What is Saolta?
Empowerment for a better world through Adult and Community Education (ACE).
Saolta’s strategic goal aims to increase the accessibility, quality and effectiveness of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) within the Adult and Community Education sector in Ireland.
We are a Global Citizenship Education strategic partnership programme for the Adult and Community Education (ACE) sector in Ireland between Irish Aid and a consortium of organisations. Saolta explores a variety of global issues with stakeholders in the ACE sector and encourages informed action across Irish society. Issues such as poverty, inequality and climate change feature strongly as areas of exploration.
Development Perspectives is the lead partner in the consortium, which also includes AONTAS, Concern Worldwide, Irish Rural Link, and the Adult and Community Education Dept of Maynooth University. In 2024, Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) will officially join as a Saolta partner.
Meet the team
Nick Doran
Saolta Programme Manager
Nick Doran is Saolta’s Programme Manager. His background is in Media and Critical Linguistics which he has taught at youth groups and universities. He’s passionate about equality and sustainability, has published numerous pieces on unequal power distribution in society, and is predisposed to spontaneous debate! Nick kayaks, is an adventure fanatic, a board games aficionado, and kimchi lover!
Annamaria Balazs
Finance Officer
Annamaria Balazs joined the team in 2019 as a Financial Officer. She is a qualified accountant from Hungary and currently converting her qualification into Irish ACCA. Annamaria is looking after the company’s financial operations, finance reports, budgets and accounting records. Annamaria also holds a BA (Hons) degree in PR, Marketing and Media management and BA (Hons) IT, Librarian and Broker Information.
Annamaria has lived in Ireland since 2006 and moved to the Drogheda area in 2013, she loves the beaches nearby and the beautiful countryside scenery. She is big into meditation and pranic healing, loves reading history books and traveling around the world.
Quynh Thuy Do
Programme Officer
Quynh works as Saolta’s Programme Officer. She acquired a BA degree in Business English in Viet Nam and an MA degree in International Development at Maynooth University. Her great interests in youth empowerment, youth development, and civic engagement for social changes have been reflected in her diverse interaction with young people and local communities in Viet Nam, ASEAN and other regions. Besides, Quynh also accumulated several years of working experience in Human Resources Management and Recruitment Consultancy. She is a foodie and loves travelling, wandering around, and exchanging cultures.
Alice Robinson
Trainer
Alice works as a trainer for Saolta. She holds a BA in Youth Work and an MA in International Development and has extensive experience working in the youth and community sector in Ireland. She enjoys using participatory arts based approaches as a tool to critically explore and highlight local and global equality issues. She is a musician with a keen interest in permaculture design and loves climbing mountains and being in nature.
Martin Dillon
Trainer
Martin graduated from Technological University Dublin—Blanchardstown with a BSc in Community Development and Youth Work and is currently completing an MSc in Sustainable Development at TU Dublin-Bolton Street. He is a passionate advocate for Education for Sustainable Development. He contributed to TU Dublin’s research project on Flexible Learning Pathways and the launch of the book “Leaves from the Cotton Tree” with the Sierra Leone Ireland Partnership. A committed lifelong learner and mature student. He enjoys cooking and sports, especially rowing and spending time in nature, and has coached soccer in the local community in Ireland, the US and Australia.
Alejandro Valderrama
Programme Officer
Alejandro is an Anthropologist – Post Graduate ‘Climate Entrepreneurship’ (Trinity College Dublin) – MA in International Peacebuilding, Security and Development Practice. For the last 20 years, he has worked as an independent consultant, practitioner and researcher specialised in education, peace, development, and Human Rights through participatory action research, arts, and collaborative practices. He has a great passion for coffee, chocolate, and human rights. This is why he co-founded Ethical Origin in Ireland, which works directly with diverse communities affected by violence, conflict, and inequality in Colombia through its products. Among his other passions are playing music, film, gardening, and walking in the countryside where he lives with his family.
Public Engagement Officer
Deborah Conlon manages Saolta’s Public Engagement. Deborah has a BA in Design from DIT and a post-graduate certificate from DKIT in Digital Marketing and Digital Media Management. She’s passionate about encouraging conversation on social justice issues and learning from others. Outside of her work in Saolta, she also works with Development Perspectives and is chairperson of the Dundalk BIDs. She loves being creative, hot chocolate, reading and board games.
Deborah Conlon
