Take Action
Action is at the core of a global youth work approach, it’s what brings about change towards social justice. While learning about global systems of power and the interconnectedness of inequality, we also learn about the actions we can undertake as individuals, as young people, as youth workers and as organisations. Such actions are part of our stand for greater equality and justice globally.
We’ve created a list of actions here to inspire and motivate; each action is relative to your own individual or group capacity.
You might be doing some of these already, if so, we’d love to hear from you!
We have also developed three action padlets for you to explore:
- Delivering training on GYW and DE in your organisation and becoming familiar with key resources.
- Creating a training resource or a game, take a look at the Trócaire Game Changers competition for more on this.
- Engaging with the Irish Girl Guides and Trócaire climate action badge.
- Watching a film on climate justice and global justice issues, and hosting a discussion afterwards.
- Holding a regular ‘issues’ night and exploring the connection between local and global issues of importance to young people.
- Evaluate and showcase the work you undertake and be sure to invite key stakeholders, funders, and policymakers to the event.
- Developing a global youth work and development education policy for your organisation.
- Inviting a speaker to engage with your group on global justice issues.
- Organising a meet with local leaders and politicians about a global issue important to you.
- Engage with the Irish Development Education Association Code of Good Practice.
- Supporting young people to create or contribute to a blog or podcast.
- Organising an action research project with young people.
- Supporting participation in our start a Youth Committee on Global Justice issues.
- Get involved in Fairtrade Fortnight and consider where you’re food comes from.
- Support participation in the Slow Fashion Movement, including saying no to fast fashion.
- Actively participate in upcycling and engage with the circular economy.
- Become a conscious consumer, for example think of the worker at the start of the supply chain and your power as a consumer to make the world more (or even less) equal through your actions.
- Collaborating with the work of the Climate Youth Artivists.
- Making a video or animation on a global justice theme.
- Using social media to raise awareness of, and share information on the sustainable development goals and global youth work.
- Lobby key decision makers about an issue you have researched and want action on.
- Using your vote or write to your representatives regarding your feelings on an issue and what change you would like to see.
- Invite local and national media and influencers to your event to maximise your impact – and don‘t forget your hashtag!
- Holding an exhibition using art, drama, or photography.
- Participating in a march to highlight an issue or raise funds.
- Having a conversation with friends on justice issues, and you could even organise a petition.
- Pursuing training or further education in development studies, and/or global youth work.
- Participating in Plastic Free July.
- Start a book club that looks critically at global issues and the world around you.
- You could also explore injustice through music.
- Make your youth space more open to conversations on equality, diversity and injustice by putting up posters and other actions showing it to be an open space, for example you could do a project on one of the sustainable development goals that produces posters that can be placed around the youth space.