Anti-Racism Month 2024
Every year March is an important month for Irish and global Anti-Racism Movements due to various national and international celebrations and commemoration days taking place, which focus on combating racism and celebrating diversity.
21st March marks the most important day in every anti-racist’s calendar. On that day in 1960, the Apartheid regime’s police opened fire and killed 69 Black people at a peaceful demonstration for equality and against apartheid laws in Sharpeville, South Africa. This date has since been declared the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination when the people across the globe show their opposition to racism and solidarity with those affected by it and in remembrance of the harmful impact of racism on individuals and communities.
Other important dates throughout march
Apart from Anti-Racism Day, other important events and celebrations are taking place throughout March. Irish Traveller Ethnicity Day opens the month on 1 March. It marks the anniversary of the formal recognition of the Travellers ethnicity in 2017 while celebrating their culture and heritage. Zero Discrimination Day is an annual day also celebrated on 1 March each year by the United Nations and other international organisations. The day aims to promote equality before the law and in practice throughout all of the member countries of the UN. International Women’s Day, marked annually on 8 March, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
Join Anti-Racism Month 2024
Check out what is happening throughout March in the below Anti-Racism Events Calendar, join an event or organise one yourself.
ANTI-Racism Calendar
During the upcoming days and weeks thousands of people, not just in Ireland, but all across the EU and the globe will come together to promote and celebrate inclusion, equal rights and diversity. INAR and our Network Members will coordinate and mark not only these important dates but the entire month full of anti-racism and intercultural events and activities, between the 1st and 31st of March 2024.
Use hashtags: #ARM2024, #StrongerTogether & #TogetherAgainstRacism
Promote your event
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EVENT!
If you plan to organise an event focused on antiracism and/or celebration of diversity, or one targeting people from ethnic or/and religious minorities, tell us about it!
Add your event to our national Anti-Racism Calendar and we will help promote it.
ANTI-RACISM EVENTS CALENDAR: Anti-Racism Month 2024
1 – 31 MARCH
Mincéirí Port Láirge Family Tree
LOCATION : Waterford Cultural Quarter Place
CONTACT : N/A
ORGANISER : Mincéirí Port Láirge
Mincéirí Port Láirge will present their family tree art work in Waterford Cultural Quarter Place
Book Display(s)
LOCATION : Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council Libraries
CONTACT : N/A
ORGANISER : Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council
Waterford City & County Libraries will create book displays for Waterford Anti-Racism Month.
6 MARCH
Anti-Racism Symposium
LOCATION : N/A
TIME : N/A
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services
Screening of Gaza
LOCATION : Garter Lane Arts Centre
TIME : 19:30
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Garter Lane Arts Centre and Waterford Integration Services
7 – 8 MARCH
Racism, anti racism and forced displacement: Old and New Struggles
LOCATION : DCU
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, DCU
2022 saw a sharp rise in the number of those seeking international protection in Ireland as a result of protracted conflicts, climate crisis, food insecurity and gender/sexuality persecution throughout different parts of the world. This has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and border closures as well as Brexit and the British government’s hostile environment with respect to asylum. The war in Ukraine forced more than 8 million people to flee their country, of whom approximately 80,000 came to Ireland. The number of Asylum seekers from Algeria, Somalia, Yemen and other countries in situations of conflict more than doubled in 2022 alone, with an increase of 186% in people seeking international protection since 2019.
Ireland’s asylum system operates an egregious system of containment, housing asylum seekers in institutionalised living spaces called Direct Provision centres. However, the Irish government has struggled to provide appropriate living conditions for many of the displaced. It has also not kept to a timeline commitment to end the direct provision system by 2024.
These broader geopolitical crises coupled with a national housing crisis, an increase in homelessness and an ailing public health system (in spite of the relatively good performance of the economy as a whole) has opened a space for populist contestation. The far right, which until recently had been contained to the fringes of the Irish political landscape, has become much more vocal, organising local protests against asylum seekers and refugees, thus raising the spectre of populism which already plagues many of Ireland’s European neighbours.
8 MARCH
Waterford’s 5th Annual Global Women’s Conference
LOCATION : Waterford Cultural Quarter Place
TIME : 10:30 – 13:00
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Europe Direct Waterford, Waterford Libraries and Waterford Integration Services
9 MARCH
Waterford Sanctuary Runners Solidarity Run
LOCATION : Kilbarry Ecopark (beside Kingfisher Fitness Club)
TIME : 14:00
CONTACT : waterford@sanctuaryrunners.ie
ORGANISER : Sanctuary Runners
Bringing together your entire community, building friendships, and learning from each other. All abilities welcome. To register, e-mail waterford@sanctuaryrunners.ie or phone Gavin at 086 129 6995
12 MARCH
Peer Action Against Hate(PAAH) Roundtable Discussion
LOCATION : Online
TIME : 14:00 – 16:00
CONTACT : comms@inar.ie
ORGANISER : Irish Network Against Racism
PAAH is a cross-country project creating national and cross-country learning opportunities for policy makers and civil society organisations when it comes to implementing the EU Action Plan Against Racism. INAR is predominantly working on the component of the research that covers victim support of members from minoritised groups.
As part of this project we have been conducting a 3 country comparative critical mapping of the implementation of the provisions of the Victims Directive with respect to the needs of victims of Hate Crime. INAR has been researching support structures for victims of hate crime in Ireland.
Our Irish research is nearing completion, and given your crucial work in the area of policing, we would like to invite you to our online Round Table discussion to review our initial findings and recommendations for the Ireland Country Report. Given the current climate, we need to make sure that this research comprehensively covers the necessary areas and offers tangible, practical and comprehensive policy recommendations.
Screening of ‘The Night of the 12th’
LOCATION : Garter Lane Arts Centre
TIME : 19:00
CONTACT : admin@garterlane.ie
ORGANISER : Garter Lane Arts Centre
French film screening at Garter Lane, ‘The Night of the 12th’. Tickets (cost involved) available here: https://garterlane.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173651713
15 – 21 MARCH
ONLINE: #TogetherAgainstRacism Social Media Campaign
LOCATION : Nation-Wide, from 16th March – 21 st March
CONTACT : comms@inar.ie
ORGANISER : Irish Network Against Racism
Following the success of #TogetherAgainstRacism Social Media Action in the previous years, INAR invites its Network Members, Friends, Supporters and Members of the Public to join the 2024 edition, to mark the International Day Against Racism. Unlike previous years, we are starting this year’s campaign from 16th March.
Simply take a photo with a hashtag #TogetherAgainstRacism and post it on social media (Facebook/ Twitter/YouTube) to show your opposition to racism, xenophobia, far-right ideologies and to stand in solidarity with those affected.
Let’s get #TogetherAgainstRacism hashtag trending in Ireland, make it bigger than the last year and flood social media with this positive message of inclusion, equality and togetherness. Let’s show that racism has no place in Ireland!
16 MARCH
Seachtain na Gaeilge Plurilingual Event
LOCATION : St. Patrick’s Gateway Centre
CONTACT : edirj.coi@gmail.com
ORGANISER : TBA
21 MARCH
Wear Red Day
LOCATION : N/A
CONTACT : communications@immigrantcouncil.ie
ORGANISER : Immigrant Council of Ireland
We are asking your workplace/school to Wear Red for the day to send out a strong message that we as communities welcome diversity, celebrate it, and take a stand against racism in all forms. The Wear Red Day is also an opportunity to fundraise for Show Racism the Red Card anti racism initiatives. We deliver education workshops, training sessions for teachers and school staff and provide resources to schools, clubs and youth services up and down the country to help them tackle racism. Let us know if your workplace/school is joining the WRD by filling out the form at the link: www.immigrantcouncil.ie/form/wear-red-day
22 MARCH
Roundtable: Engaging with media and challenging gender-based violence: foregrounding migrant women’s perspectives
LOCATION : G011, Hardiman Research Building H91REW4, University of Galway or online via Zoom
TIME: 14:30 – 16:30
CONTACT : gillian.browne@universityofgalway.ie
ORGANISER : Centre for Global Women’s Studies, Discipline of Gender and Women’s Studies, School of Political Science and with AkiDwA.
There will be a roundtable about engaging with media and challenging gender-based violence: foregrounding migrant women’s perspectives. There will also be the launch of Stories of Migrant Women in Ireland: Surviving Gender-based Violence – a collection of first-person accounts by participants in the EU/IRC Gender Net Plus MIG-GBV research project (2019-2023). The Roundtable will be chaired by Susan McKay, Press Ombudsman with the following speakers:
· Dr Salome Mbugua CEO, AkiDwA, the national network of migrant women
· Shamim Malekmian, Journalist, Dublin Inquirer
· Emma DeSouza, Writer, campaigner and Co-facilitator, Northern Ireland Civic Initiative
· Dr Nasrin Khandoker, CyberSocial Research Lab, UCC, previously MIG-GBV postdoctoral researcher.
Register here: https://forms.office.com/e/9hanLec54g
23 MARCH
AfroBeats Play
LOCATION : 16 O’Connell Street, Waterford City.
TIME: 14:00 – 16:00
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services and Blackman Gentleman 2.0
Aged 14 – 18? Interested in singing, music, recording? Come along and explore AfroBeats with local artist Blackman Gentleman 2.0. There is no need to have a background in music, you do not need to bring anything with you, and you do not have to speak English to participate in this workshop. Tickets are free and available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/afrobeats-play-tickets-807108361837
Galway Stand Together
LOCATION : Gather at Galway Cathedral and march to Spanish Arch
TIME: 2 PM
CONTACT : GalwayCARD@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Galway Communities against Racism
Community, civil society and minority voices: Marching for anti-racism, equity, anti-discrimination & social justice.
Nature and Anti-Racism
LOCATION : 16 O’Connell Street, Waterford City.
TIME: 17:00 – 19:00
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services
What does reconnecting with nature have to do with anti-racism? On deeper levels whiteness is underpinned by philosophies that create separation: between peoples, towards self, and from nature. In this talk we will briefly consider how whiteness displaced nature connectedness historically in Ireland, and thus how reconnection has anti-racist potential. Tickets (free) available here:
24 MARCH
Service on Sunday on RTE1: Palm Sunday and Racial Justice
LOCATION : RTE1 TV and www.rte.ie/player/
CONTACT : edirj.coi@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Church of Ireland Primate’s Reference Group on Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice
Service on Sunday is hosted this week by the Church of Ireland, celebrating Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week with a call for racial justice and inclusion in all of our faith communities. Featuring the Discovery Gospel Choir. Service is led by Dr Maithrie White, assisted by Oluromade Olusa and Stella Obe (Church of Ireland) and Rev Dr Jenu John (Church of South India, Holy Trinity CSI Congregation)
25 MARCH
Men’s Wellness and Relaxation Workshop
LOCATION : Waterford Cultural Quarter Place
TIME: 10:30 – 14:00
CONTACT : sinead.bolger@glencree.ie
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services and Glencree
This event provides a workshop, hot lunch and an opportunity to network. It is primarily for international protection applicants but it is open to all men. To register, please contact Sinéad Bolger through e-mail sinead.bolger@glencree.ie or phone 086 162 6475
WEEK OF 25 MARCH
Anti-Racist Month Window Display
LOCATION : 25 Barronstrand St, Waterford, X91 XF8F
TIME: 10:30 – 14:00
CONTACT : sinead.bolger@glencree.ie
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services and Glencree
The Book Centre will create a window display during the week of the 25th of March.
30 MARCH
Women’s Dance class with Bonnie Boux
LOCATION : 16 – 18 O’Connell Street, Waterford City.
TIME: 12:00-13:00
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services
Dance Yourself Free with all of love and good vibes in an environment that will leave you feeling like the legend YOU ARE! Join Bonnie Boux to move the body and learn some fun choreo along with the craic agus ceol (fun and music as gaeilge/in Irish). For more details and to book, click here.
Equality Echoes: A Charity Talent Show
LOCATION : 17 O’Connell Street, Waterford City.
TIME: 14:00-20:00
CONTACT : waterfordantiracistmonth@gmail.com
ORGANISER : Waterford Integration Services
World Music event featuring local and national artists from all backgrounds celebrating solidarity and anti-racism.