A project run by the Drogheda based development education organisation Development Perspectives has been shortlisted by the National Adult Learning Organisation Aontas for one of their STAR Awards.
The project, Amplifying Voices, is one of just three projects in the country to be nominated in the in the Social Inclusion category and it supports migrant communities to engage with cultural and educational activities for social integration. The goal was for a long-term positive impact on migrants’ wellbeing.
It offered a podcasting and storytelling course, and eight migrants shared their stories of moving to Ireland featured in a different podcast episode.
The podcasts are not only an educational resource but also a platform for migrants to enhance their confidence, develop relationships with their new communities, share information on issues related to migration, and challenge common myths, biases, fears around migration integration in new communities.
The CEO of Development Perspectives, Bobby McCormack, told Drogheda Life that they were delighted to have been nominated for an award for the project which grew out of a workshop run by two staff members Maria Gonzales and Paul Paul Crewe where participants shared their stories with each other.
The resulting podcasts enabled refugees, some of whom had come through the direct provision process in Mosney and Balaghadreen and other UN programmes, to tell their back stories of why they had to leave their home countries and also the issues they faced in a new country.
Some of the stories are quite harrowing and Bobby says that sometime names had to be changed but overall the participants loved getting their stories out into the public domain and they also gained confidence by overcoming language difficulties.
The STAR Awards (Showcasing Teamwork, Awarding Recognition) are organised by the national adult learning organisation, AONTAS, to recognise and celebrate the work undertaken by adult learning initiatives throughout Ireland.
The CEO of AONTAS, Dr Niamh O’Reilly, said: “The STAR Awards are an excellent opportunity to celebrate the positive contribution that adult learning initiatives make to individual adult learners, local communities, and the Irish public. The focus this year is on the wider benefits of learning for development of a collective sense of belonging, equality, wellbeing, and growth.
The winners of the STAR Awards will be announced during the week of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival (7th-11th March 2022) and a celebratory event will also take place to acknowledge the incredible achievements of the groups involved.
They are sponsored by the Open University in Ireland and the Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCNNI), the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), Concern Worldwide, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the European Social Fund (ESF) and Mental Health Ireland. Sponsors will be offering special prizes to all 2022 STAR Award winners.
For more onformation about Development Perspectives and their work see developmentperspectives.ie
Soundcloud and Youtube clips of each of the podcasts are available HERE
