My island heritage has shaped my career path and passion for food security. I come from a farming background on Cape Clear, Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island, where the spirit of Meitheal, an Irish tradition of a community coming together to support their neighbours and friends, is a core part of our culture. Growing up, this sense of mutual support shaped my understanding of community and instilled in me a strong commitment to local Engagement.
I studied International Development and Food Policy at University College Cork, which gave me a broader understanding of the systems behind global food access and justice. The covid pandemic highlighted the fragility of our food systems, which led me to take action and set up Cape Clear’s first farmers’ market to support local producers and encourage more sustainable, and local food consumption.
After graduating from UCC, I had the honour of being a UN Youth Delegate for Ireland. One of my proudest moments of the year-long programme was speaking on a panel at UN Headquarters in New York on the topic of food and agriculture (see extract below). Being a UN Youth Delegate gave me a unique opportunity to champion the value of youth voices in global conversations. I considered the role as representing all youth voices and a platform to amplify the perspectives of young people more broadly.
The programme showed me what meaningful youth engagement can look like. I see the UN Youth Delegate initiative as an opportunity to be a part of a much bigger picture, helping to build long-term structures and systems that ensure young people are meaningfully engaged in policymaking at home and abroad.
Today, I work in Brussels at Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the EU. There’s no doubt that the Youth Delegate programme helped shape my career path and gave me opportunities to travel nationally and internationally, connect with inspiring people from all over the world, and engage with policymakers.
To any young person thinking about getting involved in advocacy or activism, my advice is simple: start local. Capturing the Meitheal culture, work with your community.
– Treasa Cadogan, 2021-2022 UN Youth Delegate
