Caoimhe Lafferty, a student at Scoil Mhuire Buncrana, has won a prize in the ActionTalks’ regional speech writing competition.
Caoimhe will now go forward to the national finals in Dublin in March.
The ActionTalks competition, now in its ninth year, invites students across the country to investigate global social justice issues. This year students wrote speeches on climate justice, economic barriers to accessing education, and valuing unpaid care work. ActionAid received 143 entries from 40 schools across 16 counties.
ActionAid Ireland works with women and children as they take the lead in claiming their human rights to build a more just world.
As one of seven winners of the regional finals, Caoimhe will now go on to the National Final which will be held in Dublin on Tuesday 28th March, judged by a prestigious panel of judges.
CEO of ActionAid Ireland Karol Balfe said: “It is great to see so many young people engaging with important social justice issues such as climate change and unpaid care work. Ireland plays an important role internationally, both in its aid programmes funded by Irish taxpayers and its influence at EU and international level on key policy issues. We’re delighted to give young people an opportunity to research global issues and to speak out on topics that they care about. It was very difficult choosing the winners of the regional final, but we’re delighted to see Caoimhe forward for the final, who’s speech on Climate Change was well researched, well written and delivered in style.”
This competition is supported by Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs, as part of a women’s rights programme in Kenya, Nepal and Ethiopia.
