SUMMER JAM- Basketball Ireland's integration project

Basketball Ireland “Summer Jam” tips off on July 21st and will run throughout August at a whole host of venues around the country.



Summer Jam is aiming to create awareness throughout Ireland of the many different cultures that now call Ireland their home by bringing them together through the positive medium of sport and specifically Basketball.

It will place members of different cultures on the same team where they will work together towards a common goal. Basketball is the perfect medium to promote cross-cultural relationships and understanding in modern Irish society.

To participate each team must consist of two or three men and at least one woman with one of the participants holding a non-Irish passport.

The tournament will take place at seven regional sites spread throughout Ireland and will be split over two divisions- U18 and Senior. Then the top two teams from each region advance to play in the final tournament at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin on August 19th.

All Under 18 individuals must get the registration form signed by a parent or guardian and the Under 18 teams agreeing to travel to Dublin must be accompanied by an adult who must sign the registration form.

Entrants into the tournament can be done on a team or individual basis with a maximum of 4 players per team.

Quick fire 3 v 3 games with the two teams accumulating the most wins during the day competing in the finals where a fantastic cash prize will be on offer to the winning team in each division.

Extra excitement will be added to the competition with a 3-point shootout and a dunk contest taking place.

In order to promote cultural integration from an early age, boys and girls ages 8-14 will be able to participate in the event at each regional site.

Children will go through a skills and drills session to start the day and then go into a cross-cultural education session that will include sampling different foods of various different cultural backgrounds.

After the break, each child will be assigned to a team with children from different cultures. A tournament will then take place so that each team plays one another at least once with a champion being declared at the end of the day

A prize will be given to the winners and each child will receive a basketball provided by Basketball Ireland for attending the tournament.

The Registration Fees are €30 per team (up to 4 players), €10 for free agents, and €5 for youths.

Go to www.basketballireland.ie to download an application.

Venue: National Basketball Arena
Dates: August 11
Times: 13:15 – 17:45 U18 and Senior
* Youth Clinic will take place on August 18
Regional Development Officer: Dermot Howlin
Email: dhowlin@basketballireland.ie

North Eastern
Venue: Dundalk Leisure Center
Dates: August 11
Times: 10:00 – 15:30 8-14 Year Olds
14:30 – 19:00 U18 and Senior
Regional Development Officer: Cathy Quinn
Email: cquinn@basketballireland.ie

North Western
Venue: Abbey Vocational School Gym, Donegal Town
Dates: July 28-29
Times: July 28 10:00 – 17:00 8-14 Year Olds
July 29 10:00 – 17:00 U18 and Senior
Regional Development Officer: Michael Gilroy
Email: mgilroy@basketballireland.ie

Western
Venue: Ballina Sports and Leisure Complex
Dates: July 21
Times: 10:00 – 15:30 8-14 Year Olds
14:30 – 19:00 U18 and Senior
Regional Development Officer: Elaine Williams
Email: ewilliams@basketballireland.ie

Midlands
Venue: Drum Community Centre and St. Joseph’s College, Athlone
Dates: July 28
Times: 10:00 – 15:30 8-14 Year Olds
14:30 – 19:00 U18 and Senior
Regional Development Officer: David Donnelly
Email: ddonnelly@basketballireland.ie

Northern
Venue: Lisburn LeisurePlex
Dates: July 28
Times: 10:00 – 15:30 8-14 Year Olds
14:30 – 19:00 U18 and Senior
Regional Development Officer: Jim Martin
Email: jmartin@basketballireland.ie

Southern
Venue: University of Limerick (UL) Arena
Dates: August 4
Times: 10:00 – 15:30 8-14 Year Olds
14:30 – 19:00 U18 and Senior
Regional Development Officer: Mícheál O'Mahony
Email: momahony@basketballireland.ie

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Rovers Red Card against Racism

A first for the Eircom League and the Show Racism the Red card initiative in Ireland, Rovers visited OVER 1000 CHILDREN IN ONE WEEK, talking to 10 schools.



Shamrock Rovers officially launched their Show Racism the Red Card campaign. Club Promotion Officer Barry Dolan and American intern Jamie Sobolewski along with players Jamie Duffy, Barry Ferguson, David O’Connor and FAI Community Officer Jim Crawford went into schools throughout the Tallaght region.













Each school received a thirty minute educational yet fun and interactive presentation, which included interviews from the players, DVD clips, a PowerPoint, and a question and answer game. The ultimate goal of the Rovers initiative is to do their part to help put an end to racism and integrate people of all different cultures into Irish society through football.

In addition to the presentation every student received a free ticket to a Rovers’ game and a poster. This presentation was another way in which Shamrock Rovers continue to reach out and establish a strong bond with their community. David O Connor a Rovers player enthused- “ It’s always great to meet our supporters and to be involved with this campaign and the community. We expect to see many of the faces we meet today in the school to be at our home games for the rest of the summer, that’s why we are giving them the tickets and goodies- they are the next superstars!”













The football players from Shamrock Rovers were able to express the important concept of integration to the students with their own personal experiences of playing with people from all different countries and cultures. “By playing with people from all over I have been able to learn about different football techniques, different cultures and lifestyles, as well as acquire friends and teammates from all over,” Rovers player Jamie Duffy told the young kids.



The presentations and messages went over very well in all of the schools. “In the beginning some of the kids did not even know what racism was,” explains club promotion officer Barry Dolan, “but by the end they all knew what was considered racist and how to do their own part to put an end to it. It was brilliant to see how the young kids received the message through football.” In the true Rover style the club has already followed up on their presentations by visiting each school again to thank them and offer them any other additional assistance.

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The success of these presentations attracted local publicity. Not only did Shamrock Rovers have an article in the Tallaght Echo newspaper they also conducted a live radio interview with Tallaght 99fm. Rovers hope that through sports, young kids can meet new friends and people from different cultures. Shamrock Rovers continue to support this anti-racism campaign by not allowing any forms of racist abuse at their matches.
If you or your organization would like a visit from the Rovers against Racism group or more information please contact Barry Dolan at: barrydolan@shamrockrovers.ie

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Limerick 37 Show Racism the Red Card

Limerick 37 marked the launch of Show Racism the Red Card with two events. On June the 8th there was a panel discussion on the Show Racism the Red Card dvd and on the 23rd Limerick 37 cooperated with local agencies to organise intercultural football tournament.














The club launched it’s Show Racism the Red Card on the 8th of June in the Belltable arts centre Limerick. There was representation at the event from schools, Garda, the probation service and outreach services present. There was a discussion and video with many well known faces and L37 players were joined by John Galvin the Limerick Footballer who represented the GAA at the event.

All the school children present were given tickets to the Wexford game and most attended. This event was followed up by the Limerick 37 supporting and getting involved with Doras Lumni (Refugee Support Group) and Southill Outreach (youth service) League of Nations Soccer tournament in the UL during the Doras summer festival event. This saw 22 teams from all over Ireland representing 11 countries in a five a side competition. Hundreds attended with activities arranged for children as the football took place.

The overall winners were one of the Polish teams who displayed some great players and determination to reach the final. Garrett Mullan of Show Racism The Red Card was present at the event and spoke of the importance of maintaining a presence for all minorities he also praised the club for it’s involvement with local groups and organisations.

It is impressive to see an organisation working with marginalised young people and an organisation addressing the needs of asylulm seekers and immigrants are cooperating in the provision of activities for all. Limerick 37 is a new club and represents the city's presence in the Eircom League of Ireland. Working at the grassroots in this kind of work places the club on a solid footing into the future.

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Thuram awarded for anti-racism stance

Thuram receives a prize for his fight against racism


Lilian Thuram continues to accumulate awards and recognition for his work in advocating principles to counter discrimination and racism. Last Monday the French defender, who plays for Barcelona, won the Christa Leem prize for 2007, which is awarded by the group Un dels Nostres for political or social initiatives.











In a ceremony held at the Palace hotel, Thuram received the prize from the hands of José Montilla, the president of the autonomous government of Catalonia. In his speech of acceptance, the player warned against falling into the trap of believing that the globalization of the world in commercial terms necessarily implied an encroachment on the rights of the least favoured.

Praising Thuram, who stood against Nicolas Sarkozy in the recent French elections, José Montilla emphasized his 'constant struggle against racism and discrimination' and his 'well known stand against reactionary attitudes'.

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Galway Show Racism the Red Card

Galway United rolled out its regional strategy for “Show Racism the Red Card” in extradionary fashion last Wednesday morning.

Galway United show racism the red card!













Pictured: John Fallon Chairman Galway United FC

The campaign which is in its second year in Galway is aimed at uniting communities of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds through sport with United leading by example to promote integration at grassroots level. The event was held in Claddagh National School which in itself is an excellent example of integration in the Irish education system and made it the perfect location to stage the launch.















Pictured:Nicola Reid an Fatmir Gusani with Galway United's Alan Keane ( center) at the launch of Galway United FC shows racism the red card campaign at Claddagh National School on Wednesday

Galway United Chairman John Fallon hailed the launch event a great success. “We at Galway United are delighted to be leading the way in the battle against racism, especially after last years very successful poster campaign.”

The event which lasted just under an hour included a 15 minute DVD on Racism in Sport including interviews with top players across the continent.












Pictured: Ernest Bishop taking questions and comments

Club Promotions Officer, Daniel Walsh believes the follow up on the DVD was the real highlight. “Ernest Bishop from the Galway City Partnership facilitated a 10 minutes questions & answers with the school kids on what they learned from the experience. Both the quality of answers and number of responses proved that kids are excited to be involved in what we are trying to achieve.”

Galway United will be implementing its 2007 programme in two phases. The first was the launch of the SRTRC Poster followed up in late September with an open forum for clubs discussing issues relating to racism & integration in sport. We will also be announcing the introduction of a special award for a club who is leading the way in integrating communitities into their organisation

Wesley Charles, Galway United’s Club Captain believes “Programmes like these reinforce the anti-racism message and help people remain aware of the social problems that racism causes.”

For more information on Galway United Show Racism the Red Card Campaign contact Promotions Officer Daniel Walsh on 085 7208616 or email daniel@galwayunitedfc.ie

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Sligo Show Racism the Red Card

Mayor John Mc Goldrick opened the Sligo Rovers launch of Show Racism the Red Card yesterday at Sligo Institute of Technology.


Mayor John Mc Goldrick opened the Sligo Rovers launch of Show Racism the Red Card yesterday at Sligo Institute of Technology. In attendance were officials and representatives of Sligo County Council, Sligo Sports Partnership, Migrant Economic Development Strategy, Sligo Leader Partnership, Sligo Youth Action Project and children from local schools and residents from Globe House.

Garrett Mullan said “We are delighted to be in Sligo to launch the Show Racism the Red Card campaign and also to be in a position to support work of Sligo Rovers FC and the Local Sport Partnership to bring people of all communities together through sport. I am also delighted that we have Sligo Rovers full support for this project, the attendance here of Fahrudin Kuduzovic and Tomislav Arcaba and Paul Cooke. In addition, I am delighted of the support of Edel Kelly of Sligo All Stars Basketball on the panel, Catriona Ryan (Special Olympics Ireland), Katrina Connolly of Sligo Ladies GAA.

Catriona Ryan made a pertinent comparison in how people with learning disabilities are treated in sport and how people from other countries can be treated. She spoke strongly about how people with disabilities feel at exclusion and stated that this initiative should address discrimination as a whole.

Des Tomlinson FAI Intercultural Officer spoke about the FAI’s plan to support the increased participation and support of people of all cultures in Irish football. He explained that anti-racism and interculturalism are the key drivers to the implementation of the plan (downloadable on FAI site).

Sligo Rovers FC Club Promotion Officer Sinead Fraher said : “This campaign is a great opportunity to place Sligo Rvoers FC at the heart of the community. The Sligo Rovers FC Show Racism the Red Card poster is a clear and simple way of communicating what we are about. We want people of all nationalities playing and supporting Sligo Rovers. In turn we have €5,000 from the FAI Club Good Practice fund to support integration measures involving the club in the Sligo area”.

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FAI launch Intercultural Plan

The plan also challenges and prevents the spread of ‘racism’ within the game and thus contributes towards a fully integrated and intercultural society.


The FAI is to the forefront of Irish sport in terms of commitment to interculturalism and 12 months ago became the first National Governing Body to appoint a full-time National Co-ordinator to oversee this important sector.

According to the 2006 census, around one in ten of those living in the Republic of Ireland have a nationality other than Irish, a proportion which has nearly doubled since 2002. Regrettably discrimination and ‘racism’ exists in Irish society and those within the football community have a responsibility to challenge discrimination. Thus, the plan, launched by former Ireland senior international, Paul McGrath, at City Hall Dublin, focuses on four overarching objectives:

• To combat ‘racism’ in football
• To promote participation among minority ethnic and multicultural communities
• To develop a culture of football that is dynamic and globally competitive
• To contribute to the wider process of integration

The plan was formulated by the Football Association of Ireland in conjunction with its key stakeholders. FAI Intercultural Programme Coordinator, Des Tomlinson, worked closely with a Football Intercultural Advisory Group who drew from other organisations who have worked in the field including: Show Racism the Red Card, Sport Against Racism in Ireland, the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which also provided significant funding through the National Action Plan against Racism.

FAI Chief Executive, John Delaney said, “This is an exciting time for the FAI as we are going through growth and expansion within the organisation in order to cater for the 450,000 who participate in our game each week. Within this process we hope to grow the FAI’s Intercultural Programme, which is one of our newest programmes and links across all departments within the association.”

He added, “Working towards a fully intercultural and socially inclusive society is a key challenge for all members of Irish society. The FAI is keen to play its role and in this regard we have been proactive.”

Mr Delaney welcomed yesterday’s creation of a Minister for State for Integration and promised Minister Conor Lenihan the full support of the FAI.

“We believe that when the Minister and the officials in his department read the FAI’s Intercultural Development Plan they will quickly recognize that football is a very powerful tool at their disposal,” said Mr Delaney.

FAI Intercultural Co-ordinator, Des Tomlinson, said: “Today's launch of the Intercultural Football Plan is an important landmark in the FAI’s efforts to promote football amongst members of minority ethnic and cultural communities within Ireland. Given that Irish society has, and continues to become, more ethnically and culturally diverse this plan also seeks to use football as a vehicle to promote a fully intercultural, and socially inclusive society at ease with its growing diversity.”

Paul McGrath gave his endorsement to the initiative, saying: “Structures like these were not in place when I was playing. If I received racial abuse, I had to ignore it but now the measures have been set-up by the FAI to create the awareness within the football family for the need to embrace the new modern Ireland.

"I’m delighted to be here today to witness the plan being announced. It just shows how serious the FAI is taking the matter.”

Click here to listen to interview with Paul Mc Grath
http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2137

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Volunteer activity for Migrants

Show Racism the Red Card was one of many organisations with a stall at the first Volunteering Ireland Migrant Fayre at the Cultivate Centre in Dublin city centre as part of National Volunteering Week. One interesting document for distribution is the Volunteering Ireland document Diversify.

The booklet profiles countries where many of the foreign nationals living in Ireland are from and explores the meaning of volunteering in different countries and serves to provide practical information and strategies to overcome possible barriers to volunteer involvement.

In Afghanistan for example there is no culture of volunteers according to Nasrudin Saljuqi (Director of Afghan Community of Ireland). The extreme conflict of the last 25 years has meant the freedom of opportunity and structures to facilitate positive participation in the wider community are not in place. Most activity takes place in the extended family. Nasruddin believes Afghans in Ireland would be willing to volunteer and that the availability of information and training would reduce the barriers to volunteering for Afghans in Ireland.

Studies in Poland indicate that there are 3 million active volunteers in Poland. Profiles suggest that many people volunteer in the absence of being able to obtain work. Research shows that there is a huge willingness, on the part of Polish graduates not working in their desired profession, to volunteer in Ireland. This could open the pathway for them to their desired profession here.

Volunteering in China is very different to the west. There is an expectation that all students will give their services for the good of the community and not to do so would be frowned upon. Young people see volunteering as their duty.

South Africa has traditionally high levels of political activity especially in the trade unions, while Romania even has a National Volunteering Law which allows for a written contract between organisation and volunteer.

Show Racism the Red Card is recruiting volunteers to attend meetings, organise activity, design newsletters and raise funds to support our programme of activity. We will advertise for volunteers on www.volunteeringireland.ie

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