Anti-Racist Workplace Week
Anti-Racist
Workplace Week
took place from the
7th - 13th November
2005.
This is an initiative involving
17 partners that include IBEC,
Congress, Construction Industry
Federation, Small Firms
Association, Chambers of
Commerce of Ireland, Irish
Farmers Association and the
Department of Justice, Equality
and Law Reform. The initiative is
co-ordinated North and South by
the Equality Authority and the
Equality Commission for
Northern Ireland.
This year the partner
organisations identified
communication as the core
theme for the Anti-Racist
Workplace Week. To celebrate the
week, the Equal Opportunities
Office hosted a lunchtime lecture
in the Conference Centre on
Wednesday 9th November.
The guest speakers were Mr
Ali Selim, Theologian in
Residence, Islamic Cultural
Centre, Dublin and Mr. Brian
Merriman, Head of
Communications, Equality
Authority.
John Campion, Executive
Director HR and Corporate
Affairs, opened the talk by
welcoming our guest speakers
and said that it was fitting that
ESB should support Anti-Racist
Workplace Week as ESB has a
presence in over 40 countries and
over 21 different nationalities are
working in ESBI.
Mr. Ali Selim spoke about
Islamic Culture and gave an
overview of Islam, the principles
of Islam and how work, equality
and co-operation are principle
aspects of Islamic Culture.
In the Islamic Culture work is
encouraged and is viewed as an
act of worship. He said that it
was fitting that he should come
into our workplace to talk about
the Islamic culture as part of
Anti-Racist Workplace Week and
he thanked ESB for the
opportunity to do so.
Head of Communications at
the Equality Authority, Brian
Merriman, said that this is the
sixth year that Anti-Racist
Workplace Week has taken place
and that it is gaining widespread
support both North and South of
the border. He outlined how Irish
society has undergone major
changes in the last 10 years and
emphasised the fact that Ireland
now depends on migrant workers
to help support our booming
economy. Brian recalled how
difficult it was to find a black
person, not to mind a black
actor, to take part in a play he
was directing back in 1991.
Equal Opportunities Manager
Freida Murray concluded the
event by thanking both speakers
and in particular the large
audience who turned up to hear
them address the gathering.
Freida said that the large turnout
showed the interest that
people have in the whole area of cultural diversity.
