This July, we held a workshop in Exchange House Ireland, the National Traveller Service in Dublin, on tools for community educators in response the growing levels of tensions and racism in communities across the country.
Community Education is key in helping communities to feel more connected and for people to feel included.
Members of the AONTAS Community Education Network (CEN) have been telling us that this is a growing problem for their work.
We held a meeting of the CEN in December to discuss people’s experiences, and to hear about the issues affecting learners. We explored racism in community education and considered how we might respond.
We wanted to think about developing action plans for anti-racist education in community programmes.
We also wanted to identify future training that AONTAS and the CEN can provide to equip community educators with the tools they needed to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in their future work.
So this latest workshop, delivered by Dignity Partnership, provided a space for reflection and discussion on racism and anti-immigration, one of the most burning issues our communities are currently facing. Community Education is key in helping forging communities and fostering inclusivity and connection.
Attendees at the workshop included Longford Women's Link; New Horizon Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Group; An Cosan; Community Collectives; Dublin Adult Learning Centre; Belmayne Community Group; Exchange House Ireland; Near Media Co-op; CASPr and TU Dublin; INOU; and Meath Partnership.
The attendees said they wanted to join the workshop because of the anti-immigration protests in local communities.
Many are working with refugees and asylum seekers who experience racism, and they need to know how to facilitate groups in difficult circumstances.
People wanted to know how to make safe spaces for conversations around the topic.
They also want to help refugees and asylum seekers integrate better into communities.
Participants also continue to work with groups who experience discrimination and racism here, including Travellers, who continue to be marginalised and excluded in Irish society.
There was a collective drive to build a sense of community and belonging, and to encourage compassion, and to promote a culture of welcoming people.
The group also referenced the stress that this situation is causing for educator providers, and the need for tools and supports to handle this.
Participants said that the workshop gave them ideas they could bring back to the classroom, and practical advice on managing different perspectives. One said: “This is encouraging, nice to see so many reasonable people ready to make changes in our society.” People called it “energising” and “hopeful”.
We at AONTAS, and the CEN, are committed to supporting our members working in community education. The insights from these gatherings will continue to guide our collective efforts in creating impactful and inclusive educational experiences for all.
We’ll be running similar workshops and opportunities for discussion and learning in the future.
If you’re interested in joining, please contact Lorraine O'Connor (Community Education Officer) at loconnor@aontas.com and Larisa Sioneriu (Adult Education Initiatives Officer) at lsioneriu@aontas.com