Community Services (LYCS)
“Get over yourself. If we are going to do this work, we have to turn the mirror on ourselves. We need to understand the critical aspects, the power imbalances the systems the structures. We have to put our money where our mouth is. We can’t say we want an even, beautiful world... but what policies are we going to pass if it is a monochromatic meeting?!” Dr. Lilian Nwanze-Akobo, Director of the Higher Diploma in Further Education, Maynooth University.
“You have to speak the language of the people who are sitting in front of you. We have a community training centre for early school leavers. They are required to get 5 training modules every year. I don’t care if they get them- that's the truth. What I care about is that they leave us after 2 years and they have registered to vote. That’s what I care about. They have become active citizens. That they know they can be part of the world. Because all these people feel excluded, I can tell you.”
Sarah Kelleher, CEO, Lourdes Youth & Community Services (LYCS).
“Growing up in a very rural area and attending a secondary school that was heavily focused on sports I found very few opportunities to explore... [CGE], empowering young people like me to engage in global issues and to think critically about the world around them. Unfortunately, that wasn’t provided to me during my education. Mine was the first year that CSPE was removed as an exam subject. When the pandemic hit, I was in Junior Cert and like many others I faced the challenge of isolation however what I initially saw as a barrier turned into an opportunity for me. The shift to online platforms meant that I could access a wealth of opportunities that were previously out of reach for me due to location and travel constraints.” Mohammad Naeem, Activist & Former UN Youth Delegate for Ireland
"One of the key challenges is in the cacophony of noise and disinformation and immediacy... the immediacy of my prejudices, the immediacy of my perceived needs, my perceived right, is making the architecture and toolkit that educators like yourselves are trying to build through GCE, in every citizen's mind to give that breathing space, that mental step back to understand.... how is Ireland benefitting from multilateralism?" Niall Tierney, Director, Global Programmes and Global Citizenship Education Unit, Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs.
A very warm thanks to all our panellists, speakers and facilitators on the day.
