Sir, - On Saturday, May 13th, a group of us in Galway organised a cultural evening to welcome refugees to the city. Under the title "The Present Is A Dangerous Place To Live" we had poetry by Fred Johnston, Michael D. Higgins and myself and music by, among many others, some of the refugees themselves.
Given that it seems to be only a matter of time before Haiderism Irish-style becomes a dangerous political force, we thought that it was time to take a firm stand against the xenophobia sweeping the country.
The evening was a great, if at times chaotic, success. But it was perhaps just the first step. Maybe this is something that could be done in other areas. Or perhaps it already has been done? Perhaps there are other initiatives which we could take? This issue is one where complacency could be deadly.
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone interested in pursuing the issue further. - Yours, etc.,
Kevin Higgins, Glenard Crescent, Salthill, Galway.