Budding student activists from all across the country gathered last weekend in Belvedere Court for The All Ireland Student Activist Weekend.
The weekend aimed to bring together student activists from across Ireland to network and gain skills that would help them in their campaigning endeavours.
The student run event was open to all, from established activists to those who wished to start campaigning on issues that they felt passionate about.
The weekend consisted of workshops and discussions on different aspects of campaigning including group cohesion, effective media tactics and strategy building. Attendees were encouraged to raise topics that they were passionate about resulting in discussions on issues such as the fossil free campaign, sweatshop worker’s rights and intersectionality.
The event was organised by a group of Trinity students in order to build a network of young activist groups who can learn from each other’s experience. It also provides training in how to plan and strategise events, get your story in the media and train in non-violent direct action.
Organiser of the event, Áine O’Gorman, first got involved in the project after attending a similar event in Paris last year with Trinity College’s Fossil Free campaigning group. Here she met many other campaigners from across the world.
“What particularly struck us was the amount of student campaigners from all over the UK with this culture of campaigning that just doesn’t seem to exist in Ireland,” O’Gorman said.
“Speaking to them they told us about this group called People and Planet who are like an umbrella group for student campaigns on social and environmental justice issues. We got in touch with them, went to training in Oxford and thought it would be amazing to set up a network here where students from all over Ireland can connect, help each other and learn from each other.”
“The most important aspect though is creating a network and bonding so there will be lots of fun and relaxing to try to make this as sustainable a network as possible.”
Fionnuala Walsh
Image Credit: Conall Monaghan
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