Age Friendly
Minister O'Gorman launched CAAR officially at this online event. Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin and Sinead Gibney were keynote speakers. CAAR Members include: AkiDwA, Apolish Direct Provision, Laoise Africa Support Group, Go Com Radio, Amdalah Africa Foundation, WEZESHA, Cork Migrant Center, Culture Connect, Black Therapist Ireland, African Descent.
The Cork Age Friendly City Programme linked with Age Friendly Ireland to provide Age Friendly Housing & Public Realm Training Course on 23 November 2021. The opening address was given by Ann Doherty (Chief Executive) and the training content was delivered by Tadhg McDonnell (Age Friendly Ireland’s Principal Advisor on Housing and Public Realm) and Mairead Cranley (Age Friendly Ireland’s Regional Programme Manager). Over thirty Cork City Council staff took part in the training which has been rolling out in Ireland for a number of years and is now recognised as a key objective in Ireland’s recent Housing for All Strategy. The training is timely with the publication of Housing for All in 2021 which will seek to refine the focus on housing for the ageing population within local authorities. The Cork Age Friendly City Programme is managed in Community Culture & Placemaking Directorate and the Age Friendly Housing Technical Advisor is based in the Housing Directorate.
Polish Day
Thursday 11 th November was Polish Independence Day: The Lord Mayor hosted, under Covid-19 guidelines, Grzegorz Sala - Head of the Polish Consular Section in Dublin and Wojciech Bialek, Together-Razem CEO, before the Polish flag was raised by the Lord Mayor, Cllr Colm Kelleher at the City Hall. The City Hall was illuminated by White & Red lights for the commemoration of Polish Independence on the evening of the 11th of November 2021. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Colm Kelleher said: “We are delighted to mark Polish Independence celebrations here in City Hall again this year. The Polish community in Cork is such an integral part of our city. Our Peoples have so much in common, including great pride in our respective national heritages and history. We also want to highlight the important work of the Together-Razem Centre who has been providing services in Cork for 15 years now. I want to also wish them all very best on their 15th Anniversary in November.
Community Alliance Against Racism (CAAR)
Martha Halbert was a panel speaker for the launch of Community Alliance Against Racism (CAAR), which was held online, on 16th November 2021 from 2 to 3.30 pm. Established in March 2021 during a meeting held by AkiDwA, CAAR is a community led intervention with an aim to dismantle racism at community level and serves as a platform for people affected directly by racism,
offering them the opportunity to share their experiences, articulate and propose solutions.
The group currently has a membership of 10 organisations and has been working on recruitment of champions mainly youth; to date eight champions have received intensive training and are working to raise awareness in colleges and at community level.
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