Blog.
‘Unofficial Ireland and our sense of ourselves…’
They say the past tells us a lot about the present. Queuing at immigration in the early morning at Lusaka International Airport in Zambia highlights the point. Having submitted my passport, the immigration officer comments ‘Ah, you’re Irish, I was taught by the brothers’ – no visa required for Irish
Encyclical with a distinctive ‘edginess’
With his encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home (available online as a long-form letter) Pope Francis has entered the fray not just on the environment and its future but also more broadly on the ethics and impact of dominant models of economic development and ‘extreme’ consumption. His
Hats off to the SDGs – a brief analysis of the plan to change the world
Where does one even begin to unpack the new sustainable development goals (SDGs)? When in doubt of what to think I always refer to the great Edward De Bono, thinking philosopher extraordinaire. De Bono created the ‘Six thinking hats’ tool to aid people to think fully and clearly about anything
Drowning in the Mediterranean: Tears are not enough
“Whatever mourns when many leave these shores; Whatever shares The eternal reciprocity of tears.” – Insensibility by Wilfred Owen (October 1917) Wilfred Owen’s poem dwells on the insensibility of civilians to the suffering of the soldiers in the trenches of the First World War. He condemns those who fail to
What we’re watching: men considering the ‘other’ side; the danger of a single story; updating Marx
The danger of a single story In an increasing environment where there appears to be insufficient time and intolerance in considering the ‘story’ of another, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED talk (with nearly 9 million views!!) is brilliant in alerting us to the ‘danger of a single story’ and warns that
Deadline tomorrow: Calling all 18-25 year olds! United Nations Youth Delegate Programme for Ireland
**APPLICATIONS CLOSING TOMORROW FRIDAY 5TH JUNE 2015** “This new programme will support young people to be agents of change, where they are empowered to be active global citizens contributing to building a world of justice, equity, and dignity.” National Youth Council of Ireland, together with Irish Aid in the Department
‘Non-listening, non-seeing, non-feeling…’ – the migration crisis in the Mediterranean: information, discussion and debate
The Guardian newspaper captured the essence of the issue in its editorial of April 21st: ‘A proud father who is fleeing persecution, a mother who wants to give her family a chance – every migrant who risks their lives in the Mediterranean has a story that any European would recognise.
The world is watching as Ireland votes on marriage equality
Ireland is the first country in the world to put the question of same sex marriage to a public vote. Taking place tomorrow, the referendum presents voters with a choice whether the Constitution should be changed so as to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples. The proposed bill would
10 quotes that changed the way we look at the world
The Huffington Post recently included what it considers the Top 10 quotes from various ‘leaders’ across the globe that “in some way changed how humanity looks at the world.” This list includes quotes that commemorate historical moments/actions that impacted on the global landscape, through political reforms, scientific revolutionary discoveries, human
Review of Irish Aid DE Programme: 6 arguments for strengthening development education in Ireland
The 6 arguments were prepared by developmenteducation.ie as a discussion document toward the review of the Irish Aid Development Education Programme being conducted by GENE (Global Education Network Europe) taking place in 2015 and was circulated at the consultation event at Farmleigh House (Dublin) on 29th April. The review process