PROJECTS
Apart from work that I do or have done for other organisations over the years I also have a range of other interests that I'm involved in. Below is a selection of projects that I'm currently engaged in or developing.
Humour is Serious Business
‘Humour is Serious Business’ is a Training Programme (primarily but not exclusively) aimed at young leaders, youth work practitioners and other practitioners (with a remit for young people but) who are interested in and committed to the examination and use of Humour as a pro-active and deliberate methodology for engaging young people and other youth work communities. For more info click on the following link: Humour
The LID (Leadership through Intercultural Dialogue) Programme
The LID (Leadership through Intercultural Dialogue) Programme is an initiative that aims to provide young people, young leaders, youth workers and other practitioners that work with young people with international learning opportunities. The purpose of The LID Programme is to develop participants skills base, increase their knowledge and affect attitudinal change which in turn enhances their capacity and that of their organisation and ultimately the communities they work in to contribute to the continued development of a shared society in Northern Ireland. For more info click on LID.
Pin Boards
Pin Boards are an invaluable multi-purpose tool for supporting meetings, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, training programmes and seminars. They are free-standing and support your group needs especially when space and time is at a premium and seeing 'the bigger picture' is necessary by offering a panoramic view not afforded by the humble flipchart which also helps to encourage greater input from staff and volunteers. For more info click on Pin Boards
Poetry
In 2011 I published my first poetry book, The Yet Unknown Little Brown Book - A Collection of Poems' In 2020, I published my second book of poetry, In No Particular Order. A little sample of what is inside can be found by clicking here.
PhD Proposal
I have been working on developing a PhD proposal which aims to explore whether or not Interntional Youth Work on Peace Building by answering three key questions: (i) What are the outcomes of participation in international youth work programmes for youth work practitioners (ii) How does international youth work influence peace building and (iii) How can learning from International Youth Work programmes be used to support peace building in a post-conflict context? It proposes to examine how youth workers change over a period of time as a result of their involvement in International Youth Work as well as how they can enable those they engage with in their work setting to create change. The research is proposed for two key reasons - there is very little reflection or critical analysis among youth work practitioners (particularly in Northern Ireland) documenting the impact of international youth work and to examine how participation in international youth work enhances peace building. If you are interested in finding out more then please feel free to mail me at: thekingisalive@hotmail.com
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Other Projects
I'm currently working on a number of other projects including a personal Photography Exhibition which brings together a series of interesting images collated over the years (more by chance or luck than by intention). I've also worked on the the development of three new training programmes called (i) Perspectives, (which explores issues of resilience through 'reality checks') (ii) Social Technology (which looks at how we interact with one another by using 'old skool' methods) (iii) Youth Work and Erasmus+ - Joining the Dots, 21 Rules (that explores the 'rules' that make a successful training programme/seminar) and (iv) FRIENDSHIP Connections which highlights the key fundamental flaw we make in the design and delivery of projects and programmes. I'm interested in bringing them to life so if they interest you also, drop me a mail at: thekingisalive@hotmail.com.
Recently, I initiated the development of the Youth Work and Trainers Bazaar involving practitioners from the Non-Formal Education field that builds connections beyond Youth Work by exploring a range of related topics using Bazaar-style events to create enriching and rewarding experiences that fuels practitioner learning. The purpose of ‘The Bazaar’ is to create settings in different locations that mimics and captures the atmosphere, colours, smells, noise, sensation, and environment of the archetypal and traditional Middle Eastern marketplace.
In October 2023, I officially launched my new book, 50 Years 50Lessons, A Middle-aged Man's Suggestions for not fecking things up! which as you can imagine is more or less a summary of all the lessons life has taught me thus far.
I'm currently working on my next book, Nothing is Black or White, which I hope to complete in 2024 with a publication and/or launch date in 2025. The book is designed to look beyond the simplistic black and white narrative that accompanies many of the modern issues we face, and argue that nothing is that straightforward, that life is nuanced, complex, and far from the absolutism that often accompanies the stories we are confronted by.
Alongside this I have been working on a project called, Beyond Erasmus, Stories from Outside the Box. Starting out as The Erasmus+ Human Legacy Project, this voluntary initiative was designed to capture non-work stories from Youth Work practitioners and Trainers connected by their involvement in Erasmus+ over the last number of years, and even, in some cases, decades.
The aspiration behind this project is to capture stories that reveals the ‘ah ha’, the ‘I never knew that’ or the ‘I only discovered this after they were gone’ moments. It was about capturing stories that demonstrate members of the wider Erasmus Youth Work and Training family are more than just Youth Workers and Trainers, Policy Makers and Strategists, Mentors and Coaches. It was an attempt to shine a light on their more humane side, a side that gets little or no attention, a side that offers a glimpse of people we know but don’t really know.
Finally, I also dabble a little in music, 'DJing' on occasion no less, not seriously of course, but I put together nice playlists from time to time, so if you fancy some nice playlists then feel free to click here.