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NCCRI Progress Report 1998-2000: Section 1

Summary of the work of the NCCRI 1998-2000.

The following section is a summary of the outcomes of the work of the NCCRI that are further detailed in this report. The summary highlights the main work of the NCCRI at national, European and international levels.

Supporting the development of an anti racism approach by governmental bodies

The NCCRI has worked to support the development of a strong anti racism approach by government departments and statutory agencies through a number of different strategies. This has involved:

• Providing advice and technical assistance to governmental bodies in tackling racism
• The establishment of an NCCRI training unit, which has provided training to over thirty national and regionally based statutory authorities.
• Advising, supporting and working with initiatives such as work of the Garda Racial and Intercultural Unit.
• Promoting awareness of the need to develop anti racism approaches by semi state and major service agencies, such as transport companies, hospitals and schools.
• Supporting the development of an antiracism dimension as part of a broader equality focus in the National Anti Poverty Strategy and the Strategic Management Initiative.

Raising awareness about racism.

The NCCRI in partnership with a range of key organisations has sought to raise awareness about racism through a number of different strategies including:

• ‘True Colours’ initiative of November 1999 in partnership with the UNHCR when over 60 events were organised nationally.
• The coordination of events linked to international day against racism in March 21, 2001 in partnership with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
• The drawing up of the evaluation report for the forthcoming £4.5m national anti racism public awareness programme, which was accepted and endorsed by Government.

National Focal Point on Racism in Ireland

The NCCRI in partnership with the Equality Authority has been designated by the European Union’s Monitoring Centre as the National Focal Point to address racism in Ireland. This involves:

• Participating in European wide data collection on organisations, strategies to support anti racism strategies.
• Organising EU roundtables on racism in Ireland.
• Identifying and documenting good practice.

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

The NCCRI, in partnership with key governmental bodies and NGO’s has worked to address the racism experienced by refugees and asylum seekers. These strategies have included:

• The establishment of a community development unit by the NCCRI to support the emergence of NGO’s working with refugees and asylum seekers.
• Working to ensure that EU and government funding programmes to tackle social exclusion (such as the local development programme and the community development programme) are inclusive of the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
• Providing advice and where necessary raising concerns about aspects of refugee and asylum policy, including direct provision regional settlement and integration policies.

Racist Crime

The NCCRI has sought to impact on reporting monitoring and addressing racist crime through a number of strategies, in particular:

• Supporting the work of and providing technical advice to the Racial and Intercultural Unit of the Gardaí
• Developing a system of reporting racist incidents on our website.
• Providing anti-racism awareness training to the Gardaí.
• Promoting and facilitating consultation between the Gardaí and minority ethnic groups.
• Providing advice on training material and issues such as defining racially motivated crime.
• Where appropriate, liasing with individual Garda Stations.
• Advocating and participating in the review of the Prohibition to Incitement to Hatred Legislation.

Migrant Workers

The NCCRI has been active in working with the social partners in identifying and seeking to improve the rights of migrant workers in Ireland. In particular the NCCRI has:

• Drawn up a detailed submission and has met with officials from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment on improving the rights of migrant workers.
• Drawn attention to the need to reform the work permit and visa schemes.
• Highlighted the issue through newsletters and press statements.
• Participated in the review of the Employment Agency Act.
• Participated in the consultation on the Immigration and Residence Bill (2001)

The Media

The NCCRI has been active in developing media strategies, which have the potential to impact on racism. In particular:

• Raising awareness about racism and diversity with the media by participating in an extensive range of radio, television and newspaper interviews.
• Supporting the development of minority ethic media, such as Metro Eireann and providing advice and background material to programme makers.
• Participating in the development of Radio One World.
• Maintaining a watching brief on media reporting that have the potential to incite hatred or prejudice.

Gypsies, Roma and Travellers

The NCCRI has focussed on the European dimension to policy in relation to Gypsies Roma and Travellers and seeks to complement the work of national Traveller organisations in Ireland, including the Irish Traveller Movement, the National Traveller Women’s Forum and Pavee Point. Strategies include:

• Lobbying to ensure the inclusion of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in the key documentation for the European preparatory and World Conference on Racism.
• Developing a needs analysis of the Roma community in Ireland.
• Working to ensure that the needs of Roma are included in broader refugee and asylum policy.

World Conference on Racism

The NCCRI has participated in the coordination of the Irish national preparations for the world conference on racism (South Africa, 2001) in Ireland, in association with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Department of Foreign Affairs. This work has included:

• Hosting a national preparatory conference in Ireland and producing a national report and summary.
• Participating in the European preparatory conference in Strasbourg.
• Supporting the participation of NGO’s in the World Conference.
• Supporting the participation of youth organisations in the world conference in partnership with YARD.

NCCRI Training Unit

The NCCRI has established a training unit, which has provided anti racism awareness raising training to a wide range of government and non-government organisations. The training and resource officer is Kensika Monshengwo.

Since the unit was established in May 2000 it has:

• Provided anti racism awareness training to over forty government and statutory organisations national media organisations; the equality authorities; trade unions, employer and community organisations, hospitals and health boards.
• Developed a code of practice setting out standards and approaches for anti racism training, following extensive consultation with practitioners.
• Worked to develop anti racism policies in organisations.

Women

Anti racism strategies need to accommodate the needs of women from minority ethnic groups. Through the work of the Women’s sub committee the NCCRI has worked to build in a gender dimension to policy that has potential to impact on racism, including:

• Participation in the consultation process around the national children’s strategy and membership of the NCCRI on the Advisory Council to the National Children’s Strategy.
• The publication of guidelines on the inclusion of women in refugee and asylum policy, in association with the ICCL and the Irish Times.
• Contributing to the five-year follow up report from Ireland concerning the recommendations from the World conference on women in Beijing (1995).
• Organising consultations on childcare issues.

Community Development Unit

The NCCRI established a community development unit in August 2000 to provide assistance and support for community groups working with refugees and asylum seekers. The Unit is funded by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. Key strategies developed by the unit to date have been:

• The organisation of five regional seminars on refugees and asylum policy to inform groups of policy developments and to encourage community and local development responses.
• Developing good practice.
• Working with ADM and the Planet network of managers of area based partnerships to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are included in the new local development programme.
• Working with the Community and Voluntary Activity Unit of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.
• Providing information and advice on funding issues.

North/South partnership

The NCCRI has worked in partnership with the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland and with community organisations such as NICEM to develop a North/South dimension to addressing racism. Outcomes of this process to date include:

• The publication of a strategy to developing anti racism strategies on a North/South basis in partnership with the Equality Commission (NI).
• The hosting of North/South roundtable on racism in Dundalk in 1999.
• A coordinated North/South approach to international day against racism in 2001, with over 50 initiatives organised by government and non-government agencies.

Political parties

Political parties have a key role to play in addressing racism and promoting a more inclusive society. The NCCRI has worked with political parties on the following initiatives:

• An anti racism protocol signed by all the main political parties that commits them to ensuring that racism is not stirred up by the actions of parties candidates at election times (see annex Three)
• Responding to invitations to address meetings organised by political parties.
• Meeting with party spokespersons about the work of the NCCRI.

Small Grant Scheme

The NCCRI has assisted over 90 organisations through its small grant scheme with funding ranging from £300-£800. This funding has particularly assisted community based organisations to develop initiatives to address racism.

Report contents: Preface / Introduction > Work Summary 1998-00 Contexts Progress Report 1998-2001 Annexes