Sive Bresnihan is part of Comhlámh's training and education team and with a background in drama & theatre studies, international development and adult education. Her interest in and commitment to decolonial approaches for Global Citizenship Education was seeded back in 2018 when she participated in Bridge 47's year-long "Transformative Learning Journey". Sive has a growing interest in body-based practices ("somatics") and how this field can be mobilized in support of transformative learning and, ultimately, more justice.
Decolonising Development Education
Dates: Tuesday 31 May and Tuesday 30 August, 10.30am – 4pm (Tea and Coffee from 10am)
Location: Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier St, Dublin 2
This 2 part workshop is targeted at Development Education/Global Citizenship Education practitioners. So much information about the world is filtered through a Euro-centric lens, whether it be media, history books and educational curricula. This includes knowledge and understanding about issues relating to development, which all too often occludes the role (and implications) of Europeans as colonisers, slave traders, settlers, missionaries.
What does this mean for our Development Education content and practice to date? This 2 part training workshop is an invitation to explore this question and more. How does the colonial legacy play out in Development Education content and practice? Where are its visible (and not so visible) imprints? What do decolonial approaches look like/feel like? How might they strengthen our efforts towards a truly transformative education?
The training is hosted by IDEA, in collaboration with Comhlámh and WorldWise Global Schools, and will be facilitated by Sive Bresnihan (Comhlámh) and Lizzy Noone (WorldWise Global Schools). It will take place over two days in-person – Tuesday 31 May and Tuesday 30 August. There will be an invitation to carry out a task in between the sessions and engage in some reflection with another training participant.
Cost:
Fee for members of IDEA, Comhlamh or WorldWise Global Schools* is €60.00
Fee for non-members of IDEA, Comhlamh or WorldWise Global Schools is €100.00
Fee for unwaged (refugees, asylum seekers, students, others) is €5.00 - this can be paid in person
*member rate applies to schools and NGOs who work with WorldWise Global Schools
Register below or contact us if you have any queries.
Please note:
This workshop is now full. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please register below. You will be contacted if a place becomes available for you.
Biographies
Lizzy Noone has been working with schools on Global Citizenship Education and campaigning for 24 years. She has worked for WorldWise Global Schools for 9 years working with schools to have a whole school approach to global justice and equality.
She worked with Concern for 15 years previous to this, working on three EU funded projects including stop Child Labour. She has worked with Concern Debates and the Concern Campaign Academy that engaged students in GCE and campaigns. She represented Ireland on the European Development Education Forum for four years, and was an active member of the steering group of the Global Campaign for Education and Stop Climate Chaos for many years. She did the Transformative Learning Journey 2 with Bridge 47. She is a strong believer in degrowth and decolonisation.
Over the past few months, IDEA and its members co-created a new strategic vision and roadmap for GCE in Ireland for the next five years. This is the successor to Vision 2025 and is called Vision 2030. We are delighted to announce that we will launch the publication of Vision 2030 on Tuesday 21 October 2025 in the Georgian Suite of Buswells Hotel, 23-27 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, 12 noon – 12.45pm. Refreshments will be provided. Please save the date and register below for the event. Please note that there is limited space at this event and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Once capacity has been reached, a waiting list will be opened.
We’re Hiring - Capacity Development Programme Manager The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) is looking for a Capacity Development Programme Manager to join our team. This is a unique leadership opportunity to help shape the future of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Ireland and beyond. At IDEA, we work with over 100 members, from large NGOs like Trócaire and Concern to smaller organisations and individual educators, all committed to building a more just, equal, and sustainable world. The Capacity Development Programme Manager role is central to this mission. Key role responsibilities: Lead IDEA’s capacity development programme , ensuring our members and the wider sector have access to high-quality training, workshops, and networking opportunities. Design and deliver flagship events , including our annual conference, webinars, and seminars that strengthen skills, knowledge, and collaboration. Drive innovation and impact , ensuring our programmes respond to members’ needs, emerging challenges, and international best practice. Champion impact measurement and research , supporting our members to demonstrate the transformative power of Development and Global Citizenship Education. Collaborate across IDEA teams on policy, advocacy, and communications, ensuring capacity-building directly contributes to systemic change. Represent IDEA nationally and internationally , ensuring Ireland continues to be seen as a leader in the global conversation on education, equality, and sustainability. The role offers: A permanent contract (subject to funding) Hybrid working based in Dublin city centre Competitive salary, employer pension contribution and 25 days annual leave The opportunity to work at the heart of a dynamic national network with strong international links If you are an experienced leader with a passion for education, social justice, and building the capacity of civil society, this could be the role for you. Deadline for applications is Monday, 13 October, 5.00pm. Interviews: Week commencing 20 October 2025 For the full role description and application process, please download the Job Specification here
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.
