South Dublin County Council launched its ‘Beginners’ Guide’ to society, culture and politics in Ireland ahead of an integration workshop at Rua Red arts centre in Tallaght recently.
The handbook, compiled by Dr Elaine Byrne and Ciara Begley of Trinity College Dublin, was produced by the Civic Participation of New Communities through Local Authorities, a project led by Dublin Employment Pact and the New Communities Partnership in conjunction with the four Dublin local authorities.
It also formed the basis for an interactive workshop led by Dr Byrne that gave new community leaders an insight into Ireland, its arts, culture, geography, history, norms and values.
On hand to launch the handbook and training workshop, Mayor of South Dublin County Council Cllr Caitriona Jones said: “A sense of place is a vital component in developing a sense of citizenship, and so it is important to encourage citizens of diverse origins to identify with their county and country.”
The programme is one of a series of actions in a three-year plan under which the four Dublin authorities will assist in enabling non-EEA nationals to establish a foothold in and integrate with Irish society.
It is hoped that a successful outcome in Dublin will pave the way for other local authorities nationally to emulate the project, facilitating local integration and reducing the sense of civic exclusion among new communities.
Project manager and Dublin Employment Pact director Philip O’Connor commented: “2011 saw a dramatic increase in the number of people naturalised as Irish citizens by 16,000, and this will likely double in 2012. The programme will enable trained community leaders to represent the needs of their communities with local authorities in areas as diverse as housing and services, community relations and conflict issues.”
Leading up to the launch, Issah Huseini of the New Communities Partnership said: “With Dublin becoming increasingly diverse and multicultural as new immigrants are arriving and contributing to its growth in a variety of ways, this project could not have come at a better time.
“We are looking forward to an Ireland where social exclusion becomes a thing of the past and each and every Irish citizen can play a key role within Ireland’s economic, social, civic and political arena.”
