The Integration Centre - Connecting Communities Advancing Integration is committed to the integration and inclusion of people from immigrant backgrounds in Ireland. The Centre specializes in planning, monitoring and advocacy at city, local, national and international levels and provides regionalized information, advice and training services. Evidence-based research influences positive change in legislation, policy and practice. We have more than 250 affiliated organisations as part of our network.
If you would like to find out more about us or if you would like to support our work contact: Helena Clarke, Communications and Media Executive, The Integration Centre, 1st & 2nd Floors, 18 Dame Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; Tel: +353 16453070; Fax: +353 1677 0061; helena.clarke@integrationcentre.ie; www.integrationcentre.ie
Contents
• An Tánaiste to launch The Integration Centre Integration Monitoring Report
• New Integration Planning Projects for The Integration Centre
• Financial Mangement Manual & From Seeds to Trees
• Ireland from an Immigrant Perspective
An Tánaiste to launch The Integration Centre Annual Monitoring Report on Integration 2010
We are delighted to announce that An Tánaiste Eamonn Gilmore, TD is to launch our Annual Monitoring Report on Integration. The event is to take place next Wednesday, 4th May, 2011, in the Oak Room of the Mansion House at 11.30am.
Other speakers at the launch will be Fran McGinnity from the ESRI, our chief partner in this project; Tom Coffey from Dublin City Business Association; and Dil Wickremasinghe of Global Village.
The report is the first of four annual reports to be produced over the next four years. It uses the indicators, as put forward by the EU through the Zaragoza Declaration, active citizenship; social inclusion; education; and employment to monitor the progression of integration in Ireland.
New Integration Planning Projects for The Integration Centre
The Integration Centre is pleased to announce its involvement in two new integration planning projects.
The first will be in partnership with Waterford City Development Board, will facilitate the development of an Integration Strategy for the city in the coming months. The Strategy will form part of the Board’s ten year strategy for Economic, Social and Cultural Development 2002-2012.
Seamus O’Leary, Southeast Regional Officer with The Integration Centre said “the process to develop a long-term integration strategy will draw on the good work that has already been done by many groups and agencies in Waterford while offering a clear focus to future initiatives”.
In recent years, The Integration Centre has been directly involved in similar Integration Planning processes in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway, Wexford and Wicklow.
The second is the Development of a Cultural Diversity Profile of County Monaghan, wherein we will work with local satakeholders and develop a profile whicle will help to facilitate the integration of immigrants in Monaghan.
We are very pleased to be extending our project areas nationwide.
Greater Immigrant Capacity; Better Environment for All
The Integration Centre this month launched capacity building manuals for immigrant organisations. The two Manuals:
• From Seeds to Trees: A Resource for Organisational Development
• Introduction to Financial Management For Community & Voluntary Groups: Guidance Manual for Beginners
are aimed at fledgling immigrant organisations that may need advice or guidance on how to strengthen grass roots civil society organisations.
Killian Forde, CEO of The Integration Centre, said “those who have made Ireland their home need to feel part of the social and political processes of the country. These manuals were created to further the capacity of immigrants so that a more equal representation of voices are heard within our society.”
The manuals are freely available on The Integration Centre website www.integrationcentre.ie and have been distributed to member organisations nationwide. They were produced in collaboration with TRACS and funded by The Wheel.
Ireland from an Immigrant Perspective
This section of our e-bulletin is dedicated to understanding immigrant perspectives of Ireland. This month we interviewed Thompson Adekunle, originally from Ghana. He holds a BA degree in Business Administration from a Nigerian University and completed a BA in Law at DIT. He has 18 years experience in the banking industry and left Nigeria as a senior manager. He was one of the founding directors of the Refugee Information Service in 1999.
Thompson was involved in politics in Nigeria and advocated for democracy in place of the brutal military regime of the 90s. He was forced to migrate to the UK in 1997 as a result of death threats. He said “after the death of a number of human rights activists that challenged the military regime, I knew I was not safe and my family was in danger. I had nothing to lose because the crisis had affected the banking industry and the economy was unsustainable. I had lost faith in Nigeria, and I headed for Europe for a better and safe future for myself and my family”.
In January 1998, Thompson arrived in Ireland; seeking political asylum. He said “integration can be difficult, as people cannot integrate without the conscious understanding of cultures on both sides”. He believes that the integration of migrants is not the sole responsibility of Irish people. Migrants need to respond to Integration by participating in activities which promotes inclusion. He said “Integration is based on trust and the willingness to accommodate one another. We migrants cannot continue to isolate ourselves from other communities, including the Irish, and expect to fully integrate in society”.
“Being respected is a big issue for Africans. We are equally intelligent and hardworking. Unfortunately Irish society has not accepted that migrants can be good leaders in the workplace. If we are qualified for leading positions, we should be given the chance to lead. In most work places Africans are not given the opportunity”. Thompson believes changes are set to take place in the work sector, especially with the upcoming second generation Irish-born citizens.