A crowd of up to 10,000 people enjoyed some Summer sunshine at Africa Day, which took place in the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin yesterday. Spectators were treated to music, food stalls, sports exhibitions and much much more to celebrate Africa Day and multicultrual Ireland.
Irish musical acts performed such as Frances Black, Jape, Paddy Casey, Republic of Loose, Kila & international acts such as Vieux Farka Toure (Mali) & Niwel Tsumbu (Congolese/Irish). The GAA, FAI and SARI held sports events for kids and there were food and art/craft stalls and workshops throughout the day. The People Before Profit Alliance welcomes events such as Africa Day.
We believe that we need to develop Ireland as a genuinely egalitarian and multicultural society that respects human rights and values the contribution of all.
In recessions, right-wing politicians tend to focus on those least able to defend their interests. The dismantling or downgrading of independent structures put in place to strengthen and protect equality, justice and human rights for all in Ireland has been a particularly nasty feature of recessionary panic-driven government.
Among many vulnerable groups, migrant populations are particularly vulnerable to being scapegoated as the ‘cause’ of a failing economic system. Migrants are neither the cause of growing unemployment nor the main factor in the attempt to reduce wages. Problems start from state practices which restrict the human and legal rights of migrants, forcing them to seek low paying jobs.