Last week, our Adult Education Initiatives Officer Larisa Sioneriu attended the SDG Champions 2023-24 Showcase. AONTAS are one of the 26 National 2023-24 SDG Champions.
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The SDG Champions Programme was developed to raise public awareness of the SDGs and to demonstrate, through the examples provided by the SDG Champions themselves, that everyone in society can make a contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, lauched by the UN in 2015.
At the SDG Champions Showcase, attendees had the opportunity to learn about the great work and initiatives of the 2023-2024 SDG Champions, and to discuss important topics relating to the Sustainable Development Goals, around the theme of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
AONTAS’ particular focus is on Goal 4, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Dearbháil Lawless, our CEO, has also been appointed as co-chair of Coalition 2030, and will continue to work with colleagues in the adult learning and charity sector to see the SDGs implemented in a more systematic way in Ireland.
We have also committed to empowering the adult and community education sector to promote sustainability and “just green transitions” with adult learners’ local communities. To this end, we have designed a new project, with support from Saolta, called “A Greener Tomorrow through Community Education”, whereby we support six community organisations to implement an innovative initiative with their adult learners that promotes just green transitions.
One of our six participants from the project, Averil Rafferty of Community Collectives, joined us at the event.
‘A Greener Tomorrow through Community Education’ is part of the New European Agenda for Adult Learning (NEEAL), a European Commission initiative to promote adult learning throughout Europe.
