Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind

Booking for this event has closed. 

The event will be chaired by Anna Deneher, Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the IASW.

Managing Eco-Anxiety in a Time of Crisis  (John Sharry) 

With climate breakdown all around, the sixth great extinction well underway and now the outbreak of a major European war (with a full blown energy and economic crisis looming), times have never been more worrying and challenging.  People are feeling traumatised, distressed, enraged and fearful for the future. It is easy to become overwhelmed by these feelings and to sink into despair or to cut off and engage in denial or ‘wishful thinking’   In this talk, John will look at our emotional response to these crises and how we can ensure we are not disabled but instead maintain a creative,  thoughtful empathic response as we navigate the future.

Young People’s Mental Health and the Environment they Live In (Eoin Barry)

Leaving no one Behind: Issues of Culture and Race in Social Work with Asylum-Seekers (Colletta Dalikeni)

At a time of forced displacement of over 4 million people across Ukraine's borders following Russia's invasion, and the trauma experienced by families fleeing the ongoing war, what role can social work play to assist in inclusive support for All?  Dr. Colletta Dalikeni, Social Care lecturer at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Board member of the Irish Association of Social Workers, and author of a recently published book titled Child Protection Social Workers and Asylum-Seeking Families in Ireland: Issues of Race, Culture, Power Relations, and Mistrust will share some research insights on working with people seeking international protection from her very timely book.   

Speaker Biographies

Originally trained a social worker, Prof John Sharry is trustee of the Feasta environmental charity, co-founder of the Parents Plus Charity, an Irish Times Health columnist, adjunct professor at the UCD School of Psychology and author of 14 psychology and parenting books. He has written a series of articles on the   psychological factors that inform our collective response to the climate/ biodiversity crisis as well as steps we can take towards action. 

Eoin Barry is Systemic Psychotherapist and Social Worker working in CAMHS. Eoin is the Chairperson of the CAMHS Special Interest Group and has worked in the CAMHS for nine years. His previous experience included working as a youth worker in Carlow Regional Youth Service and as a project worker with Focus Ireland. Eoin has a particular interest in systems, social policy and eating disorders.

Dr. Colletta Dalikeni is a CORU Registered African-Irish social worker, educator, and researcher, currently based at Dundalk Institute of Technology. She is Board member of the Irish Association of Social Workers. Colletta’ s local and international social work academic and practice experience encompass various areas that include but are not limited to chid protection/welfare, medical social work and intellectual disability.  Her research and teaching interests have a bias towards culturally competent social work practice with various ethnic minority categories such as immigrants, asylum seeker and refugees.  Her particular focus is on how the intersecting discourse of race, racism, culture, come to bear on their human rights in the context of social citizenship entitlements. 

The theme: ´Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind´ coincides with the theme of the people´s summit that will take place on the 29th June to the 2nd July.