What is the Programme?

The programme was developed by NETWORK, Washington and the material adapted with permission by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice for the Irish situation in 1996

The content and process reflect the approach to adult education by Paulo Freire and Jan Vellas

The content of the programme is presented in a manual and a set of charts, which are available from the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice at a non-profit basis.

The process involves 3 or 4 facilitated workshops. Each workshop deals with a Unit of the content/material.

  • Unit I Explores with people the reasons to vote and demonstrates how to register and how to vote.
  • Unit II considers ways of taking an informed stance on important issues facing people today.
  • Unit III outlines a process for evaluating election manifestos in the light of a more just society and presents an approach to choosing candidates on an informed basis.

The Programme Process:

  • Is 85% participation and 15% presentation
  • Is strictly non party-political
  • Has been used with positive results with a wide variety of groups numbering (1000+)
  • Can be adapted time wise and number wise to suit the needs of different groups

Has encouraged people to:

  • believe in their power to influence what is happening in their country
  • participate in the life of their local communities
  • use their civil right to vote in all elections


Offers a learning process that is enjoyable, informative and interesting

Is also available as a training for trainers workshop.

General, Local and European Elections

Units I, II and III as described above are focused on preparation for General Elections. The Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice has prepared 2 additional units, Units IV and V, which focus on European and Local Elections.

Training Trainer Workshops

The aim of these workshops is to give community workers and adult education personnel an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence to facilitate active citizenship/voter education programmes in relation to National, E.U. and Local Government Elections and the After and Between Elections period.

After and Between Elections

In response to requests to provide workshops material which would encourage ongoing engagement with the democratic process the V.P.S.J. had developed the following -

  • After the Elections
  • How we Are Governed
  • Working for Policy Change at Local Level
  • Your Community – Your Role - Working for the Public Good

Further Details are available from the

DALC

3 Mountjoy Square
Dublin 1
Email: info@dalc.ie
Websites: www.dalc.ie, www.vote.ie

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Workshops

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