Young Louth people urged to enter ActionTalks competition

ActionAid Ireland is urging young people from Louth to enter ActionTalks, a speechwriting competition on important global themes open to young people aged between 14 and 18 years-old.

The competition, now in its 11th year, is aimed at encouraging students to explore the underlying causes of both local and global injustices, giving them a platform to share their perspectives. There are three themes this year: The climate crisis, women’s leadership in emergencies, and the role of overseas aid and women’s rights organisations.

Since the competition was launched in 2003 more than 1,100 students from over 200 schools are Ireland have taken part. There were over 100 entries in last year’s competition alone.

Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland, said: "We’re thrilled to kick off the eleventh year of ActionTalks, which gives young people all over Ireland a unique opportunity to have their voices heard. It’s inspiring to see so many young people from Co. Louth engaging with critical global challenges and bringing such thoughtful insights to the conversation. Their enthusiasm and dedication gives us real hope for the future."

She added: “The themes for this year reflect the huge challenges faced by women around the world today. The climate crisis is having devastating effects globally, with countries in the Global South being particularly hard-hit. Women are disproportionately affected, as their rights and livelihoods are often jeopardized by the consequences of climate change.

“In addition. women around the world face greater poverty and more frequent violations of their rights than men. Despite this, only 5% of Official Development Assistance is allocated to efforts aimed at ending violence against women.”

ActionAid Ireland’s mission is to support women and girls in leading on claiming their rights and holding those in power accountable. It runs a Women’s Rights Programme, funded by Irish Aid through the Department of Foreign Affairs, which focuses on eliminating violence against women and girls. Irish Aid programmes contribute to Ireland’s important role in global development.

Karol added: ’I can’t wait to hear the creative and well-researched perspectives students bring this year, reflecting their experiences of growing up in Ireland. We also look forward to seeing how they explore the link between the concentration of resources in the Global North and its impact on communities in the Global South."