ACTIVIST PANEL

Hello my name is Molly Hickey (they/them). I am a climate activist from Laois. I am at present the environmental and sustainability officer of Galway University for 2023/2024.

Other than my role in the SU, I have also had the opportunity to work with some wonderful organisations such as Plan international, ECO UNESCO and Spunout.

Saoirse is an 18 year old climate justice activist from Limerick, Ireland. She began climate striking in 2019 when she founded her local branch of the Fridays for Future global movement. Saoirse believes that restructuring our global economies is necessary to combat colonialist ideas of extractivism and exploitation towards planet and people.

In 2021, she was named one of the 100 inaugural winners of the Rise programme for her work researching and rewriting Irish mythology to bring traditionally suppressed narratives about women and queer characters to the forefront. As a Gaeilgeoir (Irish-language speaker), Saoirse believes that by reconnecting with our traditional languages and storytelling, we can reestablish the concept of Earth as sacred and create policy and practices that facilitate reciprocity with ecosystems. Saoirse is the youngest member of the UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.

Jessica Dunne is a climate activist from Dublin, she is active in Young Friends of the Earth, Fridays for Future, Arctic Angels and is the European network coordinator for the Alliance of Non-Governmental Radical Youth (ANGRY). She has also previously worked with ISSU and Climate Rights Ireland. She is an advocate for intersectionality in the climate movement and has recently returned from COP28 where she protested in solidarity with Palestinian activists for an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel.

Photo credit to Dearbhla Richardson!

Cian Walsh is a first year student, studying Government and Political Science at University College Cork. Throughout his involvement in sustainability activism Cian has been involved in a series of projects and organisations.

Beginning his activism journey at the RTÉ Youth Assembly on Climate in 2019, Cian sought to lobby for sustainable agricultural practices and has developed this campaign over subsequent years to today, on a national, European, and international level. By leveraging local, national, and international media, Cian has broadcasted his voice and goals to a large global audience. His involvement in organisations and groups including the Irish Second-Level Students' Union, ECO-UNESCO, We~Consent, the European Youth Parliament, and others have provided a platform for him to develop projects and project youth voice. His efforts span from local grassroots movements to international platforms, highlighting his vision for a sustainable and interconnected global community.