Who We Are

Aidan Clifford (Aodán Ó’Clúmháin) former director of the CDETB Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) (1999-2016), is chairperson of the IFGE/INEW since 2018. He was appointed by the Department of Education (DE) and elected to the bureau of the Council of Europe Education Policy Advisors Network (EPAN) focusing on the culture for democratic citizenship and human rights. He is a member of the DE ESD advisory group for schools. Aidan is a trustee of A Partnership with Africa (APA) supporting development partnerships in Ethiopia and Tanzania. He represents the CDU on the Irish Aid funded WorldWise Global Schools consortium focusing on global citizenship in post-primary schools. He is a founder member of Encountering the Arts Ireland and a trustee from 2014-2021. He was a member of the DE Teacher Artist Partnership design team (2017-2021) and a member of the STEM and the Arts advisory panel (2019-2023). He is currently a member of the Educate Together education committees having previously served as trustee (2017-2023). Earlier he was a member of the Department of Foreign Affairs Irish Aid Expert Advisory Panel (2013-2015) and the Development Education Advisory Committee (2010-2012).

Moira Leydon is Assistant General Secretary with the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI). In addition to her work on curriculum, education policy and teacher professionalism, Moira represents the ASTI on the ICTU’s Global Solidarity Committee, the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD and the Research Network of the Education International, the global education union confederation. Moira has represented the ASTI on the IFGE since its establishment.

Amy is Senior Education Adviser at Concern Worldwide.

Sandra is the Global Solidarity Officer for the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and an Official in their Conditions of Employment and Leadership section. Prior to this Sandra worked as a class teacher, Teaching Principal and Administrative Principal and as a Teaching Associate with the Teaching Council, she holds a Master’s in Education and the Law from NUI Galway.

Currently representing INTO on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ Global Solidarity Committee, on the management committee for Global Village and Global Citizenship Schools, she is also a Trade Union representatives on the steering committee for Coalition 2030 and is passionate about improving education for all.

Juliane joined Plan Ireland in 2023 as Head of Programmes. Prior to that, she worked in the programmes department of Plan International Germany for over eight years, supporting the delivery of a global portfolio in humanitarian and development assistance as well as social cohesion. Her overseas experience includes living and working in the NGO sector in the Asia-Pacific region for many years.

Tom currently serves as the Project Officer for Education at Misean Cara, where he collaborates closely with the organisation's members to facilitate and support various educational projects globally. Tom spent over 15 years living in Kenya, where his work primarily focused on education. During his time in Kenya, he served as a teacher at Baraka Agricultural College, a respected institution managed by the Franciscan Brothers.

Current General Secretary of the Retired Teachers Association of Ireland, representing over 10,000 retired primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland, John worked previously as the INTO Global Solidarity officer for over 10 years, representing the union on the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee. He was one of the founding members of the INTO Global Citizenship School, a longtime member of the INEW Steering Committee and former Chair of the Global Village Management Committee, promoting Global Citizenship Education in primary schools.