A special meeting of the Derry and Strabane Council will be held March 8 4pm with representatives from Le Chéile, Jewish Voice for Just Peace-Ireland, United Against Racism, North West Migrants Forum and Foyle Racial Equality Forum.
The meeting follows a motion put forward by People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin and passed in January that commits the Council to prioritising standing against all forms of scapegoating. Councillors will attend the special meeting to hear directly from organisations combatting racism, antisemitism, sectarianism and other forms of discrimination.
The meeting can be viewed live on the Derry and Strabane Council Youtube page.
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
“There’s no question far-right and fascist organisations are attempting to exploit covid pandemic conspiracies to grow across Ireland. In fact, it’s often the organised far-right who create the conspiracies and promote them. Scratch the surface of these pandemic or vaccine conspiracies and you find antisemitism.
However, the political establishment North and South is also responsible for giving credence to the politics of division. Take for example DUP MP Gregory Campbell’s recent racist commentary or the way in which the entire Stormont Executive, nationalist, unionist and Alliance Justice Minister, stood over the PSNI crackdown on Black Lives Matter protests. This was a clear example of institutional racism.
Similarly, a Moville hotel that was to house asylum seekers was torched by arsonists following fearmongering by racists.
Underfunded public services such as health, housing and transportation alongside low-pay also creates an environment that the far-right will attempt to exploit by scapegoating vulnerable groups for the lack of provision.
Whether the far-right or the parties of the political centre, they’ve all played a role in legitimising narratives placing blame on marginalised communities.
We look forward to hearing from the North West Migrants Forum, Le Chéile, Foyle Racial Equality Forum, United Against Racism and Jewish Voice for Just Peace-Ireland at the special full Council meeting.
At a time when the far-right and others are attempting to stoke-up the politics of discrimination and division, it’s crucial we hear directly from organisations on the frontline in our communities.
Our society is becoming more diverse and most people are tolerant. To properly challenge all forms of discrimination we need to fight for fully funded public services and living wages too. This is the route to a more equal society for all.”
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin’s motion passed by the Derry and Strabane Council in January:
Council stands in solidarity with everyone commemorating International HolocaustMemorial Day 2021; ‘Be the light in the darkness’.
Council believes the Holocaust was a barbaric crime against the Jewish people in particular and millions of others acrossEurope.
Council joins the call Never Again! and is alarmed at former US President DonaldTrump’s emboldening of antisemites, white supremacists, fascists and neo-nazis in the US, here and globally. To ‘be the light in the darkness’, Council will opposeattempts to scapegoat Jewish people, the Traveller community, migrants and thevulnerable for inequality, homelessness and the crisis facing our public services.
Council welcomes the launch of Le Chéile: Diversity Not Division. Council will inviterepresentatives from Le Chéile, Jewish Voice for Just Peace, United Against Racism,North West Migrants Forum and Foyle Racial Equality Forum to a special meeting topresent on their work challenging antisemitism, racism, sectarianism, Islamophobia and other forms of scapegoating in our communities.’
