Ireland and New Member States of the European Union: An Evolving Experience of Development Education

UNIDEV is a three year project funded by the European Commission with the aim of promoting development education (DE) around the theme of the post-2015 agenda in higher education institutions in the new member states of the EU. The project is implemented by organisations in Cyprus (the NGO Support Centre), Slovakia (the Pontis Foundation) and Ireland. The Irish partner, Kimmage Development Studies Centre (DSC), has been engaged in the provision of professional training and education on international development issues for forty years. As new member states (NMS), Cyprus and Slovakia are at the early stages of establishing their respective international development policies. Ireland, an old member state (OMS), has a lengthy and respected engagement in international development, together with an evolving experience raising awareness of development issues among the general public. The principal role of the Irish partner is to share the Irish experience in this regard, through practitioners, academics and policymakers in the three countries. Each of the project partners come up against their own particular challenges in achieving this goal. This article outlines the background to, and purpose of UNIDEV, and specifically describes three major events organised in 2014 which help illustrate the project’s role. As part of the aim of promoting DE, a successful Summer School was organised around the theme of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and the post-2015 agenda. This was attended by 60 participants from Cyprus, Slovakia and Ireland, and addressed by leading figures in the DE sector in Ireland. Later in the year Kimmage DSC hosted a workshop for seven senior visiting academics and non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff from Cyprus and Slovakia at which a number of Irish based specialists gave their input on DE including: terms and concepts; methodologies; the DE experience in Ireland in both formal and informal education; and workshop actions to mainstream DE in the respective new member states. The conclusion includes reflections on the project to date and recommendations