Who We Are
Five Artists: Nikita Abuya from Kenya, Béibhínn McCarthy, Tara O’Brien, Neave Alouf from Ireland and Viktoria Spokojna from Berlin
STAND Activities Coordinator, Caitriona Rogerson and Marketing and Branding Awareness Coordinator Madeline Campbell.
What We Did
In 2021, the STAND Student Festival celebrated collective resilience in the face of global challenges. From the fight for climate justice to social inclusion, gender equality to mental health, this year’s #RISEUP Exhibition puts stories of hope, determination, and resilience centre-stage.
The #RISEUP Exhibition showcased twenty changemakers from around the world who have risen up to take action for positive change. From Ireland to Kenya, Somalia to South Africa, Uganda to Afghanistan, these individuals and collectives have shown courage, creativity and dedication in tackling global challenges.
The following are but a few of the images included in the exhibition which toured the 14 participating campuses.
The activists and changemakers included in the exhibition included:
Climate Action:
- Saoi O’Connor (18) – Climate Activist, Ireland
- Nzambi Matee (29) – Social Entrepreneur & Engineer, Kenya
- Vanessa Nakate (24) – Climate Activist, Uganda
- Nina Gualinga (27) – Climate & Indigenous Rights Activist, Ecuador
- Aisling Byrne (27) – Entrepreneur, Fashion Activist, and Founder of Nuw, Ireland
Equality:
- Senator Eileen Flynn (31) – First Traveller to have a seat in the Oireachtas, Ireland
- Alex Kofi Donker (29) – Founder of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, Ghana
- Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), Ireland
- Louisamay Hanrahan (29)- Founder of Let’s Help Direct Provision & Let’s Match Mums, Ireland
- Black & Irish, Ireland
Women & Gender Equality
- Ifrah Ahmed (32) – FGM activist and campaigner, Somalia/Ireland
- #MeToo Movement, Global
- Movement to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, Ireland
- Candice Chirwa (25) – Menstruation Activist, South Africa
- Sonita Alizadeh (25) – Rapper & activist on Child Marriage, Afghanistan
Mental Health
- Jay Buntin & Mathew Taylor (19) Founders of Pure Mental, Northern Ireland
- Adam Harris (25)Founder of AsIAm, National Autism Charity, Ireland
- Geraldine McDonnell (25) Traveller & Mental Health worker, Pavee Point, Ireland
- Blessing Dada, (21) Irish-Nigerian Mental Health Activist
- Hauwa Ojeifa (29) – mental health activist, Nigeria
Features, blogs and guides
Urgently needed and timely new resource from Afri
Ciara Regan reviews Afri’s latest resource, Sowing Seeds of Peace, for post primary teachers which is adaptable and immediately useful across a range of school subjects.
It’s international women’s day. Don’t forget to tag us now that you feel #prettypowerful
From getting out to vote and entertaining two children off school due to it being a make-shift polling station, Ciara Regan reflects on international women’s day 2024.
Punching above its weight
Juan Acevedo-Ossa explores South Africa’s case against Israel as the latest example of its ability to act as a normative superpower, exceeding the great powers in shaping global moral discourse.
Empathy in a Divided World – workshop
Join us for this online session Empathy in a Divided World led by Brighid Golden to discuss how educators can respond to the challenges of selective empathy, both for ourselves personally and with others in our different settings.
What does Palestine have to do with Africa?
How does Israel’s current aggression on Gaza relate to Africa’s own history of political violence in Uganda and Africa?
‘What life is this?’: Escaping Ukraine’s occupied territories
From food shortages to informants, eight evacuees talk about life in Russian-occupied towns