September 2015 NUI Galway Social Innovator Shortlisted for European Award

Lorraine McIlrath, Coordinator of the Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) with NUI Galway’s Institute for Lifecourse and Society, has been shortlisted for the 2015 European Democratic Citizenship Awards. Lorraine is one of four, and the only Irish entry, nominated in the ‘Personality of the Year’ category.

Lorraine has worked at NUI Galway for a decade and within that time she has successfully enabled the development of a civic engagement and practice across NUI Galway giving thousands of students annually an opportunity to be involved in community and civic activities. In addition, she has secured funding nationally and at a European level to support the ongoing development of civic engagement in Ireland, at a European level and within other countries.

The European Democratic Citizenship Awards are aimed at promoting citizens’ engagement and reward outstanding initiatives and civil society stakeholders, who bring in a real democratic citizenship with an innovative dimension and with a concrete impact on their communities’ life, be it at the local, regional, national or European level.

The ‘Personality of the Year’ award is presented to individuals who had an outstanding contribution to democratic life and to the development of a community or a cause.

The winners will be selected through a public voting system and votes can be submitted at http://civic-forum.eu/en/european-democratic-citizenship-awards-2015. Voting is open to the general public until Monday, 28 September and the Council of Europe will announce the winners in the first week of October.

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