Let’s Talk is an education and action project which involves young people discussing, debating and taking action on issues of conflict, peace, reconciliation, climate change, sustainable development and justice in Ireland and beyond.
As an active citizenship project, Let’s Talk explores local needs, ideas and issues through a series of ‘awareness, information and public judgement’ exercises delivered by young people and inviting engagement by local stakeholders in the community.
3 core assumptions
- This initiative will support young people to learn about, debate and discuss local, national and international issues related to peace, justice and sustainability on this planet and to contribute to resolving problems and challenges
- We can all learn something from each other. Sharing ideas and experiences in this context is invaluable
- Issues such as migration, peace, climate change and women’s rights are not just issues for people living in developing countries. They also directly involve people throughout this island and further afield. People like us. We all have a right and a responsibility to contribute to sustainable social and environmental processes and agendas.
Let’s Talk is about giving young people a chance to become directly involved and take action on global issues around injustice and inequality on the island of Ireland, Britain and beyond. The project brings together local community and political leaders as well as international visitors together with young people to share their experiences and ideas and to discuss and debate key issues and challenges.
Currently, Let’s Talk involves students and teachers from Woodbrook College, Presentation College Bray and Loreto Bray, as well as other interested stakeholders. Recent work includes:
- 30+ students. 1 school. 17 goals. And Minecraft. (a Pres Bray project)
- Joint workshops involving the 3 schools
- Women’s rights poster making workshops and launch event
- Issue-driven workshops with student groups and action committees
Participants in the project have been recognised for their work in recent years:
- finalist in the UN SDG Action Awards 2018 (Bonn) under the Visualiser category: ‘The most impactful or innovative initiative using visual or creative representations of data to influence decision-makers and the public of the importance of the SDGs’
- Most Innovative Project award at the Young Environmentalist Awards 2018 (ECO-UNESCO, Dublin)
Let’s Talk has been active since 80:20 was established and has supported young people in debating, discussing and mixing issues across borders, towns and countries including Birmingham, Belfast, Broome, Blanchardstown, Bray, Goodooga and Lusaka, among many more. To date the project has involved over 3,000 young people from a variety of locations – throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the West Midlands of England, Scotland, Australia, Rwanda and the Middle East.
80:20’s projects involve young people and adults (in both formal school and college contexts as well as in non-formal, community contexts) in exploring, discussing and debating these issues and challenges. 80:20 has a local programme focused on Bray, South Dublin and North Wicklow, and operated a North-South programme focused on reconciliation and an international programme focused on five Third World countries as well as Aboriginal Australia.
Let’s Talk has been built up over many years by a variety of partners including:
- Presentation College, Bray (Wicklow)
- Loreto Secondary School, Bray (Wicklow)
- Woodbrook College Bray – formerly St. Brendan’s CBS (Wicklow)
- TIDE~Global Learning Centre (Birmingham)
- The Edmund Rice Centre (Sydney)
- Greater Shankill Alternatives (Belfast)
- Speak Your Piece (University of Ulster, Coleraine)
- The World Education Project (Sligo)
- Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR)
For more information and to share your interest, get in touch.
Let’s Talk is supported by
Page updated: March 8th, 2019
