City Hall to host second Anti-Racism Summit this month

CORK will hold its second Anti-Racism Summit this month at City Hall, a youth-led event which aims to bring together people from all walks of life, including service providers, policymakers, and educators.

The summit takes place from 1pm to 5pm on Friday, May 17, at City Hall, and is organised by the Cork Migrant Centre (CMC) as part of its Youth Initiative against Racism, and the Children and Young Peoples Services Committee (CYPSC).

The goal of the event is to have a conversation about racism and division, one which will be led by young people, and which will seek to bring about positive change.

Those attending will not only share experiences of racism through music, spoken word, and drama, but will also seek to facilitate discussions on creating a more anti-racist society.

In June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the CMC Youth Initiative against Racism and CYPSC hosted a webinar against racism, with more than 500 people registering.

The death of Mr Floyd, a black American man murdered by a white police officer who, during an arrest, knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck and back for four minutes and 29 seconds, causing him to die from a lack of oxygen, sparked protests around the world, with his last words, “I can’t breathe”, becoming a rallying cry.

The Cork webinar was created to amplify the voices of young people, including those living in direct provision, as they spoke on their experiences of racism.

A follow-up in-person summit was held last year in City Hall, and those in attendance pledged to work within their organisations and spheres of influence to advance anti-racist work in Cork.

Organisers say this year will see the voices of young people taking centre stage as they debate and engage with decision-makers.

“In this year’s summit, we will evaluate the progress of our initiatives and assess the actions taken by community members, policymakers, and politicians to make Cork a safer city for all young advocates, including those from the Traveller and Roma communities, LGBTQ+ migrants, refugees, and international groups,” they said.

“A significant focus will be directed towards education, an essential component of young people’s lives.”

They added that young people had underscored the importance of creating safe and inclusive environments in schools, where feelings of isolation within the Irish community could be addressed.