2010 IDEA ANNUAL CONFERENCE: REPORT

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“We need to rethink what the story is that

we are telling ourselves and disrupt some routines- can’t

wait!”

“Inspiring, diverse, challenging. Great to have input from people outside DE.”

Radical Common Sense: Education For Change 4th June 2010

CONFERENCE REPORT

Contents: • Introduction

• Compiled Questions that were asked of the Panel

• Outcomes of the Afternoon Discussion

• Delegate List

• Links to further information

Introduction 63 people attended the recent annual IDEA conference which took place on Friday the 4th of June in Space 54, Smithfield, Dublin 7.

The morning panel discussion set the tone for the day, bringing together diverse perspectives from outside the Development Education sector. Dr. Ivor Browne talked about his own personal experience of education, of his experience of personal change in psychiatry and psychotherapy and of his realisation that the only thing we can be sure of changing is ourselves. Paula Downey of Downey Youell and Associates spoke about a living systems approach to learning, exploring the deep paradigm shift that is needed to renegotiate our relationship with the planet and each other. Dr. Kieran Allen from UCD explicitly named capitalism as the obsolete system that needs to be replaced, through radical collective action. Rajiv Joshi of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) described personal experiences of mobilising to challenge injustice locally and globally, highlighting the role of young people in activism and awareness-raising. Rita Fagan, from St. Michael's Estate in Inchicore spoke about linking local and global struggles for justice and emphasised the importance of the community development sector in Development Education. The chair, Pete Davis, brought all the contributions together and facilitated a dynamic question and answer question, with some provocative questions from delegates leading to inspiring discussion.

In the afternoon, 3 discussion corners were hosted by volunteer members of IDEA's National Council. Each corner focused on a different level of change- personal, organisational and sytemic (social/ environmental). Delegates discussed the broad question that underpinned the theme of the conference: "What is needed to empower citizens through education to take part in creating a more fair amd sustainable future?" As a result, action points emerged from each discussion corner. These were fed

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“Thanks for an excellently organised and put together Annual Conference. It was a pleasure to participate and I

found the speakers really interesting particularly as all of them worked for change with

different perspectives and methodologies.”

back to the delegation who put their names next to actions they intended to follow up in their own DE practice. Lots of action points emerged for IDEA to consider, points that will be considered as we go into our planning mode for next year.

We were also delighted to have found Space 54, which is a social enterprise multifunctional arts space- not a regular choice for conferences- it definitely brought a fresh and inspiring ambience to the day!

Thank you to all those who attended the conference, who contribute their energy, enthusiasm and experience. We look forward to seeing you all next year.

The IDEA Team.

June 21st 2010

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“What kind of disturbance is

required to bring about the

changes we want to see?”

Questions from Panel Discussion Star questions

1. How can we mobilise apathetic people to act and convince them that their actions can make a difference?

2. If change isn’t planned but learned, then how do we work together for change?

3. How do you encourage people to become aware of what is happening in communities and what they can do to challenge these changes?

4. (For Rita) How do we create safe spaces for people to speak out/ resist?

5. (for Rita) Do you have any ideas for how the Dev Ed sector could work more with the community devt sector? To build mutual solidarity etc?

6. (For Rajif) What are some of the ways that civil society can channel in a positive way the “outrage” felt by ordinary people affected by the crises?

7. Dev Ed sector needs to speak out on issues not censor itself!

8. What can we do when (our) resistance becomes unpopular and/or derisive? This evening the big arrival gathering starts at Rossport Solidarity Camp. A few hundred people that no one will listen to- or are we making change?

9. Why did people adopt Newton’s ideas but failed to incorporate new scientific ideas into their thinking?

10. How do we tackle capitalism? Are there examples and where?

11. Radical change is a human definition. Can someone give me what changes they made since the start of the recession?

12. How could the insight “there are no things, only relationships” be used to mobilise people everywhere to demand-enact-become radical change for global social justice?

13. How do we sustain the sector without government funding?

14. How do you get people who don’t think there needs to be a revolution to take revolution seriously?

15. How can we best mobilise people to challenge the fatalistic message of capitalism?

16. What kind of disturbance is required to bring about the changes we want to see?

17. Do we need to (and if so how) can we coordinate our actions to challenge and replace capitalism, across sectors, classes, different politics... (countries)?

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“Change in itself

means nothing...”

Group questions

1. How can we best mobilise ourselves and others to challenge the fatalistic message of capitalism in a positive way? “To reach another shore we have to be for a very long time out of sight of the land”

2. How do we seriously challenge capitalism?

3. How do we change the system? and what is the alternative?

4. How can we best mobilise to challenge existing systems?

5. How do we encourage people to become radical agents for change “within” the reality of capitalism? and what have we learned from the radicals of the 60s and 70s?

6. How do we effect change from within the existing systems? How can we learn from radical systems?

7. Change in itself means nothing. Please name one positive change you have seen in your lifetime as an example?

8. Who sets the agenda? and (how do we) educate so people have the skills to _______? Who’s activism?

9. How do we motivate ourselves AND support people to continue to work for change in the face of major setbacks? (resilience)

10. How do we create/ encourage solidarity? Is that our role? Are we the right people?

11. How can learning about change be people-centred?

12. How do we create safe spaces for people to speak out/ resist?

13. How do we make the change from thinking based on things to thinking based on relationships?

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Feedback from Discussion Corners

Discussion Corner 1: Personal Change 1. To act as honest role models. showing that success is possible but that we share the

tensions and doubts. a. Joanne Malone b. Jim Aherne c. Claire d. Catherine e. Helen (Would like to get more actively involved in campaigning) f. Sheila g. Aoife McTernan h. Su Ming i. Gin j. Susan k. Deirdre l. Evie

2. To provide support in crises, turning them into opportunities. Local-Global. Offer hospitable/ safe space- solidarity- drama- campaign.

a. Guinter (Rafael) b. Eva Creely (Connect or reach out to people who are not in formal systems,

unemployed, young people...) c. Develop I.O. (?) Further

Patsy Toland (L) and Bobby McCormack (R) feeding back

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Discussion Corner 2: Organisational Change

The Feedback from Discussion Corner 2

1. IDEA could create spaces for educators of all types to get together to share experiences and explore, to question:

a. The education agenda entirely! and how we can change educational structures, how we can disturb the entire educational system...

b. ways of learning c. what are other people doing d. what is good education e. how do we link formal, non-formal and community learning/ development f. how to create synergies between community development and Dev Ed x collective

action g. (post it note) training around monitoring and evaluation

Discussion Corner 3: Social Environmental Change 1. Be careful/ aware of the language we use and its relevance for people

a. Helen (think about what we really mean in less complex language) b. Claire c. Josefina d. Aoife McT e. Anne Garvey f. Jenna Coriddi g. Su Ming Khoo h. Jim Aherne i. Bertrand j. Deirdre

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2. Deepen our knowledge and awareness of how to bring about critical thinking a. Catherine b. Su Ming Khoo c. Anne Garvey d. Joanne M e. Evie Finlay f. Helen Mahony g. Johnny h. Catherine

3. Illustrate the connections between individual actions and social change a. Su Ming Khoo b. Michael Doorly c. Guinter (Rafael) d. S McCloskey e. Ali Leahy f. Deirdre g. Sheila h. Evie i. Joanne M j. Fleachta Phelan

4. Broaden our level of engagement with media/ politicians/ business sector a. Helen b. Guinter (Rafael) c. Eva Creely (one forum to connect with business is common purpose) d. Veronique Gauthier e. Anne Garvey

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Delegate List NAME ORGANISATION

1 Bertrand Borg 80:20 2 Claire Glavey Link Community Development 3 Evie Finlay SUAS 4 Joanne Malone SUAS 5 Gina Allen SUAS 6 Veronique Gauthier 7 Helen Henderson Children in Crossfire 8 Susan Gallwey Waterford One World Centre 9 Aoife McTernan Trocáire 10 John Smith Trocáire 11 Orla Quinn Trocáire 12 Aoife Rush Trocáire 13 Marie Moriarty Trocáire 14 Sheila Dillon Trocáire 15 Rosalind Duke DICE 16 Maura Gallagher LTI Intercultural Training 17 Helen Lane YMCA 18 Su-ming Khoo DERN 19 Susan Hensel Afri 20 Mbemba Jabbi Africa Centre 21 Rebecca O'Halloran Africa Centre 22 Adrienne Boyle Age Action Ireland 23 Joseph Clowry Combat Diseases of Poverty Consortium 24 Adrienne Boyle Age Action Ireland 25 Jim Arhern Alá Community Theatre 26 Mags Liddy University of Limerick 27 Bobby McCormack Development Perspectives 28 Brenda Delaney Wicklow VEC 29 Josefina Rangel Nasc 30 Ahmed Ahmir Nasc 31 Michael Doorly Concern 32 Stephen McCloskey Centre for Global Education 33 Patsy Toland Self Help Africa 34 Annette Mangan Wicklow VEC 35 Elaine Mahon NYCI 36 Catherine Friedrich Trinity College Dublin 37 Deidre Murray Comhlámh 38 Alison Leahy Comhlámh 39 Deirdre Kelly Comhlámh 40 Fleachta Phelan Comhlámh 41 Helena McNeill LYCS 42 Rachel Dempsey LYCS 43 Johnny Sheehan NYCI 44 Elaine Mahon NYCI 45 Mella Cusack CDVEC Curriculum Development Unit 46 Guinter Hames 47 Jerrieann Sullivan Eco-Unesco

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48 Charo Lanao-Madden Centre for Global Education 49 Lizzie Downes 50 Aisling Moran Ethical Development Action 51 Mary McCarthy Worldwise 52 Eva Creely Worldwise 53 Gilbert Storrs Freelance 54 Darran Irvine Schools Across Borders 55 Evanna Craig Concern 56 Jenna Corridi CGE 57 Eric Yao Africa Centre 58 Helen Mahony BCFE 59 Joni LASC Rajiv Joshi Speaker Dr Keiran Allen Speaker Paula Downey Speaker Dr Ivor Browne Speaker Rita Fagan Speaker Mathias Fiedler IDEA Eimear McNally IDEA Heidi Holden IDEA Joyce Matemba IDEA Deirdre Walsh IDEA

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Further Information

IDEA www.ideaonline.ie

IDEA’s Members www.ideaonline.ie/members

You can read this report and access Paula Downey’s talk here

www.ideaonline.ie/content/radical-common-sense-report

Downey Youell Associates www.dya.ie

Rajiv Joshi’s Blog http://justworldorder.tumblr.com/

Dr. Kieran Allen www.ucd.ie/research/people/sociology/drkieranallen/

Rita Fagan www.stmichaelsestate.ie/about/team_eng.html

Dr. Ivor Browne www.rte.ie/tv/wouldyoubelieve/ivorbrowne.html

Space 54 www.facebook.com/space54

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