Community anti-racism practice code introduced

A new anti-racism code of practice for participants in the Community Development Programme (CDP) will be an "essential tool" for groups trying to address the problem, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs has said.

Introducing the code in Dublin Castle yesterday, Mr Ahern said it was the first of its kind in Ireland, and called it a "pioneering step". The five-page document commits participants in community development projects to ensuring equal treatment in their work for ethnic minorities, including travellers. It was developed by a number of organisations already involved in the CDP, including Pavee Point Travellers Centre.

A spokesman for the centre, Mr Martin Collins, said it was a mistake to regard racism as a new phenomenon in Ireland, as many people did. "I can tell you, as a Traveller, that it most certainly is not. Travellers have experienced racism for generations, both from individuals and institutions," Mr Collins said. Mr Khalid Ibrahim, an Iraqi refugee representing the Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland, also welcomed the code. He said it would promote the integration of refugees into society "in a way that respects and values our identities, cultures".