Trócaire

BACKGROUND

Trócaire was founded in 1973 and from the beginning it had twin aims; to support people in the wider world living in poverty, and to educate people in Ireland about global justice issues. Development Education is an important tool in making sense of complex issues in our ever-changing world. It should challenge perceptions and stereotypes by encouraging optimism, participation and action for a just world.

Trócaire uses Development Education to inform learners about issues such as poverty, injustice, gender equality and climate change using a human rights lens. Programmes engage children, young people and educators through a process of interaction, reflection and action. They are supported to make connections between their own lives and international social justice issues, and be empowered to make a positive difference in the world.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Trócaire offers development education from early learning right up to 3rd level. 2020 is the third year of its learning journey Mother Earth. This year’s theme is Protecting Families – Protecting the Planet, and addresses many of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The programme and resources are tailored for different age groups and draw on stories and issues from Trócaire’s partnerships in Honduras and Kenya. For example resources for early learning focus on stories about the daily life of mothers and children in Honduras, while those at post -primary level focus on human rights defenders. The Project Honduras videogame is a way for students to engage with issues in a creative and hands-on way.

Trócaire also offers training programmes to support educators in the formal and non-formal sectors and a wide range of resources including photo packs on the SDGs.

Game Changers is an innovative competition developed by Trócaire following research that found creating games provides even more learning opportunities than playing them. There were eighty entries in the inaugural competition in 2019 including card games, board games and video games. Loreto Balbriggan won the overall award with their board game, the Hunt for Human Rights.

Trócaire also offers tailored workshops for youth groups in their local communities throughout the country to explore global justice issues and equip participants to take action.