A General Election is set to take place in Ireland on Friday 29th November, and we’re encouraging people working in adult and community education to talk with each other and with adult learners about the importance and impact of voting and democracy.
A General Election is a vote by the people of Ireland to decide who will represent them in the Dáil, according to the Electoral Commission’s website.
Ireland is a parliamentary democracy, which means that the Irish public directly elect TDs to represent them.
With the election now just three weeks away, on Thursday 14 November we are holding a free online session on how to work with adult learners to increase knowledge and awareness of democracy, voting, and the power of civic action – including the rights and duties of citizens.
People can still register to vote until 12 November. Find out more about this here.
Learners unsure of whether they are registered, or where they are registered, can be encouraged to check the register here.
Recently there has been a lot of political change and a rise in community tensions. The adult and community education sector is often on the frontline when it comes to challenges in disinformation, racism, and concerns about housing, health, childcare, and financial supports.
Many adult and community education groups and organisations are working with people in local areas across Ireland to be a source of positive change, collective belonging, empathy, and kindness through learning.
We are running this peer-learning event to bring together staff in adult education to discuss how they are increasing civic and democratic literacy in their work.
This is an opportunity to share what you have been doing and learn from others.
We will also be sharing new resources and activities that staff can use in the classroom with learners. These come directly from a European project called Citizens’ Xelerator, which looks at approaches and strategies to support people’s participation in democratic life, embracing common values and civic engagement.
There is still time to sign up for this event. Click here to register.