Partner: Rio Ferdinand Foundation

Context

Black, Asian and minority communities across the island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) face racism, prejudice and inequality. Young people from minority communities are more likely to live in poverty than their peers, often in insecure housing (including reception centres), and face added language barriers. Families and communities are housed across borders (Britain, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland), and face increasing racism – in Northern Ireland alone, 40% of reported hate crime was race related.

Project content

The project’s mission is to tackle racism in Ireland and promote community cohesion and the integration of ethnic minority and migrant communities through sports and education.

Objectives

The programme aims to promote inclusion and friendship and tackle racism and prejudice on the island of Ireland, by working with young people, ethnic minority representative groups and refugees and asylum seekers housed in local communities. Young people will be given the opportunity to share experiences, cultural values and interests. Education programmes will use football and football culture as a pathway to explore the themes of race and racism.

Project activities

• Delivering sports and educational activities that give people shared experiences and engage them in dialogue on solutions to racism, xenophobia and prejudice.
• Delivering inclusive sports activities that create community cohesion.
• Delivering education programmes that explore the themes of race, racism and prejudice
• Training community role models and actors to deliver social action projects
• Capacity building of ethnic minority and refugee groups to deliver services and engage with government agencies and civic society
• Building a network of local community actors and organisations that will embed the approach in communities
• Sharing best practices and building an ongoing support network across Ireland and the UK.

Expected results

• Improved awareness of racism and racist behaviour.
• Improved cohesion and integration of ethnic minority and refugee groups into communities.
• Trained actors from across the community delivering social action projects and a shared methodology throughout the island of Ireland.
• Greater skills in ethnic minority led organisations to deliver services and engage with civic society.
• A support network across Ireland to advocate and lead on this agenda on a local and regional scale.

Partner