Monday 29 April 2013

Late applications welcome

Just to reassure concerned applicants that although the official deadline for applications is April 30th, we will be taking late applications for the MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism. We cannot guarantee as quick a response in terms of acceptance or not but we will nevertheless do our best.

For full details on how to apply as well as funding information, see this page and this one.

Two exhibitions at Maynooth

There are two interesting exhibitions currently running in Maynooth.

One is "Silence would be treason", an exhibition of letters from Nigerian ecological, indigenous and pro-democracy campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa to Irish solidarity activist Majella McCarron in the months before his execution by the military regime.

The second is "Encountering Buddhist Asia", an exhibition documenting Ireland's encounter with the far end of the Eurasian continent from the sixth century on.


Wednesday 24 April 2013

Internal Masters funding for 2013 - 14

Further details are now available on university funding available for participants on the CEESA masters this coming (2013 - 14) academic year. (For full details on applications, costs and funding, including state funding, see this page.)

1) There are taught masters bursaries of 2,000 euro each open to students who have been in receipt of a student grant any time after 2007, including those graduating this year. You do not need to be a graduate of NUI Maynooth to apply for this scholarship. NB that these are distributed by departments and CEESA is jointly run by the Depts. of Sociology and Adult and Community Education.

2) There is 1 alumnus / alumna scholarship for the Faculty of Social Sciences, open to applicants with a final overall mark of 65% and involving a 600-word personal statement.

For both scholarships, the application forms, closing dates and terms and conditions are available: http://graduatestudies.nuim.ie/scholarship. Students are welcome to contact Eilis Murray, Graduate Studies Development Officer on (01) 708 6938 or eilis.murray AT nuim.ie about these and about the SUSI student grant. She will be providing a workshop on Masters funding at the NUIM Open Day this Saturday (April 27th) at 12.20 pm in the Arts Block Theatre 1 (NB this is a change from the previously announced venue) and a Masters funding workshop on May 2nd (further details here).

Friday 19 April 2013

Environment, Democracy and Activism

- A panel discussion on community campaigns relating to Ireland's oil and gas industry -

6.30pm Tuesday 23rd April 2013
Lecture Theatre 3 John Hume Building NUI Maynooth

Speakers include
  • Leitrim environmentalist anti-fracking* campaigner Dr. Aideen McLoughlin
  • Local campaigner against the Corrib Gas project Mayo
  • Solidarity Activist from Rossport Solidarity Camp Mayo
  • Leah Doherty of No Fracking Ireland
* Fracking - Shale Gas and Hydraulic Fracturing - a method of gas extraction

This event is organised by The Common Room society NUIM and is supported by the MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism

Tuesday 16 April 2013

"A call to educate"

Really interesting post and discussion about education and movements in Ireland here.

Struggles in common: Peter Linebaugh and others in Dublin

What is the political significance of the commons today?


18/05/2013
11.00-17.00


A day of talks and discussions organised by the provisional university featuring acclaimed historian Peter Linebaugh, author of The Magna Carta Manifesto

This event is open to the public and admission is free but booking is advised. RSVP:commonsevent@gmail.com


Across Europe, the dominant response to the financial crisis has been an attack on social life. National governments have adopted policies of severe austerity, resulting in cuts across all aspects of social welfare (health, education, payments to the unemployed) as well as the privatization of public resources (third level education, water, transport). While these policies are carried out by elected governments, they reflect the erosion of democracy and the concentration of power in the hands of financial and European elites.

Against these attacks, people have sought to defend their social rights and the non-market value of vital public resources and services. Recognizing the double crisis in the economy and democracy, alternative social and political experiments have thus emerged. These experiments have recalled the history of the commons and the radical promise it holds for a future beyond the state and capitalism.
 
This day-long event brings together collectives and individuals involved in excavating the history and contemporary significance of the commons. The purpose is to share our experiences and knowledge in order to develop the concept of the commons in a manner which is directly related to the present political conjecture. The event includes a talk by acclaimed historian Peter Linebaugh and contributions from research collectives based in Spain, Ireland, USA and the U.K.

 
Location: O'Connell House, 58 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
 
http://bit.ly/Y63mmr
For more information: provisionaluniversity@wordpress.com

Speakers include:
Peter Linebaugh is Professor of History at the University of Toledo. He is the author of The Magna Carta Manifesto and co-author (with Marcus Rediker) of the Many-Headed Hydra: The Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic. He is also a member of the Midnight Notes Collective.
Amanda Huron is a researcher and activist based in Washington D.C. She has been working with housing cooperatives in Washington D.C. as well as an "undocumented" (i.e. unlicensed) community radio station.
Observatorio Metropolitano are an activist research group formed by activists and professionals from different fields. They provide critical analyses of the fundamental lines of transformation in the contemporary metropolis. Their most recent book is Crisis and Revolution in Europe. http://www.observatoriometropolitano.org/
Plan C is a UK based political organisation made up of people who are politically active in their workplaces and communities. They work together to support each other, amplify their struggles and think strategically. http://www.weareplanc.org/
Seoidín O'Sullivan is an artist and educator. Her case studies focus on people joining together in action to protect or develop an aspect of their local commons. Her work addresses issues of land use, lost knowledge and biodiversity.
The Free Association are a writing collective loosely based in Leeds. They are the authors of Moments of Excess. http://freelyassociating.org/
The Provisional University are an autonomous research and educational collective based in Dublin. They carry out research and organize educational activities which strengthen social movements and create discussion outside the academic institution. http://provisionaluniversity.wordpress.com/

Thursday 11 April 2013

CEESA flyer here

The flyer for this year's course is now available here. Please print off a few and stick them up / leave them lying around somewhere useful! Thanks.