‘Improving Migrant Demo-cratic Participation in Ireland’ was the title of a conference held at European Parliament House recently, launching a new campaign to encourage Ireland’s newcomers to get more politically active.
Hosted by a network of bodies including migrant women’s group AkiDwA, the Africa Centre, Dublin City Council, the European Parliament and Forum Polonia, the event attracted people from various backgrounds in all walks of life, including migrants involved in religious and community organisations who don’t yet have representation in Ireland’s political sphere.
Emer Costello MEP, one of the special guest speakers on the day, said she was “delighted” that the European Parliament was hosting the launch of the campaign.
“[Migrants] have settled in Ireland. They made Ireland their home. They’re paying their taxes, they avail of our services… and it’s important that they have the opportunity to participate in the political process,” she said, adding that migrants could have a “very effective voice”.
The Labour MEP for Dublin also said that the new campaign “will affect Ireland relations with migrants’ own countries, as well. For example, I think the African diaspora living in Ireland was consulted very widely on the Africa strategy that the Irish Government is developing.
“And it is really important to do that because for so long we had been developing policy without actually asking African people who are living in this country,” said Costello.
Meanwhile, Nigerian-born Irish politician Rotimi Adebari spoke about his experiences running for office and serving as Mayor of Portlaoise Town Council.
“My slogan in 2004, was the ‘reality of our future’ – that means the reality of the future in this country involving everybody in the community at all levels. So I really support this campaign because another election is around the corner, and it’s only when we pull together and we encourage people to get registered to vote that we can make a difference,” he said.
Polish immigrants constitute the single biggest minority group in Ireland – and Artur Banaszkiewicz from Forum Polonia spoke about encouraging Polish people here to “understand what is happening around them”.
“Poles would like to get more involved in [Irish] society, not only representing their own particular interests but contributing to all economic and social life,” said the international trade advisor with the Polish Embassy.
“I think more diversity would appear and more diversity means more development, more economic growth,” he added.
Another speaker, human rights commissioner Simon Woolley, said he supported the campaign because he believes “in representative democracy, I believe black people have a voice and I think we must work together in solidarity.
“The importance of immigrants for Ireland is so critical,” added the director of UK-based Operation Black Vote. “The immigrant community is the lifeblood of Ireland.”
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