STAND PROJECT
ABOUT STAND
The STAND project 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 our issues, or significantly address structural and institutional racism. In partnership with Rethink, 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 developed by Traveller Community Health Workers, where they identified their own issues and found 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.
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 a selfless individual with the passion of helping people and at the moment focused on integrating asylum seekers/refugees living in DP 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 is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church God. She is a songwriter, singer and Author. She brings these skills and experience into her work as an INAR trained anti-racism facilitator.
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 April, an experienced professional in social development & social justice, has dedicated the past 18 years to working in these fields. Her work involves facilitating integration, addressing issues of discrimination and racism among other things.
GONCHIGKHAND BYAMBAA
Gonchigkhand Byambaa, an experienced community worker, specializes in serving Traveller & other nomadic communities. She holds the position of a community liaison officer at STAG, actively engaging with these communities. She is an anti-racism trainer, providing her expertise to various community organizations & companies.
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.
