Cities Section: Category Six – Community Based Youth Led Initiative
Winner: Cork Migrant Centre Young Person’s Anti-Racism Group, Cork City
Summary:
The initiative was founded by the Cork Migrant Centre (CMC) youth project as a response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. It initially was a way to emotionally support migrant teenagers of colour who use the CMC services. This gained momentum and resulted in a CMC youth led webinar in collaboration with the Cork Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC) which engaged decision making frontline service providers and policy makers on their lived experiences of racism, its impact and need for change. A consensus was reached, that there is need to progress the dialogue and the youth were best suited to lead this conversation. That was the genesis of the CMC YIAR back in June 2020. The initiative has a three tier mentoring system that supports and motivates young people, guiding them to be a voice in their communities. The movement is currently in the process of creating an anti-racism toolkit ‘Knowing me, knowing you’ that serves to raise awareness.
Group Contact: Martha Halbert
Citation:
The judges were in awe as they heard the personal stories of a group of fantastic young people detailing their emotional, physical, social and cultural journeys in making Ireland their home. Their work in bringing change and being a voice in their communities is deserving of the highest praise
