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Awards celebrate good race relations work

Efforts to combat racism and sectarianism must redouble, following last night's attacks, a special race relations awards ceremony heard today. [OFMdFM press release]

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Editor
22 June 2010 - 7:19pm
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Junior Ministers Robin Newton and Gerry
Kelly told the winners of the Intercultural Achievement Awards that the
attacks must motivate people to combat hate crimes.

OFMDFM and its co-sponsors the Housing
Executive, Department of Justice and the PSNI, hosted the awards
ceremony which recognise best practice in the area of race relations.

Junior Minister Newton said: "The people who carried out these attacks have
nothing to offer our society. A society which has changed in recent
years with the arrival of so many new cultures and individuals. We have
become infused with new flavours, new points of view and new hopes. It
is not an easy task to become integrated yet manage to hold onto a
distinct cultural identity.

"So today’s celebration is not just to
mark the success of some of the groups in specific areas of the
promotion, learning and best practice in integration and building
relationships in our communities but really it is to applaud everyone
for their hard work in making the sector so energised and focussed.”

Junior Minister Kelly said: "If ever there was evidence of the need for us to
redouble our efforts to combat racism and sectarianism it was provided
with the overnight attacks. But we are confident that the race relations
work being celebrated and recognised today is more reflective of where
we are as a society than the actions of these cowardly individuals who
are out of touch with wishes of the entire community.

"We should not ignore racial intolerance.
These incidents must be reported, must be highlighted, challenged and
defeated.

"However, we also must take the time to
celebrate small victories against the small minds that promote hate.
Today’s awards are for acts performed; for aspiration seen through to
action; for words becoming deeds."

The winners are:

  • Good Race Relations -
    ArtsEkta
  • Community Cohesion -
    South Belfast Roundtable
  • Community Involvement -
    Transition Training
  • Community Safety -
    Ballymena Inter-ethnic Forum

    Each winner will receive a cut glass trophy
    and £1,000 prize.


    ArtsEkta – Good Race Relations Award
    ArtsEkta works to strengthen and deepen
    relationships between different cultures through a series of arts-based
    programmes. Their core work includes: outreach programmes, festivals and
    events, cultural awareness/anti-racism programmes, support to minority
    ethnic artists. ArtsEkta’s also organises the annual Belfast Mela which
    is the largest local multi-cultural festival.

    Ballymena Inter-ethnic Forum– Community
    Safety Award
    Ballymena Inter-Ethnic Forum (BIEF) support
    minority ethnic communities in the greater Ballymena area to integrate
    into society. They provide links to statutory, voluntary bodies and
    community groups thereby ensuring equitable delivery of services,
    promoting equality for all, strengthening good relations, and capacity
    building. BIEF also provides a Community Safety Bi-lingual Advocacy
    Service which aims to support the safety, integration and cohesion of
    ethnic communities in the area.

    South Belfast Roundtable/Partnership
    Board - Community Cohesion Award
    South Belfast Partnership Board’s mission is
    to strengthen and better target the efforts being made by the
    community, private sector and Government to tackle in partnership the
    economic, social and environmental problems in the area. Over the past
    five years it has facilitated the South Belfast Roundtable which brings
    together key agencies and community organisations with an interest in
    addressing racism in a positive and proactive way.

    The winning application centred on the work
    of the Belfast Friendship Club which provides a space for people from
    both migrant and local communities to meet, build relationships and
    receive sign posting to relevant services. The project aims to build
    meaningful ongoing relationships and plans 45 events city wide this year
    with work focusing on three levels – individual, community group and
    corporate.

    Transition Training/Thin edge of the
    wedge – Community Involvement Award
    Transition Training runs the
    Thin End of the Wedge which is a project funded under the European
    Union Special Programmes Body (SEUPB). The project aims to directly
    improve community relations between immigrants and tackle sectarianism
    by forging lasting links with local community activists, ex-prisoners,
    former paramilitaries and the Polish and other ethnic communities in the
    Northern Ireland and Local Government Associations and universities in
    Poland.

    • Editor | 22 June 2010 - 7:19pm |
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