First Wednesdays Summer Series 2023, in partnership with Oxfam Ireland, focused on the critical issue of EU pushbacks and the breakdown of the rule of law at the European borders. It aimed to shed light on the human rights violations, law breaking, and ethical concerns associated with the EU’s pushback policies and unlawful actions towards people seeking protection.

The need to address the unsustainability and harm inherent in the systems we have built, becomes clearer by the day, with climate science and the precarious life conditions endured by so many telling us what we need to know. At the same time, harmful production and consumption systems have no interest in slowing down. Our dependence on them from here in Ireland can make imagining and enacting alternatives very difficult.

This First Wednesdays series provided space for those offering ways in, here on our island, and to point to the role of critical thinking, imagination and connections between people and the planet in building sustainable futures.

How do we consider struggles for justice and equality? Do commonalities ‘in struggle’ exist across campaigning and activism movements, and what would it mean to consider these struggles as part of a process of ‘acts of global citizenship’ and ‘democratising democracy’?

Our Autumn 2022 #FirstWeds series invites you to join us in an exploration of these questions. A diverse range of local activists and campaigners, from the island of Ireland and beyond, will join us to provide us with practical and real-world experiences to inform discussions and learning.

#FirstWeds Spring 2022 Series holds in mind Ukrainians and people of other countries ridden by war and conflict, who have been forced to leave their homes and cross borders in search of safety.

What are some practical ways to extend support and solidarity from Ireland? And, as we extend this support and solidarity, how can we grow our understanding of the geopolitical contexts within which such calamitous events unfold? Moreover, how can we, from here in Europe, ensure a move beyond fortressed border policies and uphold our welcome to all people in need of refuge?

In autumn 2021, with COP26 as a backdrop, our #FirstWeds series was dedicated to the climate crisis. In the lead-up to and throughout COP26, there was much discussion and debate about targets, policies to be enacted, commitments to be made but also a sense that more than all this is needed. Drawing in youth, elders, and community activist voices our autumn #FirstWeds series included discussions infused with clarity, honesty, and sobriety as well as direction for the kind of system-wide transformation that is needed.