1. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland

4. Poverty, social exclusion Discrimination and racism Work place exploitation Minimum wage and less regulated sectors/ 3 D jobs Isolation, fear, and vulnerability experienced by undocumented migration workers Intersection of racism and sexism as experienced by migrant women Denial of access to/ unequal access to key services and social rights Education (access to third level education) Access to social protection One Case Study Problem Not being able to freely change employer Campaign Issue Campaign for the Right to Change Employer

5.  Community work is concerned with bringing about social change through a collective process  Change in favour of those most marginalised or excluded in society Informed by a set of core values and practice principles  Collective action  Empowerment  Social Justice  Equality and anti discrimination  Participation

6.  Creating the conditions for migrant workers to participate in the work of MRCI  Requires an understanding of the barriers to participation  Means moving from the individual to the collective

7.  Conscious creation of space for participation  Campaign core group  Overcoming barriers to participate  Evening meetings (Tuesday 7-9pm)  Welcoming, safe space  Information sharing, support, solidarity and moving on.....  Ethical use of power – power with approach  Sharing of roles and responsibilities

8.  MRCI as service provider and MRCI as community work organisation  Consciously creating spaces for participation  Asking people to share their stories  Have their voices heard  Be part of something bigger than their own individual experience  Moving ON from participation  Not getting stuck creating spaces and capacity building  Supporting leaders to emerge  Ethical use of power and passing on of knowledge and skills  Empowerment as a collective process not individual personal development  Pushing for change with people affected by the issue

10. 1980’s (and centuries before) Ireland as a country of net emigration Mid 1990’s ‘Celtic Tiger’ - acted as a catalyst. Economic expansion and increased demand in service and construction industry 2004 Enlargement of EU 2011– Census - 544357 Non-Irish born nationals in Ireland -199 countries (Polish 122,585, UK 112,259) -Main languages spoken Lithuanian, Russian, Romanian, Latvian 4 areas -Wholesale, retail/ Hotels, restaurants/ Manufacturing, construction/ Health and social care 2010 Recession Ireland - 200% reduction in work permits issued - Sharp rise in emigration Early 1990’s Earliest inwards migration – humanitarian migration

11.  Community work is concerned with bringing about social change through a collective process  Change in favour of those most marginalised or excluded in society Informed by a set of core values and practice principles  Collective action  Empowerment  Social Justice  Equality and anti discrimination  Participation

12. http://www.mrci.ie/background/http://www.mrci.ie/background/ or https://youtu.be/w226FDtr7gg

13.  Participation- People have a right to have a say in the issues which affect them  Equality- A focus on migrants of  Collective – rather than individual focus  Empowerment – from the personal to the political  Transformative agenda- local to global levels

14.  www.mrci.ie www.mrci.ie  www.cwc.ie www.cwc.ie