Active Citizenship Showcase on Wednesday 6th April 2022
Well done to the students of UW0012 Global Citizenship and Development Education Class of 2022!
The students showcased their 2022 projects and their passion for global social justice issues.
Themes included:
Child labour Policy Advocacy with Child Labour organisations in Netherlands, DR Congo and Bangladesh;
Campaigning for Palestine with Trocaire;
Financial Justice Radio shows with Financial Justice Ireland and Campus Radio; Food security and Drama (with kind support of Theatre Studies, UCC and Self Help Africa)
Theme 1: Child Labour
Approach: Students received an introductory talk from Ms. Nazma Akter of the Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh, who gave a vivid description of what working in a textile factory as a child was like for her. Following this the group working specifically on this project attended 2 x 2 hour workshops on Child Labour, led by speakers from The Global March in DR Congo and in the Netherlands. As part of this, Robin Hannan joined the group and led a workshop on and on ‘How to influence policy’.
The group focused on the garment, and cocoa industries and their work can be found here:
https://praxisucc.ie/student-case-studies/student-projects/class-of-2022/child-labour-influencing-policy/
They presented their findings and their actions to a wider audience of sixty people at Praxis week.
Collaboration: ICTU, Global March Against Child Labour Netherlands, Bangladesh and DR Congo
One Student Quote:
While working on this project regarding child labour I learnt a lot, not only from my own personal research and the amazing workshops provided, but also from group discussions with fellow group members and classmates during and after our presentation. I realised the importance of awareness and discussion in finding new solutions to decades-old issues. To end child labour, we must fight it at every level, making informed choices as consumers, advocating for policy change in both companies and governments and encouraging education projects in areas where many children are involved in child labour. No child should be denied their education and future for a bar of chocolate or £5 t-shirt.
Theme 2: Exploring Global Food Security through Drama
Approach: the full class received an introductory session with Self Help Africa on food insecurity. The smaller group, working on this as the theme of their project worked with Arran Towers of Self Help Africa and Dr. Fionn Woodhouse of Theatre Studies UCC (also a digital badge recipient). The group devised an innovative approach to exploring and engaging with others on the issue of Food Security using various drama techniques. The drama piece revolved around ten myths about hunger and aimed to raise awareness about food insecurity with a wider audience of sixty people.
The work of this project and its impact can be found here: https://praxisucc.ie/student-case-studies/student-projects/class-of-2022/exploring-global-food-security-through-drama/
Impact
- Removing preconceived ideas that we may have (ourselves and the public).
- Deepening our knowledge of issues surrounding our global food systems.
- Allowing us to reflect upon the decisions we make as individuals in terms of the products we buy (considering factors such as country of origin, organic, and fair trade).
Theme 3: Financial Justice – Broadcasting our Conversations
Approach: the full group received an introductory workshop facilitated by Financial Justice Ireland, and the Centre for Global Education, Belfast. Those who continued with this as their project for the course, attended two subsequent workshops, including a section with Campus Radio where they learnt basic radio skills. This project involved the creation of a radio show talking about various aspects of financial justice. The group chose to primarily focus on a brief introduction, a condensed synopsis of historical events, and three key areas that many radio listeners would probably be familiar with from both local perspective and global perspectives; environmental concerns, national debt, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The work of the project and the radio show can be found here:
Collaboration: Financial Justice Ireland, Campus Radio and Centre for Global Education, Belfast.
One student quote:
My original qualifications were in Accountancy so when the option arose to explore what it means to be a global citizen in the context of financial justice, I thought that’s an area I could really get stuck into. While studying accountancy & business originally, there was little reference to financial justice or injustice in the world and yet when you pull back the layers to see the financial system and its inherent biases, it’s amazing we don’t study it.
Going into the project I would say I had little understanding of financial justice beyond a general understanding that Third World Debt cripples their development, quickly I learned there was so much more to learn. I was also excited by the opportunity to explore radio/podcasting as a media source. This hugely popular media is certainly I way I enjoy consuming new information so I wanted to see behind the curtains on how podcasting works.
Overall, I really learned a lot during this project about financial justice, podcasting in general and team work. The team at Financial Justice Ireland and Campus Radio really gave us the tools to dig deep into this subject and create a compelling piece of media that might evoke a sense of curiosity or action in others in relation to global financial justice.
Theme 4: Human Rights Campaign – Focus on Palestine
Approach: the full class cohort of students received an introduction to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict delivered by Trocaire’s Development Education team and Palestinian UCC staff member. Thereafter, for their ‘action’ element, a smaller group worked on a project with a ‘campaigning’ focus, with two further two hour workshops on Palestine/Israel and on ‘campaigning skills’ (provided by Trcaire’s campaign and programme teams).
The project can be found here: https://praxisucc.ie/student-case-studies/student-projects/class-of-2022/human-rights-campaign-focus-on-palestine/
Collaboration: Trócaire’s development education, campaigning and programme staff and Dr Rola (Hamed) Abu Zeid – O’Neill, Programme Coordinator and Lecturer in the Diploma in Development and Global Human Rights Studies at the Centre for Adult Continuing Education (ACE), UCC.
