STAND PROJECT
ABOUT STAND
The STAND project was started in the Autumn of 2021, by INAR to bring a strong community development ethos into INAR’s Responding to Racism work. We felt that many anti-racism and EDI training workshops didn’t adequately reflect minority ethnic communities’ issues, or significantly address the need to dismantle structural and institutional racism. In partnership with Rethink, with additional funding from IHREC, we established an innovative project that would draw on the talent and expertise in different minority ethnic community groups, who were reporting racist incidents to us.
Over the course of a year and a half, we identified and trained participants from around Ireland, some who had worked in our iReport review group, and others who wanted to become anti racism trainers working in their own communities. We used a participatory model mirroring one that Traveller Community Health Workers use where they identify their own issues and lobby for suitable solutions to create meaningful change.
The STAND project delivers training by those with expert lived experience of the issues. They provide a human-rights based and values led model of training, demonstrating a strong theoretical knowledge of human rights, equality legislation and anti-racism theory. They deliver needs assessments, tailored cultural competency and anti- racism workshops and, in some areas, will look at strategic planning for organisations whose work strongly aligns with INAR’s.
The STAND Report details two years in our journey to bring a group of highly skilled minority ethnic community members together, to train to become Anti Racism facilitators and to stand up as leaders in their own communities. We have shared both joyful and difficult times, but the group has bonded and grown, introducing INAR to more and more community members, enriching both INAR as well as creating a team of highly skilled anti racism facilitators.
This report gives a glimpse into our work, the anti racism facilitation program that we deliver and continue to develop to met the needs of our communities, with the rationale for creating a shared leadership programme, where the members inform and direct the way forward.
If you are interested in commissioning training, speaking or stakeholder engagement with members of the team you can contact them through Maria- Elena, Rights and Community Development Lead at Rights@inar.ie.
2022 – 2023 STAND GRADUATES
SIPHIWE MOYO
Siphiwe Moyo is a trained communty worker who predominantly works on refugee intergration. She is currently working with Empower and serves on the board of UNHCR. She is a trained anti-racism trainer for community organisatons and companies.
OLUBUNMI ISOKPEHI
Olubunmi Isokpehi is a selfless individual with the passion of helping people and at the moment focused on integrating asylum seekers/refugees living in Direct Provision centers into the society. She is trained as a facilitator by INAR on racism and is currently pursuing a career in community development.
NIERA BELACY
Niera Belacy is an Egyptian Muslim resident in Ireland, currently a project manager in Amal Women Association for community development projects. Her work is mainly focused on advocating the rights of migrant women and their families in the Muslim community.
FAITH OKAFOR
Faith Okafor is a community development
worker, entrepreneur, and anti-racism facilitator driven by a passion for positive change.
RHODA EBELEGHE
Rhoda Ebeleghe uses her experience as a pastor to make new connections and support members facing racism and discrimination. She is also a songwriter, singer and Author.
CHIPO HARPER
Chipo is a qualified public health scientist with a background in biomedical sciences. Chipo has years of experience in clinical research, strategy development and is a former business owner. Her passion is to support people to live healthy lives.
BRONWYN APRIL
Bronwyn, an experienced professional in social development & social justice, has dedicated the past 18 years to working in these fields. Her work involves facilitating intercultural dialogue, addressing issues of discrimination & racism in the North Inner City. She has extensive experience in youth work and draws on her experience in South Africa to challenge institutional & structural racism.
GONCHIGKHAND BYAMBAA
Gonchigkhand Byambaa is a Mongolian nomad and migrant person. Coming from a traditional nomadic background to Ireland in 2016, she holds a B.A. in Social Work and a Diploma in Human Rights and Equality. She is a campaigner and community activist. She is studying for a master’s in community and youth work at Maynooth. She is proud of her nomadic heritage and passionate about improving minorities’ rights in Ireland.
EQUAL ACCESS PROJECT
Connected to the objectives of the STAND Project is the Equal Access Project (EAP). The EAP is a joint project by INAR and Free Legal Advice Centre project funded by the European Union to improve access to justice for people who are subjected to discrimination on the basis of race or membership of the Traveller community, whether it is in employment or in accessing goods and services.
People across Ireland face this kind of indignity and violation every day and the EAP seeks to respond to this injustice in two critical ways. To start with, developing an accredited training programme in Anti-Racism Advocacy to equip non-legal advocates with the skills and knowledge to represent claimants on the race ground at the Workplace Relations Commission. The participants of this training will go on to implement what they have learned as a nationwide network of advocates supporting people in seeking justice.
Secondly, commissioning a piece of empirical and analytical research into the transposition of the EU Race Directive into Irish law, and the effectiveness of the current infrastructure available to victims of racial discrimination to make complaints and to seek remedies. The research report will include policy recommendations that highlight areas for reform.
EAP ANTI-RACISM ADVOCACY TRAINING
This training sought to equip minority ethnic leaders with the skills needed to take up a case at the WRC. It started on 10th March and ended on 21st April.
EAP RESEARCH
This research looked at experiences of those who had witness/experienced illegal discrimination and the legal framework around it.
