This article was first published on December 19^th, 2008.

Another successful event run by the Integration Project

The Integration Project within County Monaghan Partnership recently collaborated with the Volunteer Bureau to host an intercultural event, which included the participation of the residents of St Patrick’s Accommodation Centre for asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities in the County. The event was successful on a number of levels.

The event took place in the Four Seasons Hotel on Saturday 6th December and involved a number of performances from the children and adults of St Patrick’s Accommodation Centre, local Irish traditional musicians and a West African percussion group. Much of the success of the event can be attributed to the development work that was undertaken in the weeks prior to it by local volunteers.

World Stage

These volunteers had experiences of “non-Irish nationals” that are shared by many people in Monaghan. They were aware of these new communities and nationalities that now exist in Monaghan and were curious about them. They wanted to meet with them, work with them, find out a little more about who they are and hopefully share some of their skills with them. But how would they do this? How would the ‘interface’ be created?

This challenge was discussed during a conversation between Audrey Wilson the Volunteer Bureau Development Officer and Mick Dunne, the Integration Project coordinator, both of whom are based in the main County Monaghan Partnership offices in Castleblayney. It was decided to give the volunteers an opportunity to work with non-Irish Nationals with a view to putting on the intercultural event. Over the weeks leading to the event there was much collaboration between the volunteers and the participants, most of whom were African. There was time for conversations, time for trust building and time for new ideas. It would be a fair assessment to conclude that much ‘integration’ took place during this period.

On the night the volunteers brought their families and the event was charged with an atmosphere of integration. There was socialisation between the longstanding Monaghan residents and families from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Uganda, Liberia, Sudan, Nigeria and elsewhere. The tea and coffee break and photo opportunities at the end of the event also created possibilities for conversations and integration.

It is easy to put on an intercultural event but integration is much more subtle. It is about relationship building and it happens at a personal level between individuals. One of the challenges for Integration projects is how to create interfaces between non-Irish nationals and the long-standing communities in Monaghan that can lead to real integration. A challenge for each of us on a personal level (as demonstrated by our volunteers) is in our openness, willingness and ability to try and relate to our new neighbours.