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Development Education and Research Netw ork
DERN NEWS
DERN Newsletter
DERN
The Development Education
and Research Network (DERN)
was established in 2005 to
promote development
education and enhance
networking between researchers
and academics interested in
development and education
issues at NUI Galway. The
network aims to enable and
enhance the sharing of
knowledge and skills relevant to
development and contribute to
capacity building for
development education and
research at NUI Galway. The
network promotes an
interdisciplinary approach to
development issues in teaching
and research. It affirms the
wider aims and values of
knowledge-sharing and civic
engagement.
Issue 1, August/September 2008
Welcome to the DERN Newsletter
Welcome to the first issue of the Development Education and Research Network’s (DERN) newsletter. This newsletter provides the opportunity to
keep members informed of the work in which DERN is involved and to receive more in depth updates regarding member activities.
The newsletter will report on events that have taken place and highlight upcoming events that may be of interest to members, including details of
DERN’s Dialogue Across Disciplines seminars which will begin again in
September after the summer break.
We will also include profiles of a variety of DERN members and provide
information on the work in which they are involved.
The newsletter will be published every 2 months.
If you wish to contribute to the newsletter, or have upcoming events you
would like included, please contact Orla Lehane, DERN Network Coordinator at orla.lehane@nuigalway.ie
DERN is funded by Irish Aid.
Development
Education and
Research Network
NUI Galway, University Road,
Galway, Ireland
Phone: + 353 (0)91 495040
E-mail: orla.lehane@nuigalway.ie
Website: www.nuigalway.ie/dern
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DERN Member Information
DERN congratulates Dr. Diarmuid O'Donovan from the Department of
Health Promotion NUIG on the publication of his new book ‘The State of
Health Atlas– Mapping the Challenges and Causes of Disease’ (Earthscan 2008).
In addition to this, along with Professor Martin Cormican and Dr Maire Connolly, Dr O‘Donovan is developing a new module, provisionally titled ‘Globalisation, Development, Health’ for the undergraduates in his
department. It will be assessed by means of project work which should expand the participating medical
student’s awareness and expertise in developmental issues. Until now an optional module has been offered,
similar to this new one, that was not formally assessed. Given the high attendance over a number of years
it was decided to formalize its presence on the course.
DERN MEMBER PROFILE – Dr Diarmuid O’Donovan
Diarmuid O’Donovan MD MSc MFPHM DCH DTM&H is Senior Lecturer in Social & Preventive Medicine / Director of Public Health (HSE West) and at the Department of Health Promotion, National University of Ireland, Galway and is a Project Leader in the Health Promotion Research Centre. This includes
being one of the Project Leaders for the DERN project.
This work includes both research and lecturing on subjects which have development contexts. Issues of poverty and health are covered in the general curriculum for medical students, although mainly from a European perspective. Approximately half of the participants in these classes are non European students many from ‘developing countries’. At
postgraduate level the Masters/Diploma programme in Health Promotion is open to
graduates other than those who have studied medicine. This course includes developmental issues such as tobacco, HIV and how environmental factors impact health.
This year, as part of a project organised by the Higher Education Authority and Irish Aid,
Dr O’Donovan, in his role as a partner of the Irish College of Surgeons, will be delivering part of a new
format of PhD programme that includes taught sectors such as ‘Determinants of Global Health’. This PhD
programme will focus on three areas: ‘Human Resources for Health’, ‘Equity in Access’ and ‘Governance
and Health Systems’.
Diarmuid himself has worked in both Gambia and Zambia. He is, or has been, involved in research that
concerns Sierra Leone, Sudan, Malawi and Lesotho. He is involved in the preparation of students who have
chosen to complete their ‘elective’ in developing countries often through the V.S.A organisation. He works
with two student-led development oriented groups, SUAS and MED ACTION and also with Skill share
NGO. He is involved in the preparation of students who have chosen to complete their ‘elective’ in developing countries often through the V.S.A organisation.
Diarmuid’s research interests include health inequalities, communicable disease control and environmental
health and health and human rights. For further information regarding these research interests and publications please see: www.nuigalway.ie/health_promotion/staff/
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DERN Member Information
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DERN were delighted to hear that Gerald Glynn, a DERN member who is currently completing a PhD at the
Bio Medical and Mechanical Engineering department at NUIG, has been awarded funding for an innovative networking project. The proposal was titled ‘"Establishing a Network of Rehabilitation Centres and Non Profit Orthotic /Prosthetic Manufacturers in the Global South with the Aim of Technology Enhancement" and funding
was granted under the Networking Grant for Global Health Research Awards scheme offered by the Health Research Board (HRB) in conjunction with Irish Aid.
This project will enable Gerald to visit Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and
Zimbabwe during 2009. His aim will be to develop a network of contacts with prosthetic and orthotic practitioners, workshop technicians, rehabilitation centres and product users that will enable better communication and
facilitate two way transfers of information and innovation in his specific area.
DERN MEMBER PROFILE – Gerald Glynn
Gerald is in his third year of a PhD in Bio Medical and Mechanical Engineering. He holds a first class primary degree in Engineering from NUIG. His PHD research is dedicated to the improvement of an existing project called
the Jaipur Foot www.jaipurfoot.org. His specific goal is to make the Jaipur foot (a prosthetic limb) more dynamically responsive whilst maintaining the end product’s affordability.
His research activities at present are computer modelling of the
foot for virtual testing and mechanical testing of sample products
in a uni-axel tester to measure stiffness and energy absorption.
For the non technically-minded this is to improve the performance of the limb in such activities as squatting which is a habitual
activity in many of the areas the foot is used.
Gerald’s work concerns ‘Development’ on many overlapping levels- he lists them as Health , Medical, Educational and Social –
including in the social , amelioration of the social effects of landmines.
Jaipur foot, an inexpensively manufactured prosthetic limb, is an
example of what is known as adequate technology- this is Gerald’s
chief area of research interest; the transfer of technology from developed countries in a manner which ensures suitability in economic, social, geographical and cultural contexts that differ from
those in the country where the products are designed. These products are designed so that the technology involved is suitable for
both use and production in the regions where they will be used.
This holistic approach ensures that the communities who use the Gerald Glynn (right), working on improving the Jaipur Foot.
products are able to benefit from
the economic effects of production and that they are not dependant on external
suppliers for spare parts or support services for the products. Gerald chose this
area of work after an extensive exploration of the opportunities for using his PHD
study for what he defines as a humanitarian purpose.
Gerald was involved in starting a local branch of the NGO Engineers without
Borders and is active with this organisation having recently organized a project in
Ghana for some Irish engineers. He also took part in the Development’s futures
conference where he presented a poster on Jaipur Foot. On a local level Gerald is
involved in a group called the Galway Space Group which is seeking to actively
address a deficit of public space through organising to secure autonomously controlled and funded premises that may be used for community purposes.
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DERN Network’s Recent Activities
Critical Thinking: The Galway Symposium on the
Future of Universities
The annual conference organised by the Centre for
Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) at NUI
Galway took place on June 5th and 6th 2008. Commentators on higher education, including NUIG President Dr James Browne, Professor Mary Evans of the
London School of Economics, Professor Michael
Shattock of the Institute of Education, London and
Professor Kathleen Lynch University College Dublin,
discussed the purpose of the university in the 21st century though key-note speeches and smaller workshops.
Specific themes such as civic engagement, globalisation, links between research and teaching and the role
of creativity in higher education were discussed at the
event. A wide range of perspectives were introduced
by the impressive speakers and work shop facilitators
at this well attended event which provoked great deal
of dialogue and debate.
DERN submitted a poster presentation on the topic
‘The Globalisation of Higher Education,’ which presented a vision of development education within
higher education that focuses on human rights and
health as key areas for interdisciplinary and critical debate. The poster identifies possible scenarios for the
globalisation of higher education along with some current trends and issues and discusses the role of development education in addressing these issues. A copy
of the poster submitted by DERN can be viewed on
the DERN website: http://www.nuigalway.ie/dern/
Publications.html
For more information on the work of CELT please
see their website at: http://www.nuigalway.ie/celt/
and for further reports on the Symposium, including
recordings of all key note speeches see following blog:
http://ollscoil.blogspot.com/
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Galway’s 1st African Film Festival
The Galway One World Centre, NUIG’s Huston School
of Film and Digital Media and the Galway Film Society
organised Galway’s 1st African Film Festival on the June
bank holiday weekend earlier this year. DERN members
Heike Vornhagen, Son Gyoh and Sarah Clancy were involved in running the two day festival. The festival,
which was funded by Irish Aid as part of its programme
of ‘Africa Day’ celebrations, was a great success with
over 1100 people viewing the range of films on offer.
The organisers hope to make this an annual event.
Right:
Orla
Lehane with
DERN’s
poster
submission
for CELT
Symposium
Irish Development Education Association
IDEA is an association of organisations and individuals involved
in the provision, promotion or advancement of development
education throughout the island of Ireland. At the IDEA AGM
in July Dr Su-ming Khoo, DERN Project Leader, was re-elected
onto the organisation's National Council for 2008/09. It was
great to see how much IDEA has developed over the past year
and to hear about IDEAS new strategic plan, the outcome of the
consultations we participated in back in April. www.ideaonline.ie
Gordana Berjan, from the North-South Centre of the Council for
Europe presented a highly informative address on the European
dimensions and framework for cooperation for Global Education,
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and the role of the North-South Centre itself in promoting public
awareness of global interdependence issues.
DERN Network’s Recent Activities
Dialogue Across Disciplines:
Global Engineer Seminar
On May 25th Ian Neal of Engineers Against Poverty, a UKbased NGO, came to NUIG to
hold a seminar on ‘The Global
Engineer.’ He spoke about this
resource, compiled by Engineers Against Poverty in conjunction with the Institute of
Education, University of London, and discussed the incorporation of global issues into
higher level engineering education.
This informative talk was well
attended with the engineering
faculties at NUIG and GMIT
being represented as well as
Engineers Ireland, the relevant
professional body.
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Food Crisis – The Right Solution: 9/07/2008 Gresham Hotel Dublin.
DERN members attended a seminar held to mark the 60th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights in
Dublin last week. The event was hosted by Concern Worldwide and Action Aid Ireland and it focused on the current
‘Food Crisis’. The well attended seminar was chaired by
Alan Matthews, Professor of European Agricultural Policy
(Trinity College Dublin). Speakers included Mary Robinson,
Former President of Ireland, and UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, Tom Arnold the CEO of Concern, and
Chris Kinyanjui, Action Aid’s International Director for East
and Southern Africa. Commenting on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Mary Robinson stressed that its creators had a vision of people rather that governments taking personal ownership
of the listed rights. She is involved in actively seeking this type of ‘one person
action’ through a new project called ‘Every Human Has Rights’ (details available
at www.everyhumanhasrights.org). The informative seminar touched on such
issues as sustainability, land title, international political will, agency and advocacy. Speakers called on the Irish government to honour its commitments to the
Millennium Development Goals in spite of the economic downturn in order
that Ireland and Irish organisations could continue to lobby and advocate for
political priority for issues of development with legitimacy.
Health Promotion Research Centre 12th Annual Summer Conference
Further details, along with Ian
Neal’s power point presentation and a video recording of
the seminar, are available on
the DERN website: http://
www.nuigalway.ie/dern/
development_education.html
The Health Promotion Research Centre at NUIG held its 12th annual conference on 19th and 20th June 2008. The conference theme was ‘Capacity Building
for the Future: Health Promotion Competencies & Professional Standards.’
Speakers included Professor Margaret Barry, NUIG, Minister Mary Wallace,
Minister for Health Promotion and Food Safety, Department of Health and
Children and Professor David McQueen, Centres for Disease Control and
IUHPE.
The conference followed on from the first consensus meeting of international leaders from
health promotion and population health held at
NUIG, and encouraged dialogue and understanding concerning identifying core competencies, developing standards and accreditation systems and building capacity in health promotion
for the future.
Note: This was the last of
DERN’s Dialogue Across Disciplines seminars for academic
year 2007/2008. The series will Speaking on global perspectives and social destart again in Sept 2008.
terminants of health, Professor McQueen referred to the need to advocate for health based on human rights, the role that
If you have suggestions for
factors such as trade issues have on health and the connection between health
speakers you would like to hear and socioeconomic and political development, while calling on governments to
from, or topics would like to
tackle poor health and inequalities as a matter of urgency. Details regarding this
see discussed please let us
conference are available at: http://www.nuigalway.ie/hpr/
know.
In photo: Mr. Brian Mullen, Principal Officer, Health Promotion Policy Unit, Department of Health & Children.; Mr. Paul Barron,
Details of seminars will be Assistant Secretary, Primary Care, Department of Health & Children; Ms. Catherine Murphy, Assistant National Director for Population Health, HSE; Professor David McQueen, Associate Director for Global Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control
posted on the DERN
(CDC), Atlanta, President IUHPE; Minister Mary Wallace, Minister for Health Promotion and Food Safety, Department of Health
& Children; Professor Maurice Mittelmark,5University of Bergen, IUHPE Vice President Communications; Professor Margaret
website.
Barry, Department of Health Promotion, NUIG, IUHPE Vice-President for Capacity Building, Education and Training
DERN Network’s Recent Activities
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Irish African Partnership for Research Capacity Building (IAPRCB)
DERN Project Leaders Dr Su-ming Khoo and Dr Diarmuid O’Donovan, along with DERN Research Associate
Orla Lehane, attended the launch of the Irish African Partnership (IAPRCB) for Research Capacity Building in
DCU in April. The project, bringing together nine universities on the island
of Ireland with universities in four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, was
launched by President McAleese. This partnership is working to develop a
coordinated approach to research in health, education, gender and information
and communications technologies (ICT) between Ireland (North and South)
and the four participating African countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique
and Malawi. The main aim is to help both the Irish and African universities to
make an effective contribution to poverty reduction through relevant research
in these four areas. The launch marked the first of a series six four day workshops which will take place over the course of this initiative, three in Ireland
and three in Africa. The next workshop is due to take place in Uganda in November 2008. Dr Diarmuid O’Donovan sits on the steering committee of this
initiative. For further details see project website: https://www.cs.tcd.ie/iap/
index.html (Photo taken from IAPRCB Website).
Summer School: ‘Social, Cultural and Economic Aspects of Education in Conflict.’
‘Strengthening
DERN Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Felipe Revollo
attended a summer
school entitled
‘Social, Cultural and
Economic Aspects
of Education in Conflict’ at the University of Heidelberg in
May. The summer
school was organised
by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and
the Federal Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Dr
Revollo attended a series of seminars and discussions on
issues surrounding the role of education in reducing poverty, in interculturalism and in promoting understanding
and tolerance in a time of globalization. Dr Revollo represented DERN, presenting a paper titled ‘Development
Education and the Rediscovery of our Humanity.’
The Institute for International Integration Studies at
Trinity College, Dublin held a conference on
‘Strengthening Institutions for Development and
Poverty Reduction’ on 4 July 2008. The conference
focused on the role of institutions, and the question
of ‘which institutions are better for growth and poverty reduction?’ It was opened by Minister Peter
Power, who outlined the policy agenda of aid coherence and effectiveness. Professor Stephen Haber set
the scene with an engaging address on political institutions in the case of Mexico, including taxation, education, property rights, the police and the judiciary.
The speakers addressed a spectrum of concerns, such
as credit and property rights, corruption and judicial
independence. The discussions suggested that the
debate on institutions should not centre on abstract
forms, since the central issues of democracy and accountability cannot be seen as templates to be imposed, but about long processes of historical change.
One speaker reminded us that ‘development is conflict’ and that there is no easy consensus or roadmap
for reform, while another defended the importance
of promoting democracy. The conference concluded
by returning to policy matters with a session on the
European mechanisms for ‘policy coherence for development’ (PCD) and Ireland’s progress in adopting
this framework. Dr Su-ming Khoo was a panel discussant at the conference wrap-up panel.
Reduction’
This paper was also used as a reference in the 2008 annual
meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations
System (ACUNS), ‘The UN and the Global Development
Architecture,’ which took place in June in Bonn.
For further information: http://www.unstudies.org/
twiki/bin/view/Main/DevelopmentEducation
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Institutions for Poverty
DERN Network’s Recent Activities
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One of DERN’s Post Doctoral Researchers, Vanessa Andreotti, was a keynote speaker
at the DICE Project’s (www.diceproject.org ) ‘Challenging Perspectives; Teaching
Globalisation and Diversity in the Knowledge Society’ conference in Dublin this June.
Her well received presentation was titled ‘Delivering the 20th Century Curriculum versus Meeting the Needs of 21st Learners,’ and focused on experiences in New Zealand,
Brazil and England. Dr Andreotti’s work this year has also seen her participate in two
other international conferences; the ‘Traditional Knowledges Conference' on 8-9 June
2008 in Auckland New Zealand where she presented her work ‘Towards Inclusive
Global Citizenship Education’ and The ‘7th international conference of the Association of Cultural Studies’ at the University of West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica from 3
to 7 July 2008 where she chaired a panel on ‘ Transnational Literacies and Post-colonial
theory’ and presented the 'Through Other Eyes' project she is involved with. See
www.throughothereyes.org.uk
Dr Andreotti is scheduled to speak at two forthcoming conferences this Autumn. ‘Shifting Margins Shifting Centres’ takes place in September and ‘Global Citizenship Education and Post Secondary Institutions: Policies, Practices and Possibilities’ will take place in Alberta Canada, on October 23-25th 2008.
Vanessa has also found time to contribute four articles to development related publications:
 Andreotti, V. and Souza, L. (2008). Global Learning in the Knowledge Society: four tools for discussion. Journal of Interna-
tional Educational Research and Development Education (Zeitschrift für internationale Bildungsforschung und Entwicklungspädagogik), 31, 7-12.
 Andreotti, V. (2008) Development vs Poverty: notions of cultural supremacy in development education policy. In Bourn,
Douglas (eds) Development Education: Debates and Dialogues. London: Institute of Education, University of London.
 Andreotti, V. (in press) Translating theory into practice and walking minefields:lessons from the project 'Through Other Eyes'.
International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning. 1:1.
 Souza, V. and Andreotti, L. (in press) Challenges and tensions in the culturalist debate: the predation of difference and the re-
sistance to resistance in post colonial-indigenous Brazil. In Lavia, J. and Moore, M. (eds) Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Policy
and Practice: Decolonizing Community Contexts. London: Routledge.
Resources/Reviews
Book Review: Raj Patel ‘Stuffed and Starved’ Published: Portobello Books 2007
Recently Irish fishermen prevented trucks importing frozen fish from entering Ireland.
Their action highlighted the lunacy of a system which sees them wasting fish by throwing
part of their catch back in to the sea to rot in order to comply with the laws regarding fish
quotas whilst frozen fish which may even have been caught in Irish waters are imported
for sale in supermarkets. Raj Patel in this engaging book ‘Stuffed and Starved’ provides
some explanations to this and other such situations. He takes the approach that both obesity and global hunger are symptoms of the same economic system of food production. For
the uninitiated the book is clear, readable and often shocking. It is fascinating and enjoyable
when dealing with such topics as the origins of Aid, or the world’s first supermarket but
devastating in its criticism of the current international market for foodstuffs. The book is evidently the result of a
huge amount of research and this saves it from being easily dismissed as a polemic or a description of a political
viewpoint. The author engages with all the current arguments involved in food production; dealing with problems
such as the political derivation of the practice of food aid, the opportunities provided by genetically modified
foodstuffs such as the infamous ‘golden rice’ and the problems extant in the food production supply chain that
mean that technological advances are failing to adequately distribute food amongst the worlds people. The book
also serves to demonstrate the extent of opposition that exists and indeed provides alternatives to this particular
system of food production. This is a rare book- a serious topic treated with respect but presented in a fashion so
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engaging that one could read it at the beach. (Reviewed by
Sarah Clancy, DERN Member)
Upcoming Events
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Dr Norani Othman to visit NUIG this Autumn
The Global Women’s Studies Programme and DERN are delighted to announce that leading feminist scholar and
founding member of Sisters in Islam Dr Norani Othman will visit NUIG during October 29-31. She will give a
public lecture and formally launch NUIG’s new Global Women’s Studies Programme
www.nuigalway.ie/womens_studies/ Since 1995, Dr. Othman has been associate Professor and Senior Fellow at
the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies. A graduate of the University Malaya in Sociology and Anthropology, she obtained her MPhil through the University of Hull and also pursued postgraduate studies at Wolfson
College, University of Oxford. From 1977 to 1997, she was a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia). Sisters in Islam Forum Malaysia
is an internationally known and highly regarded Muslim women‘s non-governmental organization. In addition to
being on the board of SIS, Dr. Othman is a Vice-President of the Malaysian Association of Social Science. Dr Norani will be available to meet with students during her visit and the times and locations of the public meeting will
be made public through the DERN network. For more information on the work of Sisters in Islam see:
www.sistersinislam.org.my
‘Changing Perspectives- an Exploration of the Portrayals of the Majority World in the West of Ireland’s
Local Print Media’
Post graduate students Louise Murphy, Cillian O Kelly, Paul Grealish, and Emily Mc Groder all students from
NUIG’s MA in Philosophy, Ethics and Global Change, in collaboration with the Galway One World Centre, will
shortly be launching a booklet reporting on a fascinating research project they undertook as part of the service
learning element of their course. The project involved examining one months worth of seventeen local papers for
every mention of majority world issues and evaluating the manner in which these issues were mentioned. The finished booklet should make interesting reading and will be available this month from the Galway One World Centre(info@galwayowc.org) Copies of the booklet will be furnished to all the local newspapers in the region. The
One World Centre hopes that it will set a precedent where their work can combine with the research work of students and feed directly back into the local community.
Dr Vanessa Andreotti—DERN Postdoctoral Research Fellow
DERN Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Vanessa Andreotti, will travel to Ireland in September. Dr Andreotti is Senior
Lecturer in the School of Maori, Social and Cultural Studies in Education at the University of Canterbury in New
Zealand. While she is here, Dr Andreotti will hold seminars based on some of the work in which she is involved.
Dr Andreotti coordinates the Open spaces for Dialogue and Enquiry initiative (www.osde.org ) which is hosted by
the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice at Nottingham University, and is also involved in the coordination of the 'Through Other Eyes' project (www.throughothereyes.org.uk) on indigenous perspectives of the development agenda, and the 'Critical Literacy' initiative (www.criticalliteracy.org.uk/elt) which engages teacher networks in India and Latin America in the development of resources for critical literacy in English Language Teaching (both ESOL and EFL) and citizenship education. Details of the seminars will be announced via the DERN
Network, and information will be available on the DERN Website once these are finalised.
CKI Seminar:
Adi Roche, Founder and International Executive director for the Chernobyl Children’s Project Inc.
This seminar will take place on Thursday 18th September at 1pm in the Siobhan McKenna Theatre in the Arts
Millennium Building. For further info see the CKI website: www.nuigalwaycki.ie
Do you have any events coming up that would be of interest to DERN Members?
If so please contact Orla Lehane: orla.lehane@nuigalway.ie to have these included in the newsletter.
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