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About the NCCRI

What is the NCCRI? The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) was established in 1998 as an independent expert body focusing on racism and interculturalism. The NCCRI is a partnership body which brings together government and non-government organisations to: Develop an inclusive and strategic approach to combat racism by focusing on its prevention and promoting an intercultural society Contribute to policy and legislative developments and seek to encourage dialogue and progress in all areas relating to racism and interculturalism Encourage integrated actions towards acknowledging, celebrating and accommodating cultural diversity Establish and maintain links with organisations or individuals involved in addressing racism and promoting interculturalism at national, European and international level Provide a national framework for responding to and consulting with key European and international bodies on issues related to racism and interculturalism. NCCRI Roles and Activities Advisory As an expert organisation on racism and interculturalism, the NCCRI: Provides advice and technical assistance to government and non-government organisations to enable them to implement anti-racism and intercultural strategies Seeks to inform policy through for example submissions to a range of government and statutory agencies to heighten awareness of the anti-racism and intercultural policy perspectives Organises thematic roundtables, seminars and conferences to encourage dialogue and information exchange. Training and Resource The NCCRI established a Training and Resource Unit in May 2000 to provide anti-racism and intercultural awareness training to government and non-government organisations and other groups. The primary aims of the training are to: Help participants acquire the necessary awareness to understand and meet the challenges associated with living and working in a culturally diverse society Encourage organisations to adopt policies, practices and action plans to combat racism and promote interculturalism Develop resource material and publications to assist organisations and groups in implementing a 'whole organisation' approach to address racism and promote interculturalism Implement a Training for Trainers programme aimed at individuals with facilitation and training skills who are interested in delivering anti-racism and intercultural training in their workplace and/or regions. Community Development In August 2000 the Community Development Support Unit (CDSU) was established to provide assistance and support to community groups working with minority ethnic groups. The CDSU aims to: Work with relevant statutory and non-statutory bodies to support community development strategies with minority ethnic groups Provide technical assistance, information and supports to minority ethnic groups to increase their capacity, profile and participation Bring added value to the supports provided by other organisations working in this area Highlight the collective issues and needs of ethnic minority groups to relevant government bodies, policy-makers and service providers at all levels. Monitoring Racist Incidents In May 2001 the NCCRI established a complementary procedure for reporting racist incidents in Ireland. A victim of or a witness to a racist incident can report it to the NCCRI in confidence. The NCCRI, if requested, will assist the victim in contacting the relevant authority responsible for investigating and addressing the complaint. Incidents are compiled into six-monthly reports, which aim to identify key issues arising from incidents logged and to make recommendations to the Government. Reporting forms and six monthly reports are available from our office or on our website: www.nccri.ie. Information and Public Awareness The NCCRI seeks to raise public awareness about racism and interculturalism through the coordination of events linked to International Day Against Racism (March 21st) and through publication of a range of materials and resources. We also publish a regular newsletter Spectrum and disseminate a monthly email bulletin. Leaflets, posters and most publications are available free of charge from our office and on our website. North/South Dimension The NCCRI seeks to work in partnership with statutory and non-statutory organisations such as the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM) to develop North/South strategies to address racism. European and International Dimension The NCCRI, in partnership with the Equality Authority, is the Irish National Focal Point (NFP) for the EU Monitoring Centre on Racism (EUMC) in Vienna. A function of the NFP is the preparation of reports for the European Information Network on Racism and Xenophobia (RAXEN). The role of the RAXEN Network is to collect, comment, review, and submit data on racism to the EUMC in key areas, for example education, employment, housing, legislation and racial violence. The NCCRI works closely with a range of bodies at both global and European levels, keeping up to date with developments in anti-racism so as to inform and influence policy at national level. National Action Plan Against Racism The National Action Plan Against Racism (NPAR) for Ireland arises from the Irish government's commitments given at the UN World Conference Against Racism in September 2001. The NCCRI played a key role in the preparation and consultative phases of the NPAR and will seek to continue this supporting role as the Plan is published and implemented. The NCCRI is core funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Funding for the Community Development Support Unit comes from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.