Generating engagement, thinking and action on climate change

On Thursday 10th November, the Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights (including colleagues from the School of STEM, Innovation and Global Studies) welcomed a number of guests to two important events on the St. Patrick’s Campus. An afternoon workshop, led by Rowan Oberman (Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights Education / School of STEM, Innovation and Global Studies), David Selby and Fumiyo Kagawa (both of Sustainability Frontiers, a network of Global Educators), gave DCU students, practicing primary teachers and other development educators the chance to explore various classroom approaches to addressing climate change and climate justice. This session was structured around exploring learners’ cognitive, emotional and action-oriented responses to climate change or more specifically, responses for their ‘head, heart and hands’.

The workshop was followed by a lecture event, entitled ‘From Campaign to Curriculum: Generating Engagement, Thinking and Action on Climate Change’. Chaired by Prof. Fionnuala Waldron, the event began with Heather Maseko, former Assistant National Coordinator of the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), Malawi, providing a stark perspective on the impact of climate on livelihoods in Malawi and highlighting the global responsibility for climate justice action. Building on this foundation, David Selby and Fumiyo Kagawa provided a call to resist the business-as-usual approaches to addressing climate change and to instead seek out the less well-lit corners of education as spaces for climate justice. The informative and challenging presentations were concluded with the launch of climate change education resource, Creating Futures designed by Rowan Oberman through support from Trócaire and Irish Aid.