Maynooth University Department of International Development and Dóchas are pleased to welcome the announcement today by the Irish Research Council of a New Foundations research grant for Dr. Eilish Dillon’s research on ethical global development communications. The research, entitled ‘Building Capacity for Ethical Global Development Communications: GCE Approaches, Learning Needs and Guidelines for Practice’ will support the recently launched Dóchas ‘Guide to Ethical Communications’. Dr. Dillon said that ‘the project is an exciting opportunity to engage with development organisations and aid agencies through Dóchas on issues related to stereotyping and racism. Given that many people around the world still experience discrimination such as racism, homophobia, sexism and Islamophobia, ensuring ethical communications is as important now as ever. Focusing on critical training and education in this area, we hope the research will support aid agencies to play their part in challenging racist stereotypes and in promoting respect, equality, diversity and human rights in all their communications.’
Dr. Dillon is former Head of Department at Maynooth University Department of International Development. She lectures in critical global education, development theory and practice, and in research methods. She has a long track record of work in global citizenship education and in the area of global development communications, including the publication of a report ‘Shifting the Lens on Ethical Communications in Global Development’, in 2021, which was also funded by the Irish Research Council and undertaken in partnership with Dóchas.