New toolkit to help Donegal communities have their voices heard
The toolkit will be launched at the Old Courthouse Lifford at 11 am on Tuesday September 15
Donegal Travellers Project PEACEPLUS programme launch participative democracy toolkit in conjunction with Donegal Public Participation Network.
Donegal Travellers Project has supported the creation of a participative democracy toolkit through their PEACEPLUS funded project ‘Diversity and Decision-making in an Intercultural Future’; funded under the Donegal County Council PEACEPLUS Co-Designed Local Community Action Plan, PEACEPLUS is a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) .
The toolkit was created by Ann Irwin (Community Work Ireland) in collaboration with DTP staff, and the forward was provided by Liliana Fernández (National Women’s Council of Ireland) and with input from Balume Dube (Donegal Intercultural Platform).
Championing the idea of ‘nothing about us without us’ and the need for marginalised groups to be fairly represented within the very decision-making structures and processes which impact their daily lives, the purpose of this toolkit is to outline how local and national democratic structures work and how and why to get involved, and to share knowledge which can be used to challenge systemic racism and advocate for rights.
The project aimed to create a legacy piece which succinctly shares this knowledge, with support from Donegal Public Participation Network (PPN). The PPN is the link through which your organisation can have a direct role in the policy making and oversight of local government, and so DTP hope this toolkit will continue to be an accessible and expansive instrument for advancing human rights and equality for BME communities, including Travellers and Roma, in Donegal and beyond.
The toolkit will be available in five languages and will be disseminated through various channels including the PPN, County Council, local Citizens Information offices and other local participative and supportive community organisations.
The toolkit will be launched at the Old Courthouse Lifford at 11 am on Tuesday September 15, with invited members of Donegal County Council, the Donegal Public Participation Network, Donegal Travellers Project staff, and project affiliates such as Donegal Intercultural Platform and other members of the Black and Minority Ethnic Inclusion Strategy group.