Six elected representatives from minoritised backgrounds and the newly appointed Special Rapporteur of Racial Equality and Racism Ireland gathered in the Guildhall on Saturday.
They met to discuss an all-Ireland response to the recent unrest in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The councillors, who travelled from all over the island, met following a joint invitation from Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Lilian Seenoi Barr and the Special Rapporteur Dr Ebun Joseph.
Among those in attendance were: Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork Honore Kamegni; Louth County Councillor Ejiro O’Hare-Stratton; Longford County Councillor Uruemu Adejinmi; Meath County Councillor Yemi Adenuga and Galway City Councillor Helen Ogbu.
Alongside them were representatives from a number of organisations including Chair of Multi-Ethnic Sports and Culture NI Jahswill Emmanuel; Chair of the African and Caribbean Support Organisation Lori Gatsi-Barnett; Alfred Abolarin of the Northern Ireland African and Caribbean Leadership Consortium; Muhammad Atif of the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association; Davy McAuley of United Against Racism; and North West Migrants Forum representatives Tshamano Mushapho, Paul Sceeny, Beverly Simpson and Conor Sharkey.
Those gathered discussed a number of issues including how they can effectively collaborate to challenge hostile environment policies and counter anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The rising number of hate crimes was also discussed along with the need for tougher deterrents for those found guilty of such offences.
The creation of an all-Ireland coalition that can effect meaningful change was explored as were key matters that need to be raised collectively with key political figures in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and in the wider UK.
Reflecting on the event Mayor Barr said: “This meeting allowed us to come together and discuss the very real problems that we as minority groups are facing across the island of Ireland today.
“During Saturday’s event we looked at ways we can tackle the rising number of hate crimes faced by migrants, and discussed how we can help change the negative narrative which is being promoted by some in our communities.
“I welcome the creation of an all-Ireland coalition and hope this is how we move forward from this meeting.
“Thank you to everyone who attended and the valuable contributions they made.
“Working together is the only way we can face down those who try and make us feel like we don’t deserve a place in Ireland.”
Dr Ebun Joseph said: “The session was incredibly productive as we were graciously hosted by the Mayor, Lilian Seenoi Barr, attendees expressed an openness to work together.
“The presentations from groups and organisations highlighted the challenges faced by individuals with migrant background and areas of potential collaborations.
“There is a real caution as the next generation are being trained to respond negatively to the presence of people of migrant descent while those working in the field are being silenced due to increasing online hate.”
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