Events

PRESENTER: NOELINE BLACKWELL

On Wednesday 26th September 2018 we held a Breakfast Briefing which was attended by 29 ACESA members. Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Rape Crisis Centre, shared her experiences on networking and influencing, including using the media to influence. Noeline,  a committed and tireless advocate for justice in Ireland, has been chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre since 2016. A practising lawyer, she previously served as head of FLAC. During her 10 years there as director general, she helped FLAC bring a spotlight on the legal issues impacting on the poorest and most marginalised people in Irish society.

The feedback from the session was excellent. Noeline’s messages were clear, insightful, helpful and humorous. It was an enjoyable meeting and the subsequent discussion was very good. The light informal delivery was appreciated by the attendees and produced very good results.

The meeting reinforced many key messages on the topic of influencing – the need to communicate a clear understanding of the facts/situation, having the necessary expertise to analyse the facts/situation and presenting a clear analysis. And while an outcome, or one’s analysis, may be challengeable, facts and expertise make one  virtually unassailable. She reminded the audience never to forget the importance of timing and emotions in communicating messages. Seize the moment, because knowing when to communicate is just as important as knowing what to communicate.
It is hugely important to have personal connections. This helps to make a story or a situation real, when seeking to collaborate with or to influence people