Funding for Travel Through Dept of Foreign Affairs?

Podgerz

Hey all, I dont really know where to put this thread so ill stick it here for now

So good news and bad news.

The good news is that I have been selected to represent Ireland with one other person for a seminar in Taiwan on Globalisation and Youth Public Participation.

Government officials from England, Korea, China, the US , Australia etc along with their delegates (like me) will be in attendance.

However, Ireland for some reason (probably monetary related) are not sending a government official - Just delegates. This part is besides the point but how and ever,

The bad news is I am broke and at the moment am not able to afford the €800 round trip to Taipei, But this would be an amazing opportunity to broaden the career path ( I intend on doing a masters in International Relations) Is there any funding available through any route any of you guys have heard of that could help me in this situation?

It isnt until the end of October so it gives me a bit of time, but as I say as they are not sending a Government official fro Ireland they could either i) Have no money to send anyone or ii) have extra money to help cover such expenses.

Regardless

Also - Accommodation, meals and travel are provided for by the Taiwanese (a great bunch of lads) but I was wondering if you knew of anywhere that would give me the opportunity to apply for such funding to cover flights.

Thanks

coylemj

Podgerz wrote: »

But this would be an amazing opportunity to broaden the career path ( I intend on doing a masters in International Relations) Is there any funding available through any route any of you guys have heard of that could help me in this situation?

On what basis were you 'selected to represent Ireland'?

The only benefit you forsee deriving from your attendance at this conference is to your career prospects. Can you come up with a more compelling reason as to why the Irish taxpayer should pay to send you almost halfway around the world to attend a conference?

boarsboard

get part time job

80 hours

800 euro

Podgerz

boarsboard wrote: »

get part time job

80 hours

800 euro

Have a part time job - Max 12 hours a week.

Tae out of that food accommodation; but I am saving as much as i can.

Yea small town ireland job hours arent great :pac:.

As for reasons to go;

I live on the border and from going to the seminar I am going to learn about the history between Taiwan and china and learn of how they dealt with the issue of colonialism and the culture of the controlled territory (Taiwan). From the seminar I will get use of how to apply this to the north and hope to further the peace process through (some) of their examples.

The parallel between Ireland and Taiwan historically speaking is actually ridiculously similar if you read up a bit on it

Strumms

Ehhh so basically you want the tax payer to fork out to solely further your own career prospects ? As regards the peace process we have enough politicians going around on piss artist junkets but at least they are some way elected and therefore mandated to tackle the peace process. You have some neck is all ill say if you want to go get the money yourself.

sarkozy

Try at local government level (also unlikely) or some cross-border initiative or educational foundation (also unlikely). Pre-crash, maybe, but with every corner of this country stuck for cash (except rich people and bondholders and senior civil servants), people won't see the justification to spend my money on your Taiwan adventure.

I may sound overly harsh, and I want to compliment you on your interest and determination, and I hope it works out for you, but you'll have to find another way to get funding.

zagmund

Congratulations on being selected. Don't mind the feckin' begrudgers on here. Some people like to give out about anything and everything. I don't see why public money wouldn't be *invested* in the future bright young things with initiative.

I'm sure there could/would be someone who could help with the finances. It's not clear from your post, but obviously check with the relevant awarding body in Ireland - whoever selected you or coordinated on this end. There's no harm in asking again. You also mention the department of foreign affairs - well worth a shot. Also, try talking to local politicians (or their offices really) who might be aware of various sources of national, local or regional funding.

Are there any businesses in the area who export to the region? Would they be interested in sponsoring you? Consider what you can offer in return.

Don't discount "generally nice people" - you might just get lucky if you tell your story often enough. It would be a shame to miss out on an opportunity like this for the sake of the flight cost when everything else is paid for. Someone (your current employer maybe) might be willing to give you a loan to cover the fare.

z

percy212

What about erasmus? Could you swing it as an educational thing? Kickstarter? Worth a shot.

Yamanoto

I assume this is the seminar you're referring to OP:

http://www.taiwanembassy.org/ct.asp?xItem=386508&ctNode=2240&mp=1

It appears to share some similarities with the 'Model UN' type of student & youth conferences. While I'd echo the congrats and good wishes of certain posters above, I honestly think if you really want this, you should make it happen either by way of a small credit union loan or perhaps a local fundraiser among family & friends.

Best of luck with it.

Podgerz

zagmund wrote: »

I'm sure there could/would be someone who could help with the finances. It's not clear from your post, but obviously check with the relevant awarding body in Ireland - whoever selected you or coordinated on this end. There's no harm in asking again. You also mention the department of foreign affairs - well worth a shot.

z

It was actually the Ministry of Education in Taiwan that selected the successful candidates so that route is a non starter. Thanks for the reply, ill get on it.

Podgerz

Yamanoto wrote: »

I assume this is the seminar you're referring to OP:

http://www.taiwanembassy.org/ct.asp?xItem=386508&ctNode=2240&mp=1

It appears to share some similarities with the 'Model UN' type of student & youth conferences. While I'd echo the congrats and good wishes of certain posters above, I honestly think if you really want this, you should make it happen either by way of a small credit union loan or perhaps a local fundraiser among family & friends.

Best of luck with it.

Something like that bud yea. Yea I know, its looking that way (RE loan) but I was just looking to explore other avenues ; as im saving up for masters and ya know, general living :pac:

Most of these funding bodies come from Europe, and if X amount of funding isnt claimed during a year it "lapses" so it is sort of wasted. Now all I need is to find such funding haha.

That is why I asked Re Dept of Foreign Affairs and not Dept of Education as I know the likelihood is thaat the fact the whole country being bankrupt might get in the way :P

percy212

Local newspaper sponsorship in return for a written article on your experiences in a very foreign country?
Co. Council sponsorship for investigation of "twinning" towns, or chamber of commerce connection development?
Bord Failte sponsorship for throwing around some flyers about tourism in Ireland...:)

Maybe beg these people for help - http://www.theirelandfunds.org/about

Lapin

€800 is not a huge amount in the scheme of things.

Organise a table quiz in a local hotel or large pub.

20 tables @ €40 and thats the flight paid for.

Approach local business to sponsor prizes, bottle of whiskey here, a voucher there.

Hold a raffle to make some extra cash and cover prize money for the quiz winners. €100 is plenty. Most winners will donate their winnings anyway.

Easy enough to organise with a little help and in my own experience, people in small town Ireland are good to support a local in inititives like yours.

Congrats and best of luck.

Batgurl

Strumms wrote: »

Ehhh so basically you want the tax payer to fork out to solely further your own career prospects ?

Ehhh doesn't every student and jobridge worker in the country expect the tax payer to fork out to further their career prospects?

OP - congrats on the opportunity. I think it is something which can benefit the greater community. Have you considered contacting the Uni where you plan to do your MA and see if they can provide the funding from the relevant dept. It could be considered a placement or conference opportunity. When I did my MA the Uni offered us a similar deal when some of us were selected for a European conference.

That way the Uni dept will benefit from your experience when you do your MA and you will benefit from the money.

Eponymous

OP, trust me, if there was some angle an official in DFA could take to get a trip to the far east, it would have been used. This means they're either not aware of it or they are aware of it and don't see any merit in sending anyone along. If it's the latter, then there's not a hope of them funding anyone else going along.

Lapin's suggestion is quite good. A bit of publicity in the town and you should garner enough tables to profit. Maybe even look for some coverage in the local paper about having been selected but needing funding/support to travel?

keithclancy

Lapin wrote: »

€800 is not a huge amount in the scheme of things.

Organise a table quiz in a local hotel or large pub.

20 tables @ €40 and thats the flight paid for.

Approach local business to sponsor prizes, bottle of whiskey here, a voucher there.

Hold a raffle to make some extra cash and cover prize money for the quiz winners. €100 is plenty. Most winners will donate their winnings anyway.

Easy enough to organise with a little help and in my own experience, people in small town Ireland are good to support a local in inititives like yours.

Congrats and best of luck.

You need to apply for a license from the Gardai.

Also tax issues if its not for a charity (i.e. Personal Income)

coylemj

Podgerz wrote: »

I have been selected to represent Ireland with one other person for a seminar in Taiwan on Globalisation and Youth Public Participation.

Podgerz wrote: »

I am going to learn about the history between Taiwan and china and learn of how they dealt with the issue of colonialism and the culture of the controlled territory (Taiwan). From the seminar I will get use of how to apply this to the north and hope to further the peace process through (some) of their examples.

Forgive me for a bit of skepticism but those descriptions of the same conference are completely inconsistent. What has globalisation and youth public participation got to do with the peace process or the history of Taiwan and mainland China?

When poster Yamato provided a link to a website describing a series of seminars in Taiwan and asking if that was the one, your reply was a bit vague ...

Podgerz wrote: »

Something like that bud yea.

Podgerz

coylemj wrote: »

Forgive me for a bit of skepticism but those descriptions of the same conference are completely inconsistent. What has globalisation and youth public participation got to do with the peace process or the history of Taiwan and mainland China?

When poster Yamato provided a link to a website describing a series of seminars in Taiwan and asking if that was the one, your reply was a bit vague ...

Its a week long conference and the itinerary provided has one or two days on the history and development between China and Taiwan and the growth of Taiwan in itself from a colony to a global force and how it as done this through the context of China's rule over them and how they have approached this

schemingbohemia

Podgerz wrote: »

Its a week long conference and the itinerary provided has one or two days on the history and development between China and Taiwan and the growth of Taiwan in itself from a colony to a global force and how it as done this through the context of China's rule over them and how they have approached this

Not so sure about that....

coylemj

It sounds like you're going to be fed a lot of propoganda about how the nationalist spirit of Chiang Kai-Shek lives on in Formosa Taiwan despite the threat from the communists in mainland China.

The connection that you see between the situation over there and the 'peace process' is laughable. In the case of Ireland, we don't have a totalitarian so-called communist government on our doorstep who lays claim to our territory, quite the opposite in fact.