Friday, 26.11.
Frank Habineza, President of the Democratic Green Party in Rwanda
Frank Habineza is an expert in environmentalism, human rights, democracy and defence/security. Frank graduated from the National University of Rwanda in 2005 with a BA in Public Administration, and achieved a Master of Science at the Swedish Defence University in 2017, in Politics and War Studies, with a specialisation in War studies. He also received an honorary doctorate of humanities due to my work in democracy and human rights from Bethel College in Indiana, USA.
Frank has been a Member of Parliament since September 2018 and Vice President of the Social Affairs Committee, and represented the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda as a presidential candidate in the 2017 Rwanda elections. He has chaired a coalition of political parties from different 30 countries for the last eight years, under the umbrella organisation: African Greens Federation (www.africangreens.org).
While at University in 1999, Frank started a student association campaigning for environmental protection, known as the Rwanda Wildlife Clubs. In 2005, he became the personal assistant to the Minister of Lands, Environment, Water, Forestry and Mines and was also the official correspondent of Rwanda Newsline and UMUSESO Newspapers at University and worked for the Rwanda Herald Newspaper.
Frank has acted as the National Coordinator for the Nile Basin Discourse Forum in Rwanda from 2006-2009, a civil society platform that has over 50 NGOs involved in the conservation of river Nile. He was also the President of the Rwanda NGOs Forum on Water, Sanitation and Environment-RWASEF, and a board member of African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation-ANEW.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
Mary Lawlor was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders on May 1st 2020 by the UN Human Rights Council. As an independent expert, she is part of the Council's fact finding and monitoring mechanisms. She studies developments and challenges on the right to promote and protect human rights. The Special Rapporteur has a mandate to seek, receive and respond to information on the situation of human rights defenders and recommend effective strategies to governments and non-state actors, such as Business, to better protect them.
Mary is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Centre for Social Innovation, School of Business, Trinity College Dublin where she takes a lead on Business and Human Rights. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Business
In 2001, she founded Front Line Defenders - the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. Front Line Defenders concentrates all its activities on human rights defenders at risk who work peacefully for the rights of others as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The aim is to protect defenders of human rights and provide them with “round the clock” practical support so that they can continue their work to build civil and just societies.
As Executive Director from 2001-2016, Mary Lawlor represented Front Line Defenders and had a key role in its development. She led country visits, engaged in high level international advocacy, oversaw accountability, managed and evaluated programs and raised funds.
In 2007, Front Line Defenders was awarded the King Baudouin International Development Prize and in 2018, it was awarded the UN Human Rights Prize.
Prior to Front Line Defenders, Mary was Director of the Irish Section of Amnesty International from 1988 to 2000. She became a Board member in 1975 and was elected Chair from 1983 to 1987.
Jago Wadley, Global Witness' Land and Environmental Defenders Campaign
Jago Wadley is a member of Global Witness' Land and Environmental Defenders Campaign, where he leads on campaigning for regulatory reforms to protect defenders, and on targeting research and investigations into human rights harms in corporate supply chains. He has spent the past twenty years campaigning to develop, strengthen and enforce government laws and corporate policies on the global human and environmental impacts of timber and Agri-commodities production, trade and investments, including at the Environmental Investigation Agency.
Richard Gardiner
Richard Gardiner is part of the Corporate Accountability Team for Global Witness working in its EU office on the policy initiatives on Corporate Accountability, Sustainable Reporting and Sustainable Finance. He leads Global Witness’ EU advocacy for a robust and enforceable EU law on Sustainable Corporate Governance and ensuring that the voices of land and environmental defenders are heard and taken into account. Richard has previously worked on rules to mandate that EU based investors disclose the levels of sustainability risk in their portfolios, as well as EU efforts to define sustainable economic activity through the Taxonomy Regulation. He has also previously represented European stock exchanges as Head of EU Policy for the Federation of European Securities Exchanges, including the Irish Stock Exchange, pushing for greater transparency and accountability in Europe’s financial markets.
Saturday, 27.11. 21
Mar Garcia, Secretary General, European Greens
Mar Garcia was born in Sabadell, Barcelona. She holds a degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Public Management. Mar joined ICV, Catalonian Greens in 2003. Since then she has been part of the Party International Secretariat. Mar worked in the City Council of Barcelona for 12 years; firstly as the person responsible for the Environmental International Relations of the city of Barcelona, and after that as the Head of Cabinet of the Deputy Mayor for Environment of the city. Mar was elected as an EGP Committee member in 2012 and has been acting EGP Secretary General since 2014.
Deirdre Mortell
Deirdre Mortell is CEO of Rethink Ireland. Deirdre has built Rethink Ireland from the ground up and is also CONNECT’s Social Entrepreneur in Residence. She has over twenty years’ experience of changing the world one step at a time. Deirdre has been CEO of ONE Foundation, held senior roles in fundraising and communications in Oxfam and Barnardos, and held multiple Board directorships.
Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin
Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin is an Assistant Professor at the UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics and Director of the BSc in Mathematics, Science and Education initial teacher education programmes in UCD. A physics graduate, she taught post-primary mathematics, physics, applied mathematics and science for a number of years before completing her PhD in Mathematics Education at Trinity College Dublin. Her academic research primarily focuses on STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, with particular emphasis on teacher education and on increasing diversity in these subjects. She is a member of the Department of Education and Skill’s STEM Education Policy Review Group and Gender in STEM group. She is also a council member of the World Association of Lesson Study promoting teacher education. A broadcaster and science communicator, she won the Maths Week Award for her work enhancing public awareness of the importance of mathematics in 2020 and the SFI Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communication Award in recognition for her work promoting STEM in 2017.
Jennifer Horgan
Jennifer Horgan is a secondary school teacher in Cork. She is the author of O Captain My Captain: One Teacher's Hope for Change in the Irish Education System. She writes for The Irish Times on occasion and has a weekly column on education in The Irish Examiner.
Jack McGinn
Jack McGinn is the Education Officer at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU). Education Reform is the main focus of his term and he was one of the authors of the ISSU 2021 Senior Cycle Reform Report that was completed in conjunction with the ESRI. Throughout his upcoming term he will be launching a number of reports such as a JC Review Report, a TY Reform Report and a LCA Reform Report.
Paddy Monahan
Paddy Monahan is a dad from Raheny in Dublin, and was instrumental in the campaign to end the baptism barrier. He has been policy officer at Education Equality for a number of years, where the fight goes on to end religious discrimination in the Irish education system.
Bernard Joyce
Bernard Joyce is the director of the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM). Since 2016 he has been an active member of the ITM in many different roles across working groups, planning national campaigns and demonstrations and on national strategic development. Bernard is committed to working to ensure national policy is delivered to improve better outcomes for Travellers. He has always felt very privileged and humbled to be part of a Movement that strives for innovation, solution-based approaches and actively develops national campaigns to advance Traveller equality.
He is currently a member of the national Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee and was recently appointed to the Programme Board to support the implementation of the Expert Group Report on Traveller accommodation under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. He is also a member of the National Traveller Roma Inclusion Strategy and recently appointed to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to oversee curriculum inclusions for Traveller culture and history.
Bernard has presented across many Oireachtas Committees, and more recently part of a national delegation to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva in 2019. His knowledge and community insight coupled with a solution focused motivation style and multi-faceted approach, has helped bring about positive change locally and nationally for and with the community.
Rose Marie Maughan
Rose Marie Maughan is a Traveller woman from Mayo and serves as the National Traveller accommodation Policy officer with the Irish Traveller Movement. She has worked as a Traveller Activist within the Movement since 2004 in various positions, such as community development officer, education officer, membership officer and Traveller accommodation policy officer locally, regionally and nationally. She is also an Advocate for Autistic Travellers as a mother of an Autistic child.
Rose Marie has been a driving force to ensure that Travellers on the ground are engaging in the development of national Traveller policy, ensuring their voices and needs are captured, which directs the work of the ITM.
Dr Easkey Britton
Dr Easkey Britton is a renowned Irish surfer, marine social scientist, writer, artist and ocean leader. Her work explores the relationship between people and nature, especially water environments. She contributes her expertise in ocean and human health on national and international research projects including the Erasmus+ funded INCLUSEA project, fostering greater inclusion for people with disabilities in surfing in Europe. A life-long surfer, her parents taught her to surf when she was four years old and she channels her passion for surfing and the sea into social change. Her work is deeply influenced by the ocean and the lessons learned pioneering women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland. Her ground-breaking journey to Iran in 2013 introduced the sport of surfing to women and local communities and is featured in the award-winning documentary film, Into the Sea. Easkey facilitates international leadership programmes specialising in experiential learning, nature connection, embodiment practices, community engagement and social impact. She is the author of Saltwater in the Blood and 50 Things to Do By the Sea, has published numerous peer reviewed journal articles, and is a regular columnist with Oceanographic magazine.
James O'Donoghue, Manager TFI Local Link Waterford
James O’Donoghue is the Manager of the Dungarvan-based Local Link Waterford. He previously worked in the Community and Enterprise section of Waterford Council throughout the establishment of County Development Boards and the production of County Development Plans. James was appointed as Rural Transport Coordinator In May 2001, when Waterford County Council established a Rural Transport Working Group to acquire pre-development funding under the Rural Transport Initiative to research the level of need for rural transport services in County Waterford and to develop structures and processes by which these needs could be properly addressed. In 2006, this position evolved into Manager and CEO when the Rural Transport Working Group was re-established as Déise Link Ltd, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, having charitable status.
Professor Michelle Norris
Professor Michelle Norris is Professor of Social Policy in UCD School of Applied Social Science, UCD researching and teaching on housing policy and urban regeneration. In 2016, she published Property, Family and the Irish Welfare State. Michelle’s work crosses over from academic research to public policy. She is a committee member of the Land Development Agency, the National Economic and Social Council and the Housing Finance Agency, where she served as Chair in 2012 and 2017. Michelle has also worked as a local government housing manager and between 2000 and 2005, she was the director of the Centre for Housing Research, conducting housing research and policy.
Declan Dunne, CEO Respond
Declan Dunne joined Respond as Chief Executive Officer in August 2016. Respond is an Approved Housing Body and service provider. Since then, Respond’s housing stock has increased to more than 6,370 properties. With its professional team of chartered architects, planners, quantity surveyors, solicitors and accountants and allied housing management professionals, Respond currently have 1,566 homes currently in construction and onsite nationwide as part of €1.3 billion home building programme.
Declan is an experienced general manager who worked initially building a business over many years and sold to an American multinational. Declan’s previous role was Chief Executive Officer with Sophia Housing Association. He served as a non-executive Director of the Ballymun Regeneration Board for ten years, the largest urban regeneration project in Europe, where he chaired the Audit Committee. He was instrumental in securing the funding commitment of €15 million by Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children for the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme over a five-year period.
Declan was Chair of the Housing Alliance from 2019 to 2021, a collaboration of six of Ireland’s largest Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), and in this capacity he served as a member of the High Level Housing Delivery Group established by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD. He previously chaired the Homeless Network of the major Homeless Agencies in Dublin. He served as a ministerial appointee Board member for two three year terms at the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB), a Statutory Agency which was established to promote school attendance and also chaired its Audit Committee. Declan is actively interested in housing, education, and family services and served on many boards and committees on these issues. He is an invited speaker at the OECD and other international conferences.
Bob Jordan
Bob Jordan was appointed CEO of The Housing Agency in September 2021. Bob has a strong leadership record in the housing sector. Before joining The Housing Agency, he was the National Director of the Housing First programme, which is a key part of the Government’s response to long-term homelessness.
During 2016-2017, he was Special Adviser to the former Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. Prior to that, Bob was Chief Executive of the national housing charity Threshold for nearly a decade. He is a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Software Engineering) graduate of Trinity College Dublin and holds a Masters in International Relations from Dublin City University.
Dr. Tadhg O’Mahony
Dr Tadhg O’Mahony is a researcher and advisor at the Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), a consultant on climate action, sustainability and foresight, and a lecturer at TU Dublin. Tadhg is a systems scientist focussing on sustainability transition and transformation, to understand and drive visionary systems change. He is a double EU Marie Sklodowska Curie fellow at the University of Turku, Finland, and at IMDEA Energy Research Institute in Madrid. He has recently worked for the Climate Change Advisory Council, and on transport systems change for the EPA State of the Environment Report 2020.
Clare O’Connor
Clare O’Connor is host of The Green Room, a weekly Climate-themed radio show on Dublin City FM. She is a recent graduate of a MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society from DCU where her dissertation focused on the science-policy interface in Irish climate policy. Clare was a member of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly 2016-18 and regularly contributes to discussions and research internationally on deliberative democracy. She has three years experience in providing sustainability consultancy and auditing services to the Irish cultural sector.
Peter Emerson, Director of the de Borda institute
Peter Emerson’s dad was Irish, a Protestant from Cork; his mum was English, a Catholic from Cheshire. His older brother, born in Ireland but lived in England, had a British passport. His younger sister, born in England but lives in Dublin, has an Irish one. While he lives with both in Belfast, in Rhubarb Cottage, a squat, a Grade II listed old gate lodge, and figs from his garden are on sale in St George's Market.
Originally a submarine officer, Peter gave it all up to work as a volunteer teacher in Nairobi, and three years later, he cycled 10,000 kms across Central Africa and back. Peter became an environmentalist, and having seen binary majority rule in action, also became an ecologist. In 1975, he moved to Belfast and soon became involved in local peace initiatives as well as wider ones like CND. In 1981's Northern Ireland local elections, he was one of Ireland's first three candidates to stand on a Green (Ecology) ticket. One year later in Glencree, he was a founding member of the Irish Green Party, before setting up the Green Party Northern Ireland in 1983. Having failed to gain a seat in 15 elections in North Belfast but with over ten books on voting systems, he is no doubt Northern Ireland's most successful failure. Peter spoke Swahili, speaks Russian, studies Chinese, and is now the director of the de Borda Institute.
Sunday 28.11.
