Facilitation: Interagency Group - Racist Incident Referral And Support Service Dr. Alan Bruce ULS Sligo 27 August 2013

AIM To provide a structured input to facilitate strategic planning and action in implementing, supporting and sustaining the mission of the racist incident referral and support service

CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS  Ethnic diversity  Cultural diversity  Language competence  Gender  Equality and inclusion  Legal boundaries

DIVERSITY DIMENSIONS  Diversity has an origin  Genesis of human difference  Defining the group  Signs, symbols, rituals  Movement, contact, conflict  Belief and values  Contact, engagement, curiosity

IRISH DIMENSIONS  Rate of change  Rural to urban > Bust to boom  Monocultural stereotypes  Inward migration and new demographics  Re-defined Irishness  International standards and ethics

EUROPEAN DIMENSIONS  Lack of coherent EU policy  Significant national variation  Need for common principles and procedures  Xenophobia, racism and discrimination  Cascading issues: gender, disability, age, family….  Re-defining rights

KEY THEMES  Attitudes  Prejudice  Stereotypes  Discrimination  Harassment

GORDON ALLPORT Stages of Prejudice:  Ridicule  Avoidance  Discrimination  Physical attack  Extermination

EQUALITY AND AGENCIES  Legal compliance  Tokenism  Equality and quality  Internal customers  External customers  Equality to diversity management

MINIMAL ASPECTS  Combat prejudice  Reduce conflict  Overcome poor communications  Contain time and cost issues  Relevance

GOING FURTHER  Improve relations  Locate new talent sources  Improve communications  Develop flexible working  Achieve legislative compliance  Improve corporate image  Better access for all

FROM POLICY TO VISION  Conflict transformation  Community empowerment  Work based learning  Added value  Innovative methodologies  Models of transferable best practice

EMBEDDING EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY  Recognizing qualifications  Avoiding eurocentrism  Universal design  Achieving best practice  Developing inclusive communications  Advanced technologies  Establishing relevance

EQUALITY AND POLICING  Garda ethnic recruitment  Diversity Works (Garda/PSNI)  Patton Report (PSNI)  Equality and diversity training (PSNI)  Garda Diversity Strategy and plan (2009)  European Police Diversity Network

FROM TOOLS TO COMPETENCE  Interculturalism training  Disability awareness competence  Mentoring: diversity champions  Researched best practice: reviewed  Linguistic skills  Comfort with difference: trust  Contact and observational listening

THANK YOU Dr. Alan Bruce Universal Learning Systems 34 Charleville Road Dublin 7 Tel: (01)