National Consultative Committee On Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI)
Preface
The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism
(NCCRI) publishes this report with the aim of charting our progress over the
period 1998-2001. It is published at a time when there is increased awareness
about racism in Ireland but also increased resolve to tackle racism in all its
forms.
The report outlines the aims, approach and the outcomes of
the work of the NCCRI, which seeks to draw together key government and non-government
agencies to address racism and to promote a more inclusive and intercultural
society. Much remains to be done and we look forward to building on existing
and developing new strategies to address
Through this report I would like to acknowledge the continuing
support of Mr John O Donoghue, TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and law Reform
and the officers and support staff of his Department.
I would like to thank in particular all the members of the
NCCRI for their support and contribution along with the members of the various
sub committees where the work of the NCCRI is progressed.
Finally I would also like to fully acknowledge and thank the
Director, Philip Watt and staff of the NCCRI, Catherine Lynch, Kensika Monshengwo
and Bronwen Maher who have coordinated and implemented the work outlined in
this report.
Anastasia Crickley
Chairperson NCCRI
June 2001
Introduction by Mr John O Donoghue TD,
Minster for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
I am very pleased to launch this first progress report on the activities and
achievements of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism
(NCCRI).
I am committed to combating racism in all
its forms. This Government has put in place the most comprehensive
range of legislation to tackle racism and promote human
rights at home. A short three years ago there was no comprehensive
anti-discrimination legislation in this jurisdiction. Since
then, I have enacted the Employment Equality Act, 1998 and
the Equal Status Act, 2000 ? which serve to protect
against discrimination on nine specific grounds, including
racist grounds, in the employment and non-employment areas
? and which are considered as a model at a European
level. Together with the equality infrastructure that has
been put in place to give effect to the legislation ?
the Equality Authority and the Office of the Director for
Equality Investigations ? we have among the most comprehensive
anti-discrimination legislation in the European Union. The
enactment of such equality measures by this Government also
enabled Ireland to ratify the UN Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The NCCRI was established with funding from my Department in
1998 with the objective of developing an integrated approach against racism
and promoting a participative and intercultural society which is inclusive of
persons such as refugees, Travellers and minority ethnic groups in Ireland.
This progress report serves as an acknowledgement of the NCCRI's achievements
since its establishment.
Over the past three years, the NCCRI has made a significant
contribution in addressing racism, including co-ordinating many awareness-raising
events. A recent example was the launch of an education pack and poster for
schools to mark the International Day Against Racism on March 21st.
The NCCRI has also made an important contribution in drawing up the evaluation
for the anti-racism public awareness programme. It continues to provide valuable
assistance through its participation in the High Level Steering Group established
to implement the programme in partnership with the Equality Division of my Department.
Among the other noteworthy achievements of the NCCRI have been the organisation
of our national conference on racism last year in preparation for the forthcoming
UN World Conference Against Racism and the establishment of a system for reporting
racist incidents and recording them on its web site. The NCCRI has also been
responsible for the introduction of the anti-racism protocol for political parties
which has been adopted by all of the political parties of the Oireachtas.
The NCCRI established a training unit and provides anti-racism
training to government departments and other organisations. It also established,
with the support of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs,
a community development unit which assists and supports community groups working
with refugees and asylum seekers.
The work and expertise of the NCCRI will
continue to be of valuable assistance in our commitment
to tackle any tendency towards the surfacing of racist views
or attitudes in Irish society. It serves to complement the
work undertaken by other public and private organisations
in the field of anti-racism and interculturalism, such as
the work of the Task Force on the Travelling Community,
the Garda S?och?na Intercultural Unit, the
Prisons Service, the Reception and Integration Agency, the
Social Partners, and of course, the Equality Authority.
I acknowledge the achievements of the NCCRI and its chairperson,
Dr. Anastasia Crickley, and I will continue to provide support for their efforts
in developing integrated initiatives to address racism and to promote the value
of an inclusive society where diversity is welcomed.
John O'Donoghue, T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
Introduction
The National Consultative Committee on
Racism and Interculturalism was established in July 1998
by John O'Donoghue TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and
Law Reform. The overall role of the Committee is to act
in a policy advisory role and to contribute to the overall
development of public policy in relation to racism and interculturalism
and to encourage integrated action towards acknowledging,
understanding and celebrating cultural diversity in Ireland.
A key feature of the NCCRI strategy has been to work at national
level in partnership with government departments, statutory agencies and the
social partners, including the voluntary and community sector. This partnership
approach is reflected in both the structure of the NCCRI, where there is broad
representation on the Board, its sub committees and through the participation
of people in the numerous roundtables, seminars, training programmes and conferences
organised by the NCCRI since it was established in July 1998.
NCCRI also seeks to work in respond to and participate in relevant
initiatives at European and global level and we welcome the recent decision
by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism based in Vienna to designate the
NCCRI in partnership with the Equality Authority as the National Focal Point
to address racism in Ireland.
At an international level, the NCCRI has been active in the
preparations at a national and European level for the World Conference on Racism
to be held in south Africa in September 2001 and which provides an important
opportunity for governments around the world to restate their commitment to
work against racism and to agreed and implement a programme of action.
A further key feature of the work of the NCCRI has been the
cross border dimension. The NCCRI has worked in partnership with the Equality
Commission in Northern Ireland to develop a North/South approach to addressing
racism. This has included the publication of a strategy report and a joint information
and resource pack, which has been made available to all primary and post primary
schools in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
