Event hosted by Prof Pat Dolan of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway

 Actor Cillian Murphy appeared as a special guest of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway for a screening and discussion of the film Broken at the weekend.  The actor, a patron of the Centre, was interviewed by young researchers in a post-screening discussion on how young people interpret the film’s portrayal of family, relationships and community.

The UNESCO Centre, part of NUI Galway’s new Institute for the Social Sciences, undertakes research, education and training in the area of Family Support and Youth Development with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention for children and young people experiencing adversity. Core themes such as empathy, resilience and the importance of social support highlighted in Broken are among the areas of expertise of the UNESCO Centre. The Centre is committed to promoting child and youth engagement in policy, programme design and services.

According to Director and UNESCO Chair Professor Pat Dolan “Understanding how young people access sources of informal support such as nuclear family, friends and community networks is critical to the development of strength-based practice and policy. The special screening of the movie Broken, starring Cillian Murphy  provided an opportunity for a group of young people from diverse backgrounds to share their perspective on issues that affect their lives”.  

Speaking at the event on Friday 31 January, Cillian highlighted the importance of youth having a voice in Ireland. “Learning from research which is young person led is key to supporting them better.  As Patron, I am delighted to assist the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre in this task”.

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