Limerick Be Heard #Youth Engage 2017

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Project

Location:

Limerick City and County

Project Leader:

Maura Adshead, UL and John Real, LYS

Contact:

Maura.Adshead@ul.ie

What we're doing:

The project will create forums for political engagement where young people will feel confident and comfortable to have their say about what matters to them, supported by co-created educational resources and activities. Through creative Youth Work facilitation methods, the project will connect Young People across Limerick City and County to build a collective and authentic voice for change.

Why are we doing it:

The project as a whole will combat stereotypical attitudes towards Young People about their capacity and commitment to be involved in positive political change. In doing so, the project will contribute towards meaningful citizen engagement and political education for the preservation and promotion of human rights. In this project Young People will be drivers for social change not passengers.

Who we're working with:

Limerick Youth Services, Comhairle na nOg, Limerick, participating secondary schools in Limerick City and County. In addition, this project is being developed in collaboration with other ‘mirror groups’ operated by international project partners in the USA and South Africa. Our intention is to will enable the project to transcend the local and develop an international consciousness regarding human rights, global citizenship and the importance of Youth Voice as a vehicle for change.

How well are we doing:

Learning

Module Code:

BR4103/ BR4104

Credits:

6ECTS

Practicum Placements:

2 in the Autumn semester, TBC Spring

Faculty:

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS)

Department:

Politics and Public Administration

What will you do on this practicum?:

In this project you will help create and deliver a programme designed to empower young people to develop their own political understanding and agency - for the preservation, protection and promotion of equality and human rights via mainstream political mobilization and electoral impact.Your role will be to help in the establishment of a confident, empowered and enthusiastic group of young people who meet regularly and champion political engagement to promote Human Rights activism amongst Young people, including NEET individuals and those from harder to reach communities.

Why will you do this work?:

In this project Young People will be drivers for social change not passengers. Your role will be to help support and encourage Young People’s consciousness and capacity to engage in peer to peer networks for the promotion and advancement of Human Rights and Equality locally and globally.

Who will you be working with?:

Implementation of the project will comprise the recruitment of a panel of Young People who will operate as ‘Human Rights Ambassadors’, supported by a collaboration of students and staff from Limerick Youth Service and the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Limerick.

How will your work be evaluated?:

This UL Practicum is assessed in two parts, comprising 50% each: Academic Assessment - one end of term paper combining your practical knowledge of this project with the academic perspective on this topic. Practicum Assessment - your personal input into this project will be negotiated with you and the team. Following this plan, you will be assessed on your capacity to deliver on the project tasks for which you have been assigned responsibility.

Research

Project Keywords:

Making Your Mark, Political Engagement, Political education and mobilization

What is the research associated with this project?:

This project links together four existing community partnerships between youth workers, young people and academics, in four different sites, each with collaborative connections to LYS and/or UL. Together we have agreed to run ‘mirror’ projects based on the Limerick Be Heard #GE2016 initiative, which carried out youth and community workshops to address political participation and engagement in Spring 2016. Our research draws together our own project with those of our international mirror project partners to share insights into best practice and to devise a research programme to measure the impact of such educational interventions upon civic engagement and political awareness.

Why is this project necessary?:

One of the greatest contemporary threats to our capacity to build a social and economic framework that promotes and protects social justice is increasing political disillusion and disengagement. The rights of the most vulnerable are only upheld by the constant vigilance of empowered citizens willing to speak on their behalf. In the face of increasing political cynicism, apathy and isolation, this project is designed to empower young people (aged 14-25) to develop their own political understanding and agency – for the preservation, protection and promotion of equality and human rights – via mainstream political mobilization and electoral impact.

Who is collaborating on this project?:

Limerick Youth Service, Comhairle na nOg, Limerick Department of Politics and Public Administration IFWEA

How is this project being evaluated?:

The project is overseen by an Advisory Board constituting representatives from the range of participating interests. The Advisory Board supports the work of this project by providing feedback, advice and ideas to the project participants. Impact Evaluation of the project is designed into the project from start to finish with an agreed process for collecting evidence and testimony of the project's impact: in the community; in terms of the teaching and learning opportunities that this programme provides; and in terms of the research that it supports. It is anticipated that an evaluation of this project will be submitted to the UL Engage Reports series, after the first year.

Partners

Comhairle na nÓg

Partner Logo/Image:

Comhairle na nÓg are child and youth councils in the 31 local authorities of the country, which give children and young people the opportunity to be involved in the development of local services and policies.

In light of the fact that Comhairle na nÓg is for young people under the age of 18 and who therefore have no other voting mechanism to have their voice heard, Comhairle na nÓg is designed to enable young people to have a voice on the services, policies and issues that affect them in their local area.

Website:

http://www.comhairlenanog.ie/local-comhairle/limerick/

Email:

johnr@limerickyouthservice.com

Phone:

087 2626816 / 061 412444

Limerick Youth Service

Partner Logo/Image:

We work with over 3,000 young people annually in providing a diverse range of educational, social, training and personal developement programmes.

Website:

http://limerickyouthservice.com

Email:

johnr@limerickyouthservice.com

Phone:

061 412 444 / 087 2626816

International Federation of Workers' Education Associations IFWEA

Partner Logo/Image:

Sahra Ryklief, General Secretary
International Federation of Workers' Education Association (IFWEA)
c/o Labour Research Service P.O. Box 376 Woodstock 7915
Cape Town South Africa

Website:

http://www.ifwea.org/

Email:

Sahra@lrs.org.za

Phone:

0027 21 486 1115

Department of Politics and Public Administration

Partner Logo/Image:

The Department of Politics and Public Administration represents a broad range of interests and areas within the discipline of political science. With internationally recognised experts in European, Africa, Latin American, Russian and post-Soviet politics, as well as Irish politics and public policy, the department has an international and cosmopolitan orientation. In addition to the diversity of area specialisms on offer, the study of politics in Limerick is also enriched by a variety of disciplinary approaches including: quantitive methods, political theory, international relations, international political economy, comparative politics, public policy analysis and critical theory.

Website:

http://www.ul.ie/ppa

Email:

michelle.cooney@ul.ie

Phone:

+353 61 202633

Irish Research Council

Partner Logo/Image:

The vision of the Council is for a healthy research ecosystem in Ireland which provides a diversity of supports and opportunities and which enables the country to reap the full value and benefits of research. This balanced ecosystem will address the breadth of economic and societal needs and develop the knowledge, understanding and insights required by citizens, employers and government. The Council will play its part and support the best talent. It will provide opportunities for excellent researchers with excellent ideas, regardless of the discipline or research topic. Through its approach the Council will cultivate individual thinkers to question and research and in this way contribute to the development of the skills, competencies and expertise required for the future.

Website:

http://www.research.ie

Email:

info@research.ie

Phone:

01 231 5000

Resources

Project Category:

Civic

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