Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects

It’s been 4 years since the global School Strike for Climate event. In this episode of the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects podcast, Yvonne O’Callaghan reflects on that seminal moment in May 2019, and many moments since then where young people have taken the lead, saying:‘They have broken down more barriers than anyone before them in terms of activism over the last 20 years.’In this episode, guest host Tony Daly caught up with trade union leader Yvonne, who believes ‘This is about the future and we need to make sure future generations, including young people, are involved in how we tackle climate justice right now, not in 10 years.’ In SIPTU’s 22nd May 2019 statement in advance of the climate strike event in her capacity as SIPTU Global Solidarity Campaign Secretary, Yvonne said:‘Our union is built on the belief that through collective action real and progressive change can be achieved. Our activists are honoured to have been asked to assist a number of grassroots organisations of young people who are focused on ensuring that there is effective action taken to deal with the existential crisis that is climate change.’Yvonne was one of the supporting adults in the trade union movement in Ireland in the lead up to the climate protest in Dublin, contributing a high-vis vest as worn by dozens of volunteer marshals towards the exhibition. Yvonne is Head of Equality and Policy in SIPTU Trade Union, chair of the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee and chairperson of Fairtrade Ireland. For more, check out the School Strike for Climate – Marshal Vest object in the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects online exhibitionFor listeners, some periodic background noise can be heard as this episode was recorded on the side-lines of the Fairtrade General Assembly in Nairobi in June 2022. Check out more episodes in the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects series or subscribe. The Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects podcast is hosted by Ciara Regan.This episode was produced by Dylan Creane and Tony Daly. Music by Jump Lead.Brought to you by developmenteducation.ie and supported by Irish Aid

Is it possible to go online today and avoid misinformation? And what about the work involved in writing about global issues such as FGM  - in Ireland and elsewhere - and testing the interest of readers to know about them and take action?In this episode, Ciara Regan caught up with award winning journalist and feminist Órla Ryan of TheJournal.ie, who believes “it’s through education and awareness that things can change.” Órla talks about what it was like meeting former circumcisers involved in female genital mutilation, the power of her platform working in a newsroom, her views on the term ‘fake news’ and shares tips for young people (particularly women) interested in exploring roles in journalism. Órla’s work has been acknowledged in its commitment to highlighting humanitarian issues and  highlighting social injustices happening in Ireland or abroad in the Irish Red Cross Journalism Excellence Award and the Justice Media Award. More recently, Órla is the creator and presenter of the 6-part documentary podcast series Redacted Lives which explores mother and baby homes in Ireland and  tells the stories of people who passed through the system (released on November 10th 2022).Explore Órla Ryan’s three-part series on FGM and women’s rights in Kenya on TheJournal.ie:Part 1: ‘I used to cut the girls, sometimes I would cut the wrong part and they would bleed terribly’, July 21st 2019Part 2: ‘I’ll give you a goat and then you can forget about the rape’, July 22nd 2019Part 3: ‘Girls are forced to have sex in exchange for sanitary pads or 50 cents’, July 23rd 2019.Check out more episodes in the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects series or subscribe.The Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects podcast is hosted by Ciara Regan.This episode was produced by Dylan Creane and Tony Daly. Music by Jump Lead. Brought to you by developmenteducation.ie and supported by Irish Aid

Cartoons have a lot to say about the state of the world.As one of Ireland’s most prolific pencils in the business, Martyn Turner’s political cartoons are unavoidably challenging. In a career spanning more than four decades, he has raised questions of justice, equality, contradiction, responsibility, hypocrisy, accountability, rights and wrongs on a weekly basis in the pages of the Irish Times.Martyn’s work has featured in education resources, books, workshop hand-outs and on PowerPoints as a part of the teacher’s go-to ‘stimulus’ materials on global justice and human rights issues as well as public campaigns on issues such as ending Apartheid in South Africa.In this episode of the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects podcast, guest host ‘educational activist’ and development educator Colm Regan interviews colleague and friend Martyn Turner on the perils, dilemmas and trade-craft as a cartoonist.This the story of editorial cartooning in 1980s and beyond.As part of this episode, check out the rest of the Martyn Turner series: Check out the object pages on I Ran the World, I Ruin the World, I Ruin the World and 75:25 from the exhibition.Read Colm Regan’s reflection on Martyn Turner as one of the great chroniclers of modern Irish history.Why use political cartoons in education? 6 starter activities for teachers and educators.Explore 11 cartoons on Covid-19, climate change and the arms trade by Martyn Turner in recent timesInteractive feature: What do you see? Money the G7 will spend that could save people’s lives (based on one cartoon) Check out more episodes in the series or subscribe.With thanks to Martyn Turner for joining us for episode 3, which was recorded remotely under lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects is hosted by Ciara Regan.Episode three was guest host Colm Regan and produced by Dylan Creane, Tony Daly and Ciara Regan.Music by Jump LeadBrought to you by developmenteducation.ie and supported by Irish Aid

From the 1904 Casement Report detailing abuses in the Congo Free State which was under the private ownership of King Leopold II of Belgium to Mary Robinson’s role as High Commissioner for Human Rights, Irish people have been active as rapporteurs on human rights issues internationally.For episode 2, Ciara Regan caught up with Michael D. Higgins, ninth President of Ireland. Before he was elected President, before he was appointed as Ireland’s first Minister for the Arts or Labour Party Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs in the Irish Parliament, Michael D. Higgins was a freshman politician serving his first year when he intervened in a heated exchange by tabling a motion in a Dáil Éireann debate about El Salvador in 1981.This exchange was recorded during the height of a civil war in Central America, taking place far from the island of Ireland and is the object featured in today’s episode.President Higgins reflects on a what it was like working behind the scenes to build support for his motion, on visiting El Salvador with overseas development and human rights advocate Sally O’Neill Sanchez of Trócaire to investigate reports of a massacre of civilians in the village of El Mozote and what it was like trying to build a broader coalition of decision makers by taking his case to Washington. The President also shares his tips for young people today thinking about their own journeys in activism on issues so far away.This the story of the El Salvador motion.Check out the object page for the motion on El Salvador from the exhibition.Read the full exchange of the motion debate between politicians, as recorded in the Dáil Éireann debate transcript. Find out more about the Michael D. Higgin’s return to El Slavador as reported in The Irish Times and his emotional recalling of the events at that time.Read Michael D. Higgins' address in 2013 ‘Of Memory and Testimony - The Importance of Paying Tribute to Those Who Were Emancipatory’ at La Universidad Centroamericana, San Salvador, El Salvador, 24th October 2013.Note - Episode 2 of the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects podcast was launched on the International Day of Conscience.

Between 27th December 2008 and 14th January 2009, Israel launched a massive and unprecedented assault on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. For episode 1, Ciara Regan caught up with Kevin Squires, national co-ordinator of the Ireland Palestine Campaign (IPSC), who was involved in a 1-page ‘call’ published in the Irish Times in January 2009. Kevin recalls the action, involving hundreds of donations to pay for the call’s publication and the ‘call’ aimed at the Irish government as a series of demands, including ceasing its purchase of Israeli medical products and services, to demand that Israeli reverse its settlement, construction and annexation of land in accordance with Security Council resolutions and to boycott Israeli goods and services until Israel abides by international law. This the story of the Irish Call for Justice for Palestine.Check out the object page for Irish Call for Justice for Palestine https://developmenteducation.ie/objects/irish-call-for-justice-for-palestine/Find out more about the IPSC and their work https://www.ipsc.ie/Two long reads in The Guardian - Why Israel went to war in Gaza https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/04/israel-gaza-hamas-hidden-agenda; How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/07/gaza-israel-palestineGaza: What lessons from Northern Ireland? blog posted on Amnesty UK https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/belfast-and-beyond/gaza-what-lessons-northern-ireland Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects is a developmenteducation.ie audio series hosted by Ciara Regan. Find out more information about the show at https://developmenteducation.ie/podcasts/

Based on the pop-up event in March 2020, the Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects exhibition is a snapshot of Irish engagement with global cultural, political and social issues over the past 50 years. This podcast series will explore a number of the 100 objects featured in the exhibition through the stories from the people involved in bringing them about. Irish Global Solidarity in 100 Objects is a developmenteducation.ie audio series hosted by Ciara Regan. Find out more information about the show at developmenteducation.ie/podcasts/