Colloquium Community Conversation: Migration & Multiculturalism in Ireland

Ireland’s history over the last 150 years has been mostly one of migration from out shores to all corners of the world. From the 1700 when many were forcibly transported to the Caribbean to work on plantations to the catastrophic exodus following the Great Famine in the late 1840’s the pain of emigration has been embedded in Irish folklore and culture.

Frederick Douglass visited Ireland at the time of the Great Famine and when he saw the suffering of the Irish poor he sought common cause with his fellow African-Americans. Sadly, many Irish-Americans failed to see that common cause and therein an opportunity was lost.

It is only in recent years that Ireland has seen the phenomenon of inward migration, where we have representatives from more than 30 different countries living here. But how have we done in welcoming and integrating all these newcomers?

With almost 12% of the population being non-Irish nationals, has our own deep experience of migration given us empathy for migrants to our shores? The state and its institutions have not been particularly pro-active in managing this great reversal and ensuring migration is a success in Ireland.

Since Ireland for most of its history was mono-cultural the becoming a multicultural society has been rapid and dramatic. As part of the Colloquium Community Conversation, we will have a panel of community members who will share their experience and expertise on migration and multiculturalism in Ireland.

The panel will include:

Moderator, Dr. Livingstone Thompson

Livingstone Thompson is an experienced intercultural trainer with specialties across a variety of corporate fields. As a member of the Irish Institute of Training and Development, Livingstone provides consultancy, research and training in cultural awareness and diversity management.

Livingstone brings a wealth of knowledge and skills in intercultural dialogue, diversity management and conflict resolution. He has worked with a variety of companies delivering training in cultural competence and leading global virtual teams. His doctoral studies in culture and pluralism, undertaken at the University of Dublin/Trinity College, were successfully completed in 2003. The doctoral search focused on dialogue between Christian and Islamic cultures. Special emphasis in his research was placed on contemporary intercultural theorists and the work of 17th century interculturalist Jan Komenský, after whom the intercultural project in the European Union is named. Livingstone was also awarded a Master of Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin in 2000.

In his dissertation on intercultural dialogue, he assessed the possibility for dialogue with Islamic cultures. His international speaking engagements in the fields of diplomacy, culture and religion have taken him to a number of countries, conferences and educational institutions in United Kingdom, United States, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

Panelist, Desmond Tomlinson

Des originally from London with Jamaican heritage, has over 20 years professional working experience on inclusion through sports, exercise and physical activities. In the Republic of Ireland, Des has worked as the Intercultural Football National Coordinator at the FAI since 2006 with responsibility for the development and implementation of strategies & programmes targeted at increasing participation of people from diverse cultural, national or ethnic minority backgrounds as well as challenging racism/discrimination in football and by extension society.

Internationally Des project manages Ireland based actions for sport and inclusion projects co funded by the EU, including the current Sport Welcomes Refugees project which is part of a pan European collaborative partnership in the frame of the Sport Inclusion Network (spin). He has presented at International fora’s (Council of Europe) and (UN adhoc committee on CERD) on sport inclusion & anti-racism. Des has a certificate in sports and leisure studies and a master’s degree from City University of London in exercise, health and behaviour, he holds a UEFA B coaching badge and license-trained as an anti-racism training facilitator, and he also sits voluntarily on the board of the educational anti racism charity Show Racism the Red Card(Ireland).

Panelist, Yemi Ojo

Yemi Ojo works with the Integration of African Children in Ireland Network (IACI).

Additional panellists TBA

For further information, email Chris Moss at icbme@wcer.wisc.edu or Tamara Thorpe at info@sietarireland.co

The Colloquium Community Conversations is part of a week-long set of events for the International Colloquium on Black Males in Education. To see a schedule of other Colloquium events, visit our schedule page.