Intercultural and Refugee Programme

Programme Activities

1. 'Wellbeing and Intercultural Communication'

Funded by the Tony Ryan Trust, this 2016/2019 project focused on trust building work for refugee and migrant women leaders, and others working with them.

Project Activities:

• International Women’s Day hosted at Glencree for migrants and women from marginalised communities
• Ongoing series of Wellbeing and Intercultural events for women from diverse backgrounds
• A Workshop delivered by Dr Patricia Cane, founder of Capacitor International, that focused on ‘Capacitar for Refugees’ training for practitioners from around Ireland
• Monthly Wellbeing mornings in Direct Provision Centres
• Glencree Annual Summer Event - participation of speakers and performers from refugee, migrant and other minority ethnic backgrounds at the annual event, with break-out sessions to examine intercultural and migration issues

2. ‘Deepening Understanding on Human Rights and Equality for the Muslim Communities of Ireland’ Dialogues

Funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), this 2018 project engaged diverse groups within the Muslim communities in the Dublin region in a series of dialogues on human rights and equality issues, and connected them with key stakeholders.

Project Activities:

• A Series of Dialogue Events that focused on:
• Promoting equality - how to access legal assistance through IHREC when combating discrimination
• Islamophobia in Ireland – how to deal with hostility, threats, verbal abuse, physical assault, discrimination in the workplace, education and accessing services
• The role of the Garda Diversity and Integration Office in building relationships with Muslims and other minority groups at local level
• Identifying and discussing the human rights and equality issues most relevant for Muslims. These issues included: employment; education; the position of Muslim women in Irish society; perceptions of Muslims as portrayed in the media; representation of Muslims in decision making and politics; everyday Islamophobia and racism; religious freedom and faith issues; community integration

•   ‘Human Rights and Equality’ Dialogue Day

This dialogue day welcomed Muslims from diverse communities, representatives of the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Education and Skills, and representatives from the world of education and media. A talk on anti-Muslim racism was followed by a discussion of key issues from which emerged 3 powerful messages:

• The need to recognise the diversity within the Muslim communities of Ireland
• The need for greater public representation of Muslims in decision making positions in Irish society
• The need for an official response to Islamophobia/anti-Muslim racism in Ireland

3. 'Hope and Ambition Project' – Mount Street Club Trust

This 2019/2022 project aims to build the confidence of marginalised women from minority ethnicities and faiths, and disadvantaged economic backgrounds, who are living in or are moving out of Direct Provision, to feel safe and express their needs.

Project Activities:

• Through ‘Community Circle’ work, participants are facilitated in identifying their own ‘hopes and ambitions’ and engage with women from different ethnic and faith backgrounds
• Bringing women from different circles together and using “Capacitar Multicultural Wellness” practices, creativity and dialogue, they are enabled to find common interests, listen to different perspectives, and share information and learnings

4. ‘Belonging and Identity in the Second Generation: Integration and Anti-Racism Dialogues with Hard to Reach Minority Communities’

In 2020 Glencree launched ‘Belonging and Identity in the Second Generation’. Building on Glencree’s earlier work on the Muslim Communities Dialogue Project (funded by IHREC), this project was designed to support the implementation of the ‘National Migrant Integration Strategy 2017-2020’ in line with the Irish Government’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The project was funded by the Integration Unit, initially within the Department of Justice and Equality (DJE) and subsequently under the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).

Project Activities:

• Glencree built on existing contacts to develop a network of interested participants for dialogue work through outreach to communities experiencing stereotyping, discrimination and racism.
• A Project Advisory Group, comprised of skilled individuals from diverse faith and ethnic backgrounds together with Glencree staff and Board members, was established to support the development of the project outreach and dialogue work.
• Glencree facilitated a series of safe space dialogues with second generation Irish Muslims, their parents and families, and with African Irish communities, around the issues of belonging and multiple identities, anti-racism and intercultural integration.
• The active involvement of key stakeholders, including An Garda Síochána, Local Authorities, Local Area Partnerships and Public Participation Networks, were also a feature of these dialogue processes.

5. 'Promoting Community & Intercultural Relations through Dialogue and Encounter’

Building on the work of the Glencree Belonging & Identity project, supporting the government’s National Migrant Integration Strategy, and advancing the work to strengthen social inclusion and build diversity at local level, Glencree is currently undertaking the ‘Promoting Community & Intercultural Relations through Dialogue and Encounter' (CIR) project. This 2021 – 2024 project is funded by the Tomar Trust.

Glencree’s CIR project aims to support improved community and intercultural relations between host communities and diverse ethnic and faith groups. This will be achieved through facilitating communication and engagement between migrants and other diverse groups and local and national stakeholders.

Project Activities:

Glencree will work with communities in four Dublin local authorities: South Dublin County Council (Tallaght, Clondalkin and Lucan), Fingal County Council (Blanchardstown and Balbriggan), Dublin City Council (inner city), Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow (Enniskerry/Bray/Arklow/Wicklow). Within these communities, Glencree will:

• Create and support opportunities to facilitate safe space encounters and dialogue with:

- individuals and leaders from Irish Muslim (of all ethnicities including African Irish), and other African Irish backgrounds to build trust and relationships that lead to encounters with key people from host communities at local level

- minority ethnic and majority communities to identify challenges to, and solutions for, advancing integration at local and national levels

• Strengthen the intercultural conflict resolution capacity of minority ethnic and local indigenous communities at local community level to dialogue together, and work with all parties in finding grassroots solutions. Conflict resolution training will build skills for key individuals from host and migrant communities and a sharing and learning network will sustain skills and relationships to further enhance integration by preventing discrimination and resolving intercultural tensions at local levels.
• Convene and independently facilitate national policy dialogues between migrant groups and government and statutory stakeholders.