Shifting Edges - DEFY

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in Shifting Edges, a nine-month development journey that brought together global justice educators from across Europe to explore ideas of difficult knowledge, affect, and their role in learning and change. This journey was part of the wider DEFY project 2023 – 2026, a joint project between Comhlámh (Ireland), Suas/STAND (Ireland), finep (Germany) and Zavod Voluntariat (Slovenia).

The journey came to a close a couple of weeks ago with an exhibition and workshop at the Fumbally Stables in Dublin. I’m deeply grateful for the experience — not only for the opportunity to connect with other educators and learn from such thoughtful and isightful facilitators, but also for the time and encouragement it gave me to reflect on and engage with my own questions around difficult knowledge in my practice.

One of the most meaningful parts of this process has been collaborating with Aniz a artist and educator, whom I met during the Shifting Edges one-day residency in Wicklow. Since then, we’ve met virtually almost every week, sharing aspects of our practice and thinking together about the broader contexts of difficult knowledge and modernity. Those conversations have been a valuable space for curiosity, challenge, and mutual learning.

This has truly felt like a journey, one that has opened new paths for exploration and reminded me how essential it is, as educators, to remain learners ourselves. It has also reinforced for me that while much of what we inherit can be limiting, expanding our understanding is something we can do collectively, in dialogue with one another, rather than alone.

You can find the zine which emerged from our Shifting Edges journey here