Jason Brannigan Profile

Jason Brannigan is a part-time member of staff at the Ulster Peoples College.  A former pupil of the college Jason took both the CD and CR certificate courses in 2003 obtaining a distinction in both, he also received the John McQuade award.  Prior to working in the college Jason has a background in active trade unionism as a shop steward, member of the Belfast and District Trades Union Council and the North Belfast Trade Union Forum.  The qualifications obtained at the college enabled Jason to return to full time education and in December 2006 he graduated with a 1^st Class Joint Honours in Joint Modern History and Sociology at Queens University Belfast.  As a part-time tutor since 2004 Jason has delivered and developed a range of courses including community development, community relations, race and ethnicity and Peoples History Initiative courses, he also co-ordinated the delivery of a wide range of DEL funded courses to a range of different community groups and individuals until the end of August this year.  He also developed a one day seminar on memory and commemoration in 2005.  Jason has consistently promoted the rights of those effected by social and economic hardship through the trade union and labour movement and continues to work with the college to advance its aims of contributing “through education, training and development to a just, democratic and non-sectarian society with improved social and economic conditions and participation for those who have been disadvantaged and excluded”.

Karen McCartney Profile

Karen McCartney is a full time lecturer in Adult and Community Education at the Ulster Peoples College since 1999.  Currently she is responsible for co-ordinating and delivering courses on the Peoples History Initiative.  This project is about enabling people and communities to have a better understanding of their history; by running courses, workshops, lectures and a conference, which will enhance confidence, knowledge and a range of practical and conceptual skills in understanding history.  Many participants develop exhibitions and books about their communities.  She is currently a member of South Belfast Roundtable on Racism and of Healing Through Remembering.
She has tutored at the UPC on the Community Relations Certificate in the areas of Culture and Identity and Policy and Practice.  She has also tutored in the areas of race and ethnicity, community development and tutor training.

Prior to working at the UPC she worked as a tutor with Queens University Belfast and Belfast Institute Further and Higher Education and she lectured at University of Ulster Jordanstown.  Her academic qualifications include: BA (Hons) Sociology and Social Anthropology, MA in Anthropology and PhD in Anthropology.