What is Economics anyway? - Youth Workshops 2025 - NYCI Collaboration

This collaboration with the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI)’s Young People's Committee, led by FJI’s Vicky Donnelly, took place between June and November 2025 and was focused on building participants’ understanding of the economic root causes of the housing, climate and  environmental crises.

In line with FJI’s efforts to democratise economic knowledge and our DEAR project commitments, such collaborations help build a response to systemic, interconnected issues of climate, gender equality, racism, and economic justice.

Through activities such as  'Meet Rational Economic Man' participants were given an opportunity to playfully (and scathingly) identify characteristics of an economic system that prioritises the accumulation of profit, over the planet and the provision of fundamental needs. The workshops challenge the prevailing narrative of personal responsibility/failure to 'get on the housing ladder' to identify how the ladder has been 'kicked away'.

Following several workshops together, the group was joined by artist Paola Rozo, who created a striking digital poster based on the young people's key learning and perspectives on the issues. These images are striking in their power to communicate the diversity of insights and experiences the young people took from the project. 

The participants then launched the digital poster with an accompanying webinar to explain the poster in more detail. Both are excellent resources for the classroom or for youth work and education settings. 

Webinar Recording available by clicking on image here: 

Many thanks to NYCI and to the Young Peoples Committee and we look forward to further colaborations in the near future.  

See NYCI's website for more on this project here:  https://www.youth.ie/documents/ecowha-what-is-economics-anyway/

This project was co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of financial Justice Ireland and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.