» TheThe Irish Aid FellowshipLink Alumni Newsletter Welcoming the new Liberian fellows

The first ever Irish Aid Fellows from Liberia attending the 2016 Fellowship Orientation at Farmleigh House. From left: Walker Mahn, Catherine Thomas and Abdul Koroma

Irish Aid would like to extend a warm welcome to Ireland Abdul Koroma is an official at the Ministry of Public to students from Liberia, the newest fellowship award Works in Liberia. He is doing a master’s in Environment, country. Society and Development in NUI Galway.

Liberia became eligible under the Irish Aid Fellowship You can learn more about the first ever Irish Aid fellows Training Programme for 2016-17 and three fellows from Liberia on page 11. commenced Master’s programmes in Ireland in September. In total, Irish Aid welcomed to Ireland 74 new fellows from 12 different countries for the 2016-17 programme. Walker Mahn is a researcher with the Liberian Drug A further 26 fellows were approved for in-region study in Enforcement Agency and he has come to Ireland to 2016, while another 81 fellows are continuing in-region study Applied Social Research at Trinity College . studies begun in previous years.

Catherine Thomas is a healthcare worker and is studying Irish Aid would like to wish all 2016 awardees the best of Global Health at Trinity College. luck in their studies!

INSIDE Join other Alumni on 2 4 6 Facebook - Staying Connected: Irish Aid to launch Meet the new Khaled Quzmar, new Development ICOS team click here Palestine Education Strategy Meet the new team at ICOS

From left: Shannette Budhai, Emma Dwyer and Derrie Murray

In 2016, Louise Staunton and Colin Tannam left ICOS to take up positions in the international offices of two Irish universities and Dave Moore decided to return to education to pursue postgraduate studies. They had each been with ICOS for a number of years and will be greatly missed. We wish them all the best in the future.

A whole new Fellowship team has now started at ICOS, and they have been working hard to help all of the 2016 fellows to settle in. Find out more about the new team below.

Shannette Budhai Emma Dwyer Derrie Murray

Shannette joins the ICOS Emma has joined ICOS Derrie comes to ICOS from a team as the new Programme as the Programme and youth charity called Future and Communications Officer. Training Manager and Voices. Before that he worked She most recently worked is responsible for the and studied at Trinity College with Comhlámh overseeing operational management of Dublin in the political science the development of the the Fellowship Programme. department, and he also has Code of Good Practice With a background in experience working as an auditing tool for volunteer international development, English teacher. In addition sending agencies working in Emma has worked with to looking after the current international development. the UN in Malawi and the fellows, Derrie will also She has a keen interest in Irish Department of Foreign be responsible for staying immigration matters and will Affairs in New York and most in touch with Fellowship step into Colin’s role as ICOS’ recently was the Executive alumni, so if you want to get immigration liaison officer. Director of an Irish non-profit in touch you can email him organisation called Irish today at [email protected]. Rule of Law International. He would love to hear from you!

2 Fellowship Orientation held at Farmleigh House in Dublin

On September 24th, 2016, ICOS and Irish Aid hosted incoming fellows for orientation at Farmleigh House.

An estate of 78 acres based in Dublin’s , Farmleigh House dates back to the late 18th Century, and was bought by the Irish Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park Government from the in 1999.

Today, this is where the , or Prime Minister, greets heads of state when they come to Ireland on official visits.

Fellows were greeted by ICOS Director, Sheila Power and Irish Aid’s Head of Bilateral Cooperation Unit Southern Africa, Asia and Palestine, Fionnuala Gilsenan, both of whom emphasised that beginning an Irish Aid fellowship marks the start of a lifelong relationship with Ireland.

UCD’s Dr Deirdre O’Connor then introduced fellows to everything they need to know about studying in Ireland. Kader Asmal fellows 2016-17 This was followed by three outgoing fellows – Faridah Kyomuhangi, Can Thi Thanh Huyen and Thomas Thuso Mokwa – sharing their experiences and facilitating workshops that gave incoming fellows many useful tips.

The day concluded with a welcome reception in Farmleigh House’s Conservatory among the many exotic plants and flowers grown there, before everyone returned to their universities throughout Ireland.

We wish all of the 2016 Irish Aid fellows great success in their studies in the year ahead! IDEAS fellows 2016-17

Incoming 2016-17 FTP fellows attending Orientation at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park in Dublin

3 Staying Connected: Khaled Quzmar

>>The Link spoke to Khaled, an Irish Aid Fellowship alumnus from Palestine, 10 years after he came to Ireland to study International Human Rights Law at NUI Galway.

When Khaled Quzmar stop working, to have a rest, and to determination payed off. When his was 14 years old, his brother was study something.” first assignment came around he arrested by Israeli occupation forces This was in 2006, and soon was expecting to get around 45%. and Khaled was only able to see Khaled came across the Irish Centre However, when the marks were him through an “iron net” when he for Human Rights in NUI Galway, announced two weeks later, Khaled visited. His desire to break through and learned of Irish Aid’s Fellowship was shocked when his professor, this iron net and give his brother a Training Programme. He applied, who he is still in touch with, informed hug – a simple request denied by his application was successful, and him that he had achieved an A. This the Israeli prison authorities – is “within a few weeks, everything set a high bar which Khaled was what inspired Khaled to become a was organised and I had to leave determined he would maintain lawyer: “I found that the only way for Ireland.” However, while he was throughout his year of studies. was to become a lawyer and visit excited, it was not easy for Khaled to When asked where he got him in prison and hug him inside.” leave his family behind. this determination from, he laughs: He studied for his law “For me, it was a difficult “At the time, my director agreed to degree at Oran University in Algeria, experience because I had children give me one year off. But after being and returned to Palestine 5 years – they were the age of teenagers – in Ireland for two weeks, I heard later to find his brother still in and it was not easy to leave them. It that he thought I would fail because prison. Two days later, he was inside was a challenge for me, but my wife of my English, and that I would be his brother’s cell and was finally able supported me and advised me to back after one or two months. So to hug him. go.” I thought, how can I convince him For the next 20 years, And so he did. But it was not that I can do it?” Khaled continued to work as a easy in the beginning for Khaled: “At Really, though, it was the defence lawyer representing mainly the time, my English was very bad, support from his family that helped child prisoners inside the Israeli unfortunately, and when I arrived, him to stay focused, and Khaled military courts. just two days later the semester spoke with them every day via However, after 20 years, started and the first lecture – it was Skype for only a few minutes before Khaled became so frustrated that he about three hours – I understood no he would say, “Please, stop here felt that he could no longer continue more than 10% of what the lecturer because I have to go back to study.” to battle in the Israeli military courts was saying and this killed me.” Despite his gruelling system. But Khaled did not give up: schedule, Khaled managed to find “I got aggressive with my “I kept studying and struggling.” He time to get out of his room and children. I couldn’t accept it when started a gruelling study schedule, travel around Ireland too. He spoke I came home after working 10 working 18 hours a day locked away at universities around the country hours in the military courts, leaving in his room, determined not only to about his work in Palestine, and he children alone behind bars without keep up with the course materials, also took part in the Famine Walk, anybody to take care of them, but also to improve his English. which commemorates the mid-19th subjected sometimes to torture “I used to sleep about half century Great Famine that took and ill-treatment, while my children an hour, one hour, and then back place in Ireland. asked me to go to a restaurant to study, and to study in order to “I participated in the Famine or to the cinema. So I became improve my English because on Walk, and afterwards I made a aggressive. But then I thought to each page I used to find at least 100 speech about Palestine, and during myself, ‘Why am I doing that? Why words that I did not know. It was a the Walk I was sharing my experience am I blaming my children? Why am challenge.” with different participants from all I punishing them?’ So I decided to Khaled’s hard work and over the world. As a Palestinian, it

4 is a good experience to hear about next generation, establishing the “The other challenge is Ireland’s history and experience. Palestinian Child Rights Council, that all of the Palestinian children We have been under the Israeli which works with around 5000 in prison are inside prisons inside occupation for about 60 years, but Palestinian children to teach them Israel… So I myself am deprived Ireland stayed about 700 years their rights, and also to teach from having permission to visit under the British occupation.” acceptance of others in an attempt them in the prison, and it’s the same Khaled also found some to divert them away from the for other Palestinian lawyers, so we time to relax on his travels, recalling ideologies of groups like Islamic have to hire Israeli lawyers in order the three days he spent on the State operating in the Middle East. to continue the work.” Aran Islands after submitting his He explains that his work Khaled repeats again last assignment as “three days I will with DCI Palestine involves two main and again over the course of our never forget.” programmes. “The first is on the interview how grateful he is for the When Khaled returned Israeli side, defending the children opportunity provided to him by to Palestine after his studies, he in the Israeli prisons, monitoring the Irish Aid, and how his time studying came back “with a new vision, a situation and conditions where they in Ireland has helped him with his new mission about human rights are living inside the prisons. work in Palestine. issues, about international law, “Second, we monitor the He recently met with humanitarian law, human rights violations against children and Ireland’s Representative in Ramallah, law.” He had a new understanding use this in our advocacy at the along with other Irish Aid Fellowship of the Israeli military court system; international level.” alumni, where he expressed his wish that it was a political court “so far There are many challenges to maintain links with Ireland. He from the fair trial standards… It is in Khaled’s work: “First of all, the also hopes to send his son to Ireland designed to punish, not to obtain continued occupation is a big under the Fellowship Training justice; it is to legitimate the Israeli challenge for us because when we Programme, because Khaled would violations and crimes against the started, this field used to represent like him to benefit in the same way Palestinians.” 200 children in the Israeli prisons he has. Now, 10 years after his – unfortunately the number is “I believe education in studies in Ireland, Khaled is the increasing instead of decreasing. Ireland is well known, and I myself director of Defence for Children Violations are continuous and consider it among the best in the International (DCI), Palestine –a increasing and escalating. Our world, so to have a degree from position he obtained in 2014, and work is continuous. Sometimes Ireland… it is not easy to have it. which he believes he would not you think these cases are without Many thanks to Ireland.” have achieved if not for everything end.” Khaled recalls that the latest he learned during his time at the available statistics recorded around Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI 440 children in Israeli military Galway. prisons, but insists that at least 1000 Khaled is also working to Palestinian children go through Khaled was interviewed via Skype in pass on what he learned to the Israeli prisons each year. November, 2016

Khaled (second from left) and other Irish Aid Fellowship alumni meeting with Irish Representative Jonathan Conlon (third from left) at the Representative Office of Ireland in Ramallah in October 2016.

5 Irish Aid to launch new Development Education Strategy

Members of the Global Education Network Europe (GENE) Peer Review Team: Mr. Eddie O’ Loughlin, Ms. Alexandra Allen, Dr. Helmuth Hartmeyer, Ms. Liisa Jääskeläinen, and Mr. Dirk Bockens

The Irish Aid Development Education Strategy 2017-2023 will be launched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, TD, and Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Joe Mc Hugh, TD, on 21st December in , Dublin. The goal of development education is that people in Ireland are empowered to analyse and challenge the root causes and consequences of global hunger, poverty, inequality, injustice and climate change, inspiring and enabling them to become active global citizens in the creation of a fairer and more sustainable future for all. Increasing awareness in Ireland of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live is a key component in Irish Aid’s goal to tackle global poverty and injustice, to promote peace and democracy and to safeguard human rights.

At the core of Ireland’s foreign which are generating surges in A major stage in the development policy, The Global Island (2015), migration, sustained poverty and of our strategy was the GENE Peer is the protection of our citizens environmental degradation, the Review and GENE National Report and the promotion of our values need for education that promotes on Global Education in Ireland abroad. The four core values informed, coherent and sustained (2015). The Global Education underpinning our foreign policy responses to these challenges Network Europe, or GENE, is the are a fairer, more just, more secure has never been more apparent. European network of ministries, and more sustainable world. Development education promotes agencies and other bodies with Irish Aid promotes these values citizenship literacy by deepening responsibility at national level abroad through our international understanding of global justice for support, funding and policy- development programme and at issues and Ireland’s core values, making in the field of Global home through our development advancing our foreign policy aim Education or Development education programme. In an of contributing to the collective Education. In 2015, Irish Aid increasingly globalised world facing international effort to build a invited GENE to conduct a Peer profound and prolonged conflicts better world for all. Review to assess the national

6 context for development progression of development New Irish education in Ireland and education in Ireland. make recommendations for the successor Development Irish Aid worked closely with International Education Strategy. The IDEA, the Irish Development Peer Review team included Education Association, Education experts from Austria, Finland, during the process of Luxembourg and Belgium. developing the new strategy. Strategy The findings of the review IDEA coordinated the were published in the ‘GENE establishment of three Task Launched National Report on Global Groups, representing the Education in Ireland’ which formal education, adult and was launched in Iveagh House community education and On October 7th, 2016, Minister for in November 2015. youth sectors. Irish Aid held Education, Richard Bruton, launched a number of meetings with Ireland’s new International Education The GENE National Report the Task Groups to prepare Strategy 2016-2020. acknowledged the rich history for the GENE Peer Review, and tradition of development to discuss the GENE National ICOS contributed to the strategy in the education in Ireland and the Report and to share drafts consultation phase, and to a greater long-standing commitment of our strategy. These Task extent through its involvement in the of Irish Aid, civil society Groups presented at the Irish High-Level Group on International organisations and other Aid Development Education Education, which will also monitor the stakeholders working in this National Consultation Day, strategy’s implementation. area. The report commended met with the GENE Peer the diversity of strategy and Review team and contributed The strategy aims to increase the approach in development written submissions to both number of international students education across the formal, the GENE Peer Review and studying in Irish higher education non-formal and informal the Irish Aid Development institutions (HEIs) by 33% over the education sectors and Education Strategy. next 4 years to 44,000. recommended that the successor Development The new Development A central priority of the new strategy is to Education Strategy provide Education Strategy seeks to foster greater transnational education renewed vision and contribute to the realisation and increased internationalisation of strengthen the aims of of Irish Aid’s vision for a curricula, whilst emphasising quality integrating development sustainable and just world, by as central to academic offerings. It is education in education at all providing an opportunity for hoped that this will make Irish HEIs levels. people in Ireland to reflect on more competitive in the global higher their roles and responsibilities education market. Find out morehere . To inform the development as global citizens and by of the new Development encouraging people to Education Strategy, Irish take action for a fairer and Aid hosted a Development more sustainable future for Education National all. We are confident that Consultation Day in April our ambitious strategy will 2015, attended by over 100 increase the accessibility, representatives from the quality and effectiveness of formal education, youth, Development Education for adult and community, civil people throughout Ireland. society and development Our work takes inspiration sectors. The National from the words of Nelson Consultation Day facilitated Mandela: ‘’Education is the roundtable discussions most powerful weapon which which gave stakeholders you can use to change the the opportunity to discuss, world’’. debate and identify the challenges, opportunities and key priorities for the

7 Protecting the world’s endangered mountain gorillas Jean Pierre Mirindi Jobogo

>>The Link spoke to Jean Pierre about his work in the more than 10 years since he was awarded a fellowship to study for an MSc in World Heritage Management at UCD in 2005. Today he is Chief Park Warden in charge of the central sector of Virunga National Park. Receiving a life time achievement award from the International Ranger Federation in 2014

Before I came to UCD I was a Senior Warden at Virunga When I returned to DRC, it was not easy to adjust. National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Senior managers sometimes have difficulty accepting When I completed my studies at UCD, I got promoted the skills and knowledge of newly-trained staff and that to Chief Park Warden in charge of the central sector of sometimes led to conflict. I organised training sessions Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site to share knowledge with colleagues about my course in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on the and my research. border of Uganda and Rwanda. Virunga is Africa’s oldest national park and is also the continent’s most biologically In 2010, I got a significant promotion. Since I was able to diverse protected area. Virunga is home to a quarter of speak English, it gave me the opportunity to travel and the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas and lead some workshops, and I was invited to become part these gorillas were my main research topic at UCD. of the team to draw the Transboundary Management Strategic Plan. I chose the World Heritage Management course at UCD as it was the only one of its kind and covered One year ago, I was appointed to re-launch the both biology and environmental studies. The course management plan of the Kundelungu Park in the trains people working in protected areas management, southern DRC. Today I am a Chief Park Warden and especially those working in the world heritage sites. It aspire to be promoted as Director at managerial level. prepared us to be able to draw a management plan and a wide knowledge of the values of archaeological and In 2014, I received a “Lifetime Achievement Award’ from natural heritages. the International Ranger Federation at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney. It was great to get that type Through the programme, I gained a wide view of of recognition. conservation planning and risk management. I learned how to deal with communities surrounding the reserve Looking into the future, I wish to start a training and natural catastrophe affecting the heritage site that programme and write a book sharing my experience with we protect. others. Although life is full of memories, challenges and success, my time at UCD contributed a lot in boosting While living in Ireland, I found that Irish people are my career. At the same time I feel confident to manage friendly and the social environment met my expectation, any kind of nature reserve through the practical and my adaptation was straight forward with no barrier. I academic experience I gained in Ireland. had to work hard and feed myself with the university life. The course was both theoretical and practical with well Note: Prior to Irish Aid adopting a partnership approach, experienced lecturers. Today I still feel part of the Irish it sometimes awarded fellowships to applicants from society and able to return to Ireland to share my work non-partner countries such as DRC. experience with others and feel at home.

8 College Spotlight: KIMMAGE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CENTRE

Kimmage Manor at Kimmage Development Studies Centre

» The Link takes a closer look at Kimmage DSC, where Irish Aid fellows have been studying since 1993

Kimmage Development Studies Centre (KDSC) was people and communities. KDSC seeks to bridge the established by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in divide between development practitioners north and 1974. Set on beautiful grounds in the suburbs of Dublin, south, between academic and civil society, and between to date the programme of studies at KDSC has provided NGOs and the missionary sector. education and training to students of all backgrounds, cultures and religious persuasions from over 65 Graduates of KDSC have gone on to work all over the different countries around the world. world, many in senior management positions in NGOs, Faith-Based Organisations and in local government. Since 1978, KDSC has received funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Irish Aid towards Since 1993, more than 180 fellows have studied here assisting with their mission of promoting critical thinking through the Irish Aid Fellowship Training Programme. and action for justice, equality and the eradication of They have come from Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Kenya, poverty in the world. Lesotho, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Palestine, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, This is done through facilitating the education and Tanzania, Timor Leste, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and training of individual practitioners and groups working Zimbabwe. for social, economic and political change in society, and so enabling all practitioners to work effectively for the In February 2016, wrote an article about holistic development of all. three Irish Aid fellows who began studying at KDSC in 2015 (available at http://bit.ly/1Kc1guv). Continuing An emphasis is put on creative and dynamic learning that this tradition, three new fellows have begun the MA in creates a space for critical reflection, dialogue, research International Development in September 2016. and capacity building for grassroots development of

9 Uganda Irish Alumni Association visit to Ireland

Uganda Irish Alumni Association president, Henry Tumwebaze (far right), and other members meeting with ICOS ‘Director, Sheila Power, and Irish Aid’s Harriet Sexton-Morel at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

In September 2016, a delegation from the Uganda Irish Alumni Association (UIAA) visited Ireland for one week.

Members of the delegation included former Irish Aid fellows who had studied in Ireland as far back as 1998, as well as some for whom this was their first visit to Ireland, having studied as regional Irish Aid fellows in Uganda.

The delegation visited the universities they had attended, and also met with representatives of Irish Aid and ICOS at Visiting the Global Health Centre in TCD the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin.

Launched in 2014, the UIAA is a very active alumni association. At their meeting with Irish Aid and ICOS, the association’s president, Henry Tumwebaze, expressed their desire to inspire and partner with Irish Aid fellowship alumni around the world, and to help others to set up their own alumni associations.

If you would like to learn more about the UIAA, you can visit their website www.ugandairishalumni.org. Here you will also find contact details if you would like to get in touch and learn UIAA delegation visits DCU from their experiences of setting up an alumni association.

10 Learn more about our new Liberian Study Fellows

Walker Mahn Catherine Thomas Abdul Koroma MSc in Applied Social Research MSc in Global Health MA in Environment, Society & Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin Development, NUI Galway

Walker’s work with Liberia’s Drug Catherine’s experience during the Abdul has come to Ireland to Enforcement Agency involves Ebola Virus outbreak in Liberia enhance his knowledge in the area collecting, processing and analyzing inspired her to apply for the MSc in of water and sanitation - an area in drug crime statistics. Global Health, as she felt that this which there is a lack of expertise at would enable her to better serve the Ministry of Public Works where He has already learned a lot from his humanity, her country and the he is employed in Liberia. course in Applied Social Research world more broadly. at TCD, and looks forward to Abdul intends to use what he is applying what he has learned to the She believes there is much work to learning in NUI Galway to become task of improving data collection be done to improve the Liberian a change agent that will lead to surrounding drug crime and abuse health system, and has gained a communities that are both more in Liberia. lot of knowledge already that will sustainable and more resilient. benefit Liberia when she returns. He is settling in well in Ireland, even When he returns to Liberia, he if the weather and the food have In particular, she feels that she has hopes to use his newly gained required some adjustment! He learned from the other people on expertise to contribute to better finds Irish people to be helpful and her course, who come from diverse policy formulation, better research, kind. backgrounds and have different and better programme design. experiences of health systems His hope for the future of Liberia is around the world. He is hopeful that the peaceful that the basic needs of everyone will conditions that currently prevail be met, and that one day peaceful, For her thesis, Catherine intends in Liberia will continue, allowing fair and transparent elections will to study the Liberian response to for continued development and be held. the Ebola crisis, with the goal of nation-building. identifying the areas in which the His desire is to one day establish country’s health services were He is conscious that his skills will give his own NGO that will advocate on weakest so that they are better him an important role in Liberia’s behalf of the voiceless in Liberian prepared for future emergencies. development when he returns, and society, and that will broaden looks forward to joining others who educational opportunities to all of Her hope is that Liberia will be able have returned to support Liberia’s Liberia’s children. to build a resilient health system government and development that will adequately cater to the partners who refuse to give up health needs of its population. hope in the country’s potential.

11 11 2016 fellows celebrating at the Christmas party at the Mansion House in Dublin

Happy Christmas from Irish Aid & ICOS

» The Link is published by ICOS on behalf of Irish Aid. Irish Council for International Students, 41 Morehampton Road, Dublin 4, Ireland Phone: 353 1 6605233 - Fax 353 1 6682320 - Email: [email protected] - Web: www.icosirl.ie