Dr Eilish Dillon

    International Development

    Lecturer
    Lecturer / Assistant Professor

    Education House
    3.3.3
    (01) 474 7347

    Biography

    Dr. Eilish Dillon is Assistant Professor and Head of the Maynooth University Department of International Development. Eilish has been actively engaged in global and development education in Ireland for over 30 years. She has 10 years second-level teaching experience and 20 years’ experience in programme design, curriculum development, co-ordination and teaching in higher education. She has been an active contributor to civil society global development and education projects during this time through work with Comhlámh, Amnesty International, Banúlacht and the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA). She completed doctoral research in adult and higher education in 2017. Her thesis explored critical approaches to development education among educators in Ireland – https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/9558/ . Eilish has published widely on global and development education and communications in peer reviewed journals and books, and her recent research (published in 2021 and conducted in collaboration with Dóchas, the network of international NGDOs in Ireland) focused on global development communications among NGDOs in Ireland - https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/14972/). She has led the development of a new Maynooth University level 9 certificate programme for educators in lobal citizenship education, a joint initiative with five departments at the university, launched in 2022. She has engaged in supporting ethical global development communications in Ireland for many years, acting as an advisor to Dóchas on its working groups on the Dóchas Code of Conduct on Images and Messages (2010 - 2016) and on its Worldview Research Project (2020 - 2021). 

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    NF/2019/15780363-Communicating International Development for Public Engagement PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / New Foundations 01-MAY-20 31-OCT-21 10238

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2016 'Development Education in Third Level Education'
    Eilish Dillon (2016) 'Development Education in Third Level Education' In: Rooney, Niamh and Cenker, Michal and Hadjivasiliou, Louiza and Marren, Patrick (eds). Development Education in Theory and Practice: An Educator's Resource. EU: UNIDEV NGO Support Centre (Cyrpus), Pontis Foundation (Slovakia), Kimmage DSC (Dublin). [Details]
    2009 'Youth and Community Work in Ireland in the Context of Globalisation: Towards a Politics of Transformation'
    Eilish Dillon (2009) 'Youth and Community Work in Ireland in the Context of Globalisation: Towards a Politics of Transformation' In: Forde, Catherine, Kiely, Elizabeth and Meade, Rosie R (eds). Youth and Community Work in Ireland: Critical Perspectives. UK: Blackhall Publishing. [Details]
    2003 'Development Studies and Development Education: Some Questions in the Light of Post-Development Theory'
    Eilish Dillon (2003) 'Development Studies and Development Education: Some Questions in the Light of Post-Development Theory' In: Roland Tormey (eds). Teaching Social Justice: Intercultural and Development Education Perspectives on Education's Context, Content and Methods. Limerick: Centre for Educational Disadvantage Research, MIC and Irish Aid. [Details]

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2022 'Making Connections in Challenging Times-The Transformative Potential of Poetry for Critical Global Education'
    Dillon, E (2022) 'Making Connections in Challenging Times-The Transformative Potential of Poetry for Critical Global Education'. Journal of Transformative Education, [DOI] [Details]
    2021 'Why Opposites Don't Always Attract: Reflections on Binaries and Their Implications for Decolonising Development Communications and Education'
    Eilish Dillon (2021) 'Why Opposites Don't Always Attract: Reflections on Binaries and Their Implications for Decolonising Development Communications and Education'. POLICY AND PRACTICE - A DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION REVIEW, 33 (Autumn):73-89 [Details]
    2020 'Book Review: The Development Dictionary - A Guide to Knowledge as Power'
    Eilish Dillon (2020) 'Book Review: The Development Dictionary - A Guide to Knowledge as Power'. Community Development Journal, [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Poetry and Development Education'
    Eilish Dillon (2020) 'Poetry and Development Education'. POLICY AND PRACTICE - A DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION REVIEW, [Details]
    2019 'CONNECTING THE PERSONAL AND THE POLITICAL: FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION'
    Dillon, E (2019) 'CONNECTING THE PERSONAL AND THE POLITICAL: FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION'. POLICY AND PRACTICE - A DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION REVIEW, :11-30 [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'Critical History Matters: Understanding Development Education in Ireland Today through the Lens of the Past'
    Eilish Dillon (2018) 'Critical History Matters: Understanding Development Education in Ireland Today through the Lens of the Past'. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 10 (2):14-36 [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'How Critical is the Global? Discursive Shifts in Development Education in Ireland'
    Eilish Dillon (2018) 'How Critical is the Global? Discursive Shifts in Development Education in Ireland'. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, (10):163-176 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2015 'What Questions are we Asking? Challenges for Development Education from a Discourse analysis of National Surveys on Attitudes to Development in Ireland'
    Eilish Dillon (2015) 'What Questions are we Asking? Challenges for Development Education from a Discourse analysis of National Surveys on Attitudes to Development in Ireland'. POLICY AND PRACTICE - A DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION REVIEW, 20 :37-72 [Details]

    Other Journals

      Year Publication
    2003 'Accountabilities and Power in Development Relationships'
    Eilish Dillon (2003) 'Accountabilities and Power in Development Relationships' Trócaire Development Review, 2003/2004 :105-117. [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2021 Invited paper presentation - 'Learning to Change the Focus - Perspectives from Critical Global Education for International Development NGO Communications'.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Invited paper presentation - 'Learning to Change the Focus - Perspectives from Critical Global Education for International Development NGO Communications'. [Invited Oral Presentation], Academic Network on Global Education and Learning Annual Conference, Online [Details]
    2021 Paper: 'Creating a Climate for Ethical Global Development Communications - a focus on the case of NGDOs in Ireland'.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Paper: 'Creating a Climate for Ethical Global Development Communications - a focus on the case of NGDOs in Ireland'. [Invited Oral Presentation], Development Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Online , 11-NOV-21 [Details]
    2021 Title of Paper: 'The Relevance of Paulo Freire's Work for Higher Education Today: Towards a Critical Pedagogy of Global Connection'.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Title of Paper: 'The Relevance of Paulo Freire's Work for Higher Education Today: Towards a Critical Pedagogy of Global Connection'. [Keynote Address], Conversations on Freire's Influence on Global Development Practice, Maynooth University Department of International Development - Online , 28-OCT-21 [Details]
    2020 Public Engagement in the Context of COVID-19.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) Public Engagement in the Context of COVID-19. [Invited Oral Presentation], Launch of World View Project, Dóchas, October 2020, Online [Details]
    2020 Input: Connecting the Personal and the Political: Feminist Perspectives on Development Education.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) Input: Connecting the Personal and the Political: Feminist Perspectives on Development Education. [Invited Oral Presentation], Seminar on Development Education and Gender, Centre for Global Education and Maynooth Univeristy, Maynooth Univeristy [Details]
    2020 Input on: the Online experience of the Department of International Development.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) Input on: the Online experience of the Department of International Development. [Oral Presentation], Opportunities and Challenges of Designing and Delivering Online and Blended Postgraduate Programmes, Maynooth Univeristy [Details]
    2020 Contribution: From Just Transitions to Just Transformations.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) Contribution: From Just Transitions to Just Transformations. [Invited Oral Presentation], A just transition: how do we tackle heat need and greed?, Maynooth Univeristy [Details]
    2019 From Mainstreaming to Criticality: Addressing Questions of Relevance in Development Education in Formal Education.
    Eilish Dillon (2019) From Mainstreaming to Criticality: Addressing Questions of Relevance in Development Education in Formal Education. [Invited Oral Presentation], Ubuntu Assembly Meeting, Portlaoise [Details]
    2018 Seminar organised to explore my Doctoral Research on Discourses of Development Education in Ireland.
    Eilish Dillon (2018) Seminar organised to explore my Doctoral Research on Discourses of Development Education in Ireland. [Keynote Address], How Critical is Development Education in Ireland?, Kimmage Development Studies Centre [Details]
    2018 How Can we make Development Education more Relevant?.
    Eilish Dillon (2018) How Can we make Development Education more Relevant?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Irish Development Education Association Conversation Circle, National University of Ireland, Galway [Details]
    2015 Paper presented 'Why Development Education is Necessary in Today's World'.
    Eilish Dillon (2015) Paper presented 'Why Development Education is Necessary in Today's World'. [Keynote Address], Development Education Conference for Development Educators in Slovakia, Bratislava [Details]
    2015 Exploration of commoning and transformative processes with Sylvia Federici.
    Eilish Dillon (2015) Exploration of commoning and transformative processes with Sylvia Federici. [Conference Organising Committee Member], Second 'Thinkery' on the Commons, University College Cork [Details]
    2014 Paper presented 'Attitudes to Global Developm ent in Ireland: Challenges for Development Educators and Activists'.
    Eilish Dillon (2014) Paper presented 'Attitudes to Global Developm ent in Ireland: Challenges for Development Educators and Activists'. [Invited Oral Presentation], Development Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Dublin [Details]
    2014 Exploration of commoning and transformative processes with Gustavo Esteva.
    Eilish Dillon (2014) Exploration of commoning and transformative processes with Gustavo Esteva. [Conference Organising Committee Member], First 'Thinkery on the Commons', Kimmage Development Studies Centre [Details]
    2013 Paper presented 'What Role do Faith-Basesd Values Play in the Development Process?'.
    Eilish Dillon (2013) Paper presented 'What Role do Faith-Basesd Values Play in the Development Process?'. [Oral Presentation], Mission Today and Tomorrow, Dublin [Details]
    2011 Paper presented 'De-mystifying Development Education - Making Local and Global Links in Adult Learning'.
    Eilish Dillon (2011) Paper presented 'De-mystifying Development Education - Making Local and Global Links in Adult Learning'. [Keynote Address], Clare DEAL Conference on Development Education and Adult Learning, Limerick [Details]
    2011 Paper presented 'Social Movements: Catalysts for Participatory Democracy and Poverty Eradication'.
    Eilish Dillon (2011) Paper presented 'Social Movements: Catalysts for Participatory Democracy and Poverty Eradication'. [Invited Oral Presentation], MS-TCDC International Seminar on Social Movements, Arusha, Tanzania [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2021 Shifting the Lens on Ethical Communications in Global Development - A Focus on NGDOs in Ireland.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Shifting the Lens on Ethical Communications in Global Development - A Focus on NGDOs in Ireland. Maynooth University, Maynooth. [Details]

    Blog

      Year Publication
    2021 Daring to Hope - Some Reflections at the End of this Second COVID Year.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Daring to Hope - Some Reflections at the End of this Second COVID Year. Blog [Details]
    2021 Reflections on Feminisms for International Women's Day 2021.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Reflections on Feminisms for International Women's Day 2021. Blog [Details]
    2020 Rethinking International Development Communications.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) Rethinking International Development Communications. Blog [Details]
    2020 Some Reflections on Learning at the End of this COVID Year.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) Some Reflections on Learning at the End of this COVID Year. Blog [Details]
    2018 Before we can think about changing our narratives, we have to understand them.
    Eilish Dillon (2018) Before we can think about changing our narratives, we have to understand them. Blog [Details]

    Invited Seminars

      Year Publication
    2019 Critical History Matters - Understanding Development Education.
    Eilish Dillon (2019) Critical History Matters - Understanding Development Education. Invited Seminars [Details]

    Manual

      Year Publication
    2001 Act Now: A Manual for Campaigning on Development Issues.
    Eilish Dillon (2001) Act Now: A Manual for Campaigning on Development Issues. Cork: Manual [Details]

    Seminar

      Year Publication
    2021 Reflections on Postgraduate Research Teaching, Supervision and Practice in light of COVID - DID and University of Makeni Seminar.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Reflections on Postgraduate Research Teaching, Supervision and Practice in light of COVID - DID and University of Makeni Seminar. Seminar [Details]
    2021 Shifting the Lens on Ethical Communications in Global Development - A Focus on NGDOs in Ireland.
    Eilish Dillon (2021) Shifting the Lens on Ethical Communications in Global Development - A Focus on NGDOs in Ireland. Seminar [Details]

    Thesis

      Year Publication
    2017 How Critical is Talk? Discourses of Development Education among Facilitators in Ireland.
    Eilish Dillon (2017) How Critical is Talk? Discourses of Development Education among Facilitators in Ireland. Maynooth: Thesis [Details]

    Podcast

      Year Publication
    2020 How Can Poetry Connect Us?.
    Eilish Dillon (2020) How Can Poetry Connect Us?. Podcast [Details]
    2019 Rethinking the Divide between International and Community Development.
    Eilish Dillon (2019) Rethinking the Divide between International and Community Development. Dublin: Podcast [Details]
    2019 Conor McCabe Talks About his Book 'Money'.
    Eilish Dillon and Conor McCabe (2019) Conor McCabe Talks About his Book 'Money'. Dublin: Podcast [Details]

    Recording

      Year Publication
    2019 The Future of Education is Critical and Connected.
    Eilish Dillon (2019) The Future of Education is Critical and Connected. Recording [Details]