Op-Ed by Sylvia Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Anti-Racism Development Worker with Cork Migrant Centre
I choose not to write about the increase in racism. Instead, I want to explore whether white people can imagine what it is like to suffer racism, and if so, decide on what they can do about it.
Racism is for example, when you notice the cashier placing the change into the hand of the white woman in front of you but gesturing with a nod of her head for you to place the change on the counter before she picks it up.
Or a child observing the disrespectful way their mother is treated in the shop because she is wearing a headscarf, or her English is not good enough.
Or on offering an elderly lady a seat next to you on the bus, she looks at you with disdain and says, “I don’t sit next to people like you.”
Or when the teacher introduces the theme of the Trans-Atlantic Slavery and asks you because you come from Nigeria if you would like to contribute something to the subject and all the students turn around and stare at you.
Or being told by your college friend that when she has children she wants to live in a Black free zone like when she was a child… but you shouldn’t take that personally. You smile and hide your pain.
I do not want you to feel anger and shame and tell me you are not a racist, because this is not about you and your feelings. It is about listening, acknowledging, and showing empathy, not sympathy, for those who are racially abused, and act accordingly.
Racism is not only acts of overt, conscious, and intentional hate by individuals who believe their race and skin colour are superior. Racism manifests in the form of subtle racial micro-aggressions and unconscious bias that Black and Brown people of all ages face every day, and which have a profound impact on their lives and mental health.
Racism can take place without a Black or brown person being present.
If you genuinely and actively want to join in the fight against racism, you must recognize and acknowledge your own biases (conscious or non-conscious) and micro-aggressive behaviour towards Black and Brown people.
Working with the Cork Migrant Centre, I have had the privilege to watch something amazing develop and flourish. Inspired by the 2022 Anti-Racist Summit in Cumbria, England, we decided to bring the idea back home to Cork and carried out the first Youth-Led Anti-Racist Summit in 2023. A campaign, driven by our young people, to actively and sustainably, make Cork the first anti-racist City and county in Ireland, in collaboration with CYPSC and many organisations in Cork and county who supported CMC’s Youth Initiative Against Racism.
Let us stamp out the fire of racism and fan the embers of the campaign to make Cork an anti-racist city and county.
It was a great success and the flame to achieve an anti-racist community like the Olympic torch was lit and has been cemented in the soul of Cork, burning even brighter since our 2nd Youth-Led Anti-Racist Summit held on 17th May 2024.
The campaign focus is the youth, as the carriers of change, as well as on education, the system where change must take place if racism and intolerance is to be challenged and eradicated, top down and bottom up.
Significantly, the Cork Migrant Centre is part of Nano Nagle Place where, in 1775, Nano Nagle founded the Presentation Sisters Order as part of her pioneering work to meet the needs of those “left behind” by establishing schools, especially for girls. Nano, a true activist, and campaigner for the poor, left us with her motto: ‘Not Words but Deeds.’
Our Youth, if cherished and nurtured, are our only way forward in the struggle towards a racist-free society. Our young people are the future stewards of a socially-just and climate friendly world, we must support them in every way we can.
As Janett Walker, CEO and co-founder of Anti-Racist Cumbria tells us, it is not enough to simply listen to the youth, but more importantly to hear what they say and put what they say into action while creating the safe space to spark that conversation. A focus of the Youth led Anti-Racism Summits in Cork, as is nurturing empathic connections.
In the words of the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who was aware of the power of empathy, ‘Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.’
Dealing with the topic of racism is painful, but once you accept and acknowledge that it is a system of which you are part, it is liberating and nothing compared to the pain and suffering many Black and Brown face in their daily lives.
Let us stamp out the fire of racism and fan the embers of the campaign to make Cork an anti-racist city and county.
Op-Ed by Cork Migrant Centre Youth Mentors and 2024 Anti-Racism Summit Organisers, Leen Maarouf and Raphael Olympia
Cork City proudly hosted the second annual youth-led anti-racism summit, positioning itself at the forefront of key regional and international developments. This pivotal event unfolded against a backdrop of profound socio-political shifts worldwide, including the rise of far-right anti-immigration sentiments, global humanitarian crises, and ongoing genocides.
Just two weeks before, the dynamics of these global issues were mirrored locally when Cork witnessed an anti-immigration march at the GPO on O’Connell Street. Here, counter-protesters gathered under banners proclaiming, “Unite against racism. Refugees welcome.” The summit also came at a time of heightened local tensions, spurred by recent protests against the decision not to prosecute the Garda officer who fatally shot George Nkencho, a young Black man in Dublin. With elections looming, the summit became an indispensable forum for discussing accountability, racism, integration, and enhancing social unity.
The urgency of these discussions was further underscored by humanitarian catastrophes and the perpetration of war crimes in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Palestine. The latter spurred many protests across Ireland, highlighting the dire need for dialogue on human rights, fighting institutional neutrality, and addressing grave violations affecting millions, especially children.
Inspired by movements like Black Lives Matter, the regional summit empowered youth to confront systemic racism in Ireland, focusing on the pressing issues of the Direct Provision system that significantly affected young refugees, migrants, and minority communities, including Travellers and LGBTQ+ individuals. Recent incidents of discrimination and the shortfall in public investments in these communities underlined the necessity for a platform like this summit—a ‘brave space’ that offered radical possibilities for young people to shift power dynamics and express themselves creatively.
In a resource that IRC and ARD Youth Projects members (2023) collaborated on, young people discussed how often individuals must undertake perilous journeys to safer environments, journeys fraught with ‘Tight Spaces’—packing belongings into a bag, a boat, a lorry, or even a sleeping bag. “Upon arrival in Direct Provision, unfortunately, they may have found themselves in cramped living conditions,” reflecting the systemic injustices and mental anguish embedded within this system, shrinking individual worlds, opportunities and reducing horizons (IRC and NYCI, 2023).
In a resource that IRC and ARD Youth Projects members (2023) collaborated on, young people discussed how often individuals must undertake perilous journeys to safer environments, journeys fraught with ‘Tight Spaces’—packing belongings into a bag, a boat, a lorry, or even a sleeping bag. “Upon arrival in Direct Provision, unfortunately, they may have found themselves in cramped living conditions,” reflecting the systemic injustices and mental anguish embedded within this system, shrinking individual worlds, opportunities and reducing horizons (IRC and NYCI, 2023).
That said, local initiatives in Cork shone as beacons of hope. The city council’s endorsement of the Yellow flag program, led by the Irish Traveller Movement, significantly enhanced inclusive educational environments across numerous schools.
In a resource that IRC and ARD Youth Projects members (2023) collaborated on, young people discussed how often individuals must undertake perilous journeys to safer environments, journeys fraught with ‘Tight Spaces’—packing belongings into a bag, a boat, a lorry, or even a sleeping bag. “Upon arrival in Direct Provision, unfortunately, they may have found themselves in cramped living conditions,” reflecting the systemic injustices and mental anguish embedded within this system, shrinking individual worlds, opportunities and reducing horizons (IRC and NYCI, 2023).
That said, local initiatives in Cork shone as beacons of hope. The city council’s endorsement of the Yellow flag program, led by the Irish Traveller Movement, significantly enhanced inclusive educational environments across numerous schools.
The Sanctuary Runners initiative, originating in Cork, promoted intercultural understanding and solidarity, gaining national and international recognition. Furthermore, the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP), implemented by the Cork City Partnership, targeted racism and supported Traveller and Roma development, bolstered by a network of community groups dedicated to migrant integration.
Cork hosted this significant youth-led summit, which not only addressed pressing issues of racism and discrimination but also showcased the active steps being taken towards a more inclusive and equitable society. The engagement and advocacy of young people at this summit paved the way for a future where diversity is not just accepted but celebrated. This event stood as a testament to ongoing efforts and the potential for transformative change, ensuring that youth voices were central in shaping the policies and practices that would define tomorrow’s Ireland and beyond.
The central theme of this year’s summit was “It’s about the youth, not you,” which prompted the Pledge activity. The pledge was ‘to make Cork an inclusive anti-racist city.’ Community members and policymakers at facilitated and moderated tables were invited to engage in discussion and commit to personal and professional actions that promoted anti-racism and inclusivity. These commitments were made as individual pledges in daily life or as part of an organisation.
There was also a commitment to revisiting these signed pledges in six months’ time, as they would be made visible and publicised. This call to action, with personal and collective commitment to creating an Anti-racist Cork, brought clarity and conviction to the event. This was an opportunity to foster Intergenerational Dialogue and encourage understanding of issues of racism and inclusion. It was also an opportunity to really consider the commitments individuals could make in their personal and professional lives to foster an inclusive environment and to ignite the conviction to action these.
The summit concluded with the recognition of the young people who took the lead and actively made changes in their community. They invited teachers actively working to implement anti-racism strategies in their schools, with the aim of including more educators in the discussion. They also learned that they need to ask other leaders and TDs to be present in the room for future summits. They hope to continue demonstrating effective strategies to make Cork a safer space for all. In doing so, they hope to continue to invite and acknowledge individuals and communities who have been actively doing anti-racist work in their organisations, schools and more. Overall, they felt that they were heard and wanted to continue addressing the challenges, with some stating that it needed to be done at least twice a year instead of once a year.