In our tenth episode of the ONE Conversation podcast series, The Making of an Activist Fiona Dunne chats with Moira Leydon, Assistant General Secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) a lifelong trade union and political activist. This is an amazing conversation which is not just a personal account of her experiences but also a social and political commentary on the changes which can be traced throughout Moira’s life. It is clear from the outset that Moira’s passion is not just about activism and righting social injustices but specifically educational activism, which is central to her current role today with the ASTI.
We begin by discussing the early influences on her life which began within her “history conscious family” in Sligo. She recounts her first experience of what she describes as her “rebellion” at 8 years of age, which was essentially the first time she was conscious of gender inequality resulting in detention however, all of these experiences is remembered with fondness. The conversation moves from Sligo to Dublin, and onwards to Germany and Prague where Moira practiced activism within the student movement and later politically, all at a time where she explains ideological and political battles were being played out on college campuses.
Although quite young she was exhilarated by the political debates and dialogues and believes it was both her education and her extensive reading that gave her the capacity and confidence to engage in such discussions. She also describes the huge level of respect shown to her within those political circles because she wanted to make change, an important requirement for all activists.
Throughout the conversation Moira reflects on her experiences and motivations and is brutally honest about what she describes as her “moral breakdown” when discussing the radical shift in her political thinking, influenced mainly by her time spent in Prague. It then moves to her role in the ASTI, the importance of activism in the education space and of dialogue. She believes activism never goes away but just changes form, and offers gems of advice for aspiring activists from listening to young people, engaging out of your social bubble to communicating well. On sustaining her motivation she feels privileged to have the choice to “keep going” as many others have far greater injustices to deal with and suggests that it is where there are crimes against humanity and a wrong is so profound that you can’t but keep engaged. Taking inmovements from anti-apartheid to the quest for a Palestinian state, this conversation is a fantastic introduction to activism both at home and abroad and will be of interest to those involved in seeking to correct “grave injustices”.
Come with us for a conversation which is international in outlook but local at heart, it really is worth the listen.
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