Irish Traveller Movement Update of 18 October 2011
1. Organise an event for Traveller Pride Week 5 to 9 December 2011
2. The Trailer of Bridget Dinnigan – The all Traveller cast play
3. Claiming our Future: AN ECONOMY FOR SOCIETY A NATIONAL DISCUSSION
4. Facebook Case (related to Travellers) Dismissed
5. Irish Network Against Racism (ENAR Ireland)
6. STARTING A BUSINESS in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown?
7. Adult Learners Forum of Ireland (ALFI) meeting - Wednesday, 26th October 2011
8. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: The Irish Review of Community Economic Development Law and Policy
9. VACANCIES
10. ITM Important Dates for your diary
11. Use the ITM E-zine update to get your message across
1. Organise an event for Traveller Pride Week 5 to 9 December 2011
Traveller Pride Week will run from the 5th to the 9th of December. This has been an important feature of the calendar for many years and highlights the positive contribution Travellers make to Irish society. It is also an opportunity to focus on issues that affect Travellers lives.
Why not organise an event this year? There are many things that your organisation could do from small actions to larger events, for example:
• Organise a cross community coffee morning
• Launch a key report or highlight an existing initiative
• Organise a sporting event or sports challenge
• Host a cultural awareness event
• Display photographs past and present
Be as creative as you like but let us know what you are doing so we can highlight it on our calendar of events.
Contact ITM on 01 6796577 or email itmtrav@indigo.ie
2. The Trailer of Bridget Dinnigan – The all Traveller cast play
The much acclaimed play by the all Traveller cast, “The Trailer of Bridget Dinnigan” is returning for one week only during Traveller Pride Week (5 to 9 December) at the Axis theatre Ballymun from 5 to the 9 December.
The ITM, in association with the Blanchardstown Travellers Development Group, invite you to attend this must see play.
A bus will be made available for large groups outside of Dublin to attend the play inclusive of ticket price for €15 per person, return.
Why not make this part of your Traveller Pride Week calendar or your Christmas night out and come and see a fantastic play?
For more information and to reserve your seat please contact Chantelle at the ITM office on 01 679 6577.
Book early to avoid disappointment, show starts at 8pm sharp.
3. Claiming our Future: AN ECONOMY FOR SOCIETY A NATIONAL DISCUSSION
IN: THE MILLENIUM HALL, CORK ON: 5 NOVEMBER
REGISTRATION: 10 AM
FREE Buses going from Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Galway.
Book your place with richie@claimingourfuture.ie
Our economic model of development is failing us. Unemployment is high, public services are being cut and wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few. It is time to talk about alternatives. It’s time to talk about an economy for society. Join us in Cork to debate the social, environmental and economic reasons for change. Join us to debate the elements for an alternative approach to
development in Ireland. Claiming our Future, in association with PlanBetter, is organizing this national discussion. Individuals and organizations from the full breadth of civil society will take part. A working
group will be organized to follow up the ideas discussed and to take action to promote an economy for society.
The discussion will focus on prosperity and what we mean by prosperity. It will explore how current policies might or might not serve our vision of prosperity. It will examine what we can do to promote
alternatives.
JOIN THE NATIONAL DISCUSSION IN CORK ON NOVEMBER 5TH 2011
www.claimingourfuture.ie
4. Facebook Case (related to Travellers) Dismissed Under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act
Below is the Press Release regarding this case.
The Irish Traveller Movement is following up with the Garda Racial and Intercultural Office on the issue.
Killarney District Court Friday, 30th September 2011
September 30th 2011
The first prosecution dealing with online material in Ireland (and specifically Facebook), under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 was dismissed today in Killarney District Court. The case related to a 27 year old Kerry man who published materials on a Facebook page entitled “Promote the use of Knacker Babies for shark bait” and included a range of comments that were both threatening and abusive to the Traveller community.
The case was being monitored closely by the Irish Traveller Movement via their Independent Law Centre as one of the first complainants to bring the specific Facebook pages to the attention of the Gardai. They were present in court today and according to Managing solicitor, Siobhan Cummiskey, "Hate speech is used to intimidate and degrade vulnerable communities and to inflame prejudices against them and historically it has been shown to be dangerously effective in doing so. The Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act is an under-utilised piece of legislation riddled with major weaknesses - many of which have been borne out in this failed prosecution. We call on the Minister for Justice to make reform of the law relating to incitement to hatred against Travellers and other vulnerable communities a priority. Any new legislation must also specifically address the internet as the most common medium for hate speech in light of the EU Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law".
Brigid Quilligan, Assistant Director of the Irish Traveller Movement was also present in the court and said “As a Traveller woman I don’t feel justice was served today and commend the two local Traveller women and An Garda Siochana for pursuing this legal action. I have no doubt that the comments made on this Facebook page, if directed at other minority groups, would in other democratic jurisdictions, have provided a different legal outcome. This outdated Act is long overdue reform.”
Background
The Prohibition of Incitement to Racial Hatred Act entered into force in December 1989 and its enactment was an attempt to comply with Ireland's international human rights obligations. The Act is underutilized and prosecutions have been few and far between, in fact there were only 18 cases and seven convictions from December 1989 to May 2004 (this is according to the Irish government’s First Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2004).
Examples of cases taken under the act include the failed prosecution of a Fine Gael councillor in Mayo, who accused Travellers of “lying around in the sun like dogs” instead of participating in FÁS schemes (the comment was considered offensive but not incitement) and the overturning of the conviction of a Dundalk bus driver who called a young child a “black bastard” and told him to “go back to Africa”.
The Act is believed to be outdated and has been under review by the Department of Justice for upwards of a decade. A review of the law is particularly important in light of the EU Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law, required to be transposed by Ireland by November 2010. The Directive requires effective implementation of comprehensive and clear legislation to combat racism and xenophobia
5. Irish Network Against Racism (ENAR Ireland)
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY Irish Network Against Racism (ENAR Ireland) invites you to Southern and Midwestern Regional Seminar on
Responding to Racism:
The Case for Monitoring Racist Incidents
The Seminar provides a space to consider the potential of a racism monitoring framework to report and monitor racist incidents at the local and national level.
Date: Monday, 24th October
Time: 9.30 am – 1.30pm
Where: Imperial Hotel Cork, South Mall, Cork
RSVP: Raluca Anucuta, EnarIreland@gmail.com Tel. 01 8897110
The Irish Network Against Racism (ENAR Ireland) is a national network of organisations working to highlight and address racism collectively. ENAR Ireland is the Irish National Coordination for the European Network Against Racism, an EU wide network of over 700 organisations which was established in 2000.
ENAR Ireland in association with its local members is organising a seminar that shall bring together key local stakeholders to look at the potential of a racism monitoring framework to report and monitor racist incidents. The seminar is an excellent opportunity to present and critique examples of good practice that can inform the reporting of racist incidents at the local level. ENAR Ireland’s mechanism ensures that where information is collected locally, it can feed into a national mechanism so that i) we can build a national picture and ii) specialist advice is available to organisations/individuals.
This seminar is part of a series of seminars organised by ENAR Ireland at local level aimed to promote a racism monitoring framework to report and monitor racist incidents at the local level.
ENAR Ireland is developing an independent system to monitor racist incidents through a collective approach. The system is aimed to be a part of a comprehensive approach to monitoring. Racist Incidents Reporting and Monitoring is critical for both to addressing racism and developing responses in order to prevent racist crime and has been developed on the principles of anti racism and equality, independence, access, sustainability, good relationships/trust.
6. STARTING A BUSINESS in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
SUPPORT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR TRAVELLERS STARTING A BUSINESS
DUN LAOGHAIRE- RATHDOWN COUNTY ENTERPRISE BOARD
are currently running a Pilot Programme (Oct – December 2011) to help members of the Travelling community who wish to start new business or expand existing business.
The following services are available.
• Training
• Advice from experts/mentors
• Help with Business Plans
• Help to source funds and avail of schemes
• One to one sessions and group/family sessions
CONTACT: MARGARET SCULLY
Traveller Enterprise Support Initiative
Email: margaret@dlrceb.ie01 494 8400 / 087 244 4414
7. Adult Learners Forum of Ireland (ALFI) meeting - Wednesday, 26th October 2011
The next meeting of the Adult Learners’ Forum of Ireland will take place on the 26th October 2011, in the Ashling Hotel, Dublin 8.
Since the last meeting there has been a lot of discussion on how best Adult Learner Voices can be heard and what can be done to make the national voice sustainable. In looking at this we have worked closely with the Limerick City Adult Learners’ Forum, a learner forum that has been working for the last five years. Based on their experience and other international forums we have developed a toolkit to support learners to come together and build their own local learner forums.
Who is this meeting for?
Any adult learner who is interested in seeing how their voice can be heard and are looking for ways to organise locally to build a local learner voice. Learners from all backgrounds, involved in any form of adult and community education are welcome to attend.
Registration begins at 9:30 and the meeting will start at 10am sharp.
The meeting on the 26th October will launch the toolkit and will look at what learners can do to set up their own forum and what supports AONTAS can give. It will have inputs from Limerick City Adult Learners’ Forum on their experience as a working forum and insight from John Gates, one of the founders of the Global Learners’ Forum on the work he is involved with in Wales in developing local learner forums. John Lonergan, former Governor of Mountjoy Prison, will end the meeting by looking at people power, active participation and how learner forums fit into the idea of active citizenship.
There will be facilitated discussions for learners to have their say and look at what their role will be to use the toolkit and build the local learner voice.
Places are limited so please book your place online here. We hope to see you there and would appreciate if you could circulate this information to other learners who might be interested or among your contact lists.
Regards, Damien Walshe,
Learning Advocacy Officer
AONTAS (The National Adult Learning Organisation)
2nd Floor, 83-87 Main Street
Ranelagh, Dublin 6 01 4068220
8. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: The Irish Review of Community Economic Development Law and Policy
The Irish Review of Community Economic Development Law and Policy is an online journal, published four times a year by the Northside Community Law Centre, in Coolock, Dublin. The journal seeks to offer a platform for interaction that encourages greater scholarly and academic collaboration in the areas of social policy, law and community development, promoting the practice of CED law and policy in Ireland and learn about these initiatives in other countries. The journal also seeks to create channels of collaboration between academia, practitioners and any other interested parties.
Its mission is to offer an insight into how we can address issues of social inclusion by the use social policy, law and community development principles.
We are currently requesting articles on any topic pertaining community economic development law and policy, such transactional law, grass-roots lawyering, articles that integrate socio-legal rights with community development and/or social policy issues, or articles that create connections not created before among these areas. The articles will be peer-reviewed for possible inclusion.
If you are interested in writing an article please see attachments or email us at editor@nclc.ieindicating your proposed article. Articles previously published may be accepted where permission has been granted.
We look forward to your contributions!
The Editors
Colin Daly and Maria Antonieta Nestor
Background
• What is CED?
Although there is no exact definition or single theory that dominates Community Economic Development (“CED”), its core definition can be described as a composite, as a mixed-recipe of legal, social policy and community development tools all of which interact to address issues of poverty and disempowerment within communities.
To say that there is no single dominant theory that defines CED does not mean that all economic development equates with CED. On the contrary, the array of elements that characterise CED means that not all community development falls under the auspices of CED. For CED to take place, having contact with the local community either by face-to face encounters or by being part of a geographic focus as well as making the community the recipients of development is essential. Moreover, local development has to be accountable to the community it serves.
• What is CED law?
CED law is said to include matters of corporate, real property, contract and tax laws, all of which act singly or in conjunction to support community projects. CED law also entails the use of legal regulatory frameworks that sustain its existence. CED law therefore embraces all those efforts aimed at developing “housing, jobs, or business opportunities for low income people … in which a leading role is played by non-profit, nongovernmental organizations … that are accountable to residentially defined communities.” CED law also has an evolving nature and as such, it also includes other initiatives such as those that provide services to fight homelessness, unemployment, drug abuse, violence and crime.
• What is CED lawyering?
CED lawyering has been described as a strategy for redressing urban poverty in which economic justice initiatives can receive input from lawyers, where points of legal intervention can be addressed and where issues of accountability can come to the fore. CED lawyering therefore acts as a facilitator, building and empowering communities by the use of different legal tools and approaches, all of which are directed towards the improvement of the socio-economic infrastructure and personal development of those communities.
9. VACANCIES
None this week.
10. ITM Important Information and Dates for your Diary
From the Accommodation Working Group:
It had been decided by the Accommodation Working Group that to be more informed by Travellers and local issues we would hold regional Accommodation Working Group Meetings twice a year and hold four ITM National Accommodation Policy Committee meetings a year.
Representatives from each region will be invited to sit on this committee. We are hoping that this new way of holding the meetings will ensure participation of Travellers and Traveller representatives on LTACCs. It has been suggested that the meetings would be held on the same day as a regional health network meeting. Colette Spears, ITM Accommodation worker, will be in contact with regional primary health care co-ordinators to check if this is possible or for further suggestions on how best to meet regionally.
It is envisaged that there will be one meeting regionally between now and Christmas, dates to be confirmed.
11. Use the ITM E-zine update to get your message across
All ITM members who wish to circulate positions available and upcoming events etc can simply send information to be circulated to the membership.
Please send details by the Wednesday mornings at the latest to itm.ezine@gmail.com
