'Diversity Happens. Inclusion is a Choice' - first Diversity Equity Inclusion workshop held in Limavady

Gosia O'Hagan and Fergal Quinn (on right), ethnic communities officers, Building Communities Resource Centre, co-ordinators of the workshop. Photo: Tom Heaney/ NW Presspics

placeholder image — Gosia O'Hagan and Fergal Quinn (on right), ethnic communities officers, Building Communities Resource Centre, co-ordinators of the workshop. Photo: Tom Heaney/ NW Presspics

There was an amazing cross section of the community represented among the participants

Recently Building Communities Resource Centre (BCRC) held the first of their Diversity Equity Inclusion workshops in the Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre in Limavady.

This is part of a six-week programme involving facilitators delivering a variety of fascinating presentations alongside participants engaging in discussion on the topic of the week.

In addition participants will be going on two study visits to Belfast and a range of venues in the Causeway Coast and Glens area.

The limited number of spaces were quickly booked up by individuals interested in the programme. There was an amazing cross section of the community represented among the participants.

What makes the DEI Training offered by BCRC quite unique is that all facilitators are people who have previously lived in other parts of the world. They bring their lived experience into the workshops in a tangible way.

ABOVE: A section of the audience at the "Diversity Equity & Inclusion Training Six Week course held in Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

In the past months BCRC trained a number of individuals as Cultural Ambassadors to enable them to be part of a series of training events. In Week 1 of this programme the Cultural Ambassadors formed a Human Library where participants could freely ask questions. BCRC are extremely grateful to Sasha (Ukraine), Ana (Moldova), Anthonia (Nigeria), Fitsum (Eritrea) and Sohail (Iran) who eloquently and emotionally spoke about their homelands and answered a wide range of questions. Their role helped to create a firm foundation for the entire six-week programme. Ana said: “I truly enjoyed this event organised by BCRC and was inspired by the curiosity and openness of the local community. The interactions were engaging and it was a pleasure to share my story and represent my home country, Moldova. Events like this help build understanding and connection and I I’m grateful to have been part of it.”

Rhonda, one of the participants on the training programme said: “It was fascinating learning about different countries and cultures, and the impressive skills and talents of the wonderful BCRC Ambassadors and I look forward to learning more throughout the course. We live in an increasingly multicultural society with many people finding themselves far from their homeland, trying to settle into a strange new life. Every person who arrives in NI is an individual with their own unique circumstances and story to tell and everyone deserves a warm welcome. This course is a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of such lived experience and enable us all to truly embrace making everyone feel welcome in this wee country.”

ABOVE: Gosia O'Hagan and Fergal Quinn, ethnic communities officers, Building Communities Resource Centre, co-ordinators of the "Diversity Equity & Inclusion Training Six Week course held in Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

BCRC are extremely grateful to Woven and Triangle Housing Associations for jointly funding their Diversity Equity Inclusion programme. They would like to especially thank the Cultural Ambassadors for their whole hearted involvement in the workshop.

The final words we will leave to Louise: “If NI and the individuals in it seen diversity as a strength, we would prosper. The training was wonderful, informative and facilitated in a light-hearted manner. It should be compulsory in every sector.”