Kildare woman among participants at bootcamp for activists

A County Kildare resident recently took part in a bootcamp for activists.

Terri Coonan, who is the chairperson of the Clane Project Centre and also a drama teacher, was one of 19 people from across Ireland who took part in the Alice Academy for Activists, which is described as "a residential bootcamp to equip emerging activists with strategic campaigning skills", in Dublin last weekend.

Hosted by public relations agency Alice, and supported by Community Foundation Ireland, Terri was mentored in key campaigning areas over the four-day Academy.

Currently, Terri is working to promote her 'Hands of Friendship' initiative in Clane, which she says is seeing hundreds of new families moving into new homes. 

According to Terri, her aim is to encourage peace, friendship, and community support for all in her community, in response to the current rise in anti-immigration sentiment and associated misinformation.

READ NEXT: Minister welcomes return of Curragh Swimming Pool, Kildare for local use

'POSITIVE CHANGE' IN IRELAND

Martina Quinn, the founder and CEO of Alice Public Relations, congratulated Terri on her participation.

Ms Quinn also said: "We set up the Alice Academy for Activists in 2024 because we have specialised, during our 10-year history of Alice, in working with charitable organisations and progressive campaigners who are seeking to bring about positive change on the island of Ireland — and indeed, across the world.

"We recognise that campaigners and groups sometimes don’t have access to specialist skills, training and supports, and networks of other like-minded people, so the Academy is all about addressing that need."

She added: "The people who participate in the Academy, including Terri, are among the many good people who want to make the world a better place; that has to give us all hope."

SPECIAL GUESTS

At the Academy, Terri, along with the other participants, attended workshops and clinics delivered by campaign and communications specialists.

These specialists included:

• Ailbhe Smyth, feminist and LGBTQ+ activist and leader of the Repeal the Eighth Amendment campaign
• Baroness Margaret Curran, a Scottish Labour Party politician and current member of the House of Lords
• Eileen Dunne, who spent 40 years working as a newscaster and journalist in RTÉ;
• David Stanton, a former member of Dáil Éireann for almost 30 years, and;
• Stephen Donnelly, a community organising expert, who is based in Melbourne, Australia

Pictured is Terri Coonan (centre) from Clanebeing presented with an Alice Academy for Activists certificate by Martina Quinn (right), founder and CEO of Alice Public Relations, and Moninne Griffith (left), director of social impact, donor care and grant making at Community Foundation Ireland. Photograph credit: Marc O'Sullivan.

READ NEXT: Kildare County Council urged to prune trees along this road