Integration Through Common Experience Initiative is a project initiated by Cairde which aims to create space for integration to happen through events that speak to the needs of all communities in Balbriggan and to develop a focal point for integration in the town by providing minority ethnic communities and longer-resident Irish communities with opportunities  to share common experiences and difficulties.

Currently, working with the Fingal Leader Partnership, Cairde is recruiting participants for a 10 week Community Development and Leadership Training Programme. This course is designed for people living in Balbriggan who are active in their community and who have interest making Balbriggan a better place to live. The course aims to build capacity of local people to be able to address issues which impact on their lives by influencing local policies and design and delivery of local services. Deadline for submitting Expression of Interest forms is April, 30^th.

Additionally, in cooperation with local and other partners, agencies and community leaders, Cairde will host a series of information sessions, programmes and workshops for people living in Balbriggan. In May we are starting 6 week Parenting Plus programme. All interested should submit an Expression of Interest Form by April, 21^st. On the 1^st, 8^th and 15^th of June we will host a 3 day Stress Management workshop.

For further information please contact Emilia Marchelewska via email email hidden; JavaScript is required or mobile 0877488766.

Domestic violence, Positive Mental Health, Physical Activities

During these Health promotion seminars you will learn about:

• Coping strategies
• Available support services
• Mental health issues
• Recognising domestic violence and addressing it
• And much more…

Where: Cairde Balbriggan Old St. Georges School House Hampton St. Balbriggan
When: 13th, 14th; 10am-1pm

Workshops are organised by ICF Ireland  is an independent organisation working voluntarily to promote and encourage positive integration of African migrants to the Irish society.

For more information contact Fortune 0871628956 email hidden; JavaScript is required

Cairde is currently seeking to recruit 2 Community Health Workers (Community Employment Scheme)

The key task of the Community Health Worker is to support the work of the Health Information and Advocacy Centre through community development.

Applicants should have some experience (in paid or unpaid capacity) and/or interest in community development and some understanding of issues affecting ethnic minority communities in Ireland. The successful applicant will be encouraged to undertake training relevant to the role.

Applicants must have fluency in written and spoken English, and fluency in one of the other languages, preferably Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian or African languages.

This position is based on Community Employment scheme: part-time, 19.5 hours per week, and anyone who wishes to apply should meet the community employment criteria outlined by FÁS.

Closing date for applications is Friday, 22^nd of April 2011

For more information

 

As a part of Ethnic Minority Health Forum Cairde will run a Consultation Seminar: Study on Sexual Health, Fertility, and Motherhood for Migrant and Minority Ethnic Women living in Ireland. It will involve a presentation by Catherine Conlon and Joan O’Connor, independent researchers, on the aims and objectives of this study commissioned by the Crisis Pregnancy Programme (CPP) of the Health Services Executive (HSE).

The study aims to explore the views of migrant and minority ethnic women on issues relating to sexuality, fertility, and motherhood.  The research will focus on the knowledge and meanings young migrant women bring to their sexual relationships, sexual health, and reproductive decisions including contraceptive use, pregnancy and motherhood. It will identify gaps and needs in sexual health service provision specific to migrant and minority ethnic women.

It is intended that outcomes from this research will contribute to building multi-cultural competency among service planners, policy makers and practitioners working in the sexual and reproductive health area.

We are interested to hear the views and perspectives of people working in Migrant Rights Organisations, and other individuals who are interested in this topic, on what you consider to be the key issues the study should address. Sexual health services are vital for women’s well-being. Through this research these services in Ireland can be improved to better meet the specific needs of migrant and minority ethnic women. Your attendance at the seminar will allow you the opportunity to inform the development of sexual health policy and services at a national level.

When: 10.30am, 13^th April, 2011

Where: Cairde, 19 Belvedere Place, Dublin 1.

Lunch and €5 fee towards transport costs will be provided.

In a major decision on 8 March 2011, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has decided that third country national parents of an EU citizen child have rights to residence and access to employment in the child’s country of nationality. A refusal to do so would deprive the child of the enjoyment of the rights of citizenship.

The European court case arose in relation to two Colombian nationals, Mr and Mrs Ruiz Zambrano who were refused asylum in Belgium. On 8 March 2011 the EJC has decided that Mr. Zambrano has a right to residence in Belgium and does not need a work permit for employment there because two of his children are Belgian nationals and therefore also EU citizens.

Until 2005 all children born in Ireland were automatically Irish citizens irrespective of the nationality of their parents, though this ceased to be the case following a referendum in 2004. Children born in Ireland to foreign-national parents must now become citizens through naturalisation.

More:

• Judgement of the court

• Interpretation

• The Irish Times comment

 

 

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day dr Carla Groh from Detroit, USA spoke at Ethnic Minority Health Forum on the 8th of March, 2011.

Over the past 50 years the Detroit metropolitan area has followed a pattern of change in which the city and its suburbs have become increasingly stratified by race and income.  At the moment Detroit’s population is predominantly African American (81.5%) and the city has the most segregated neighbourhoods in the United States and has the second highest rate of poverty in the nation.

Dr. Groh works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at the Mercy Primary Care Center for the uninsured & McAuley Health Center in Detroit. Primary care centre is located on the east side of Detroit, the area has the highest poverty level in the city of Detroit, and most surrounding census tracts qualify as medically underserved areas (MUAs). The vast majority of patients who come to the primary care centre are African American (94%) and women (67%) with incomes at or below the federal poverty level (80%).

Dr.Groh does individual therapy with women and men who are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and who are confronted by various socioeconomic issues. She has implemented several lifestyle change interventions focusing on mental health and obesity.

Dr. Groh has been also at the University of Detroit Mercy since 1996 teaching within all the programs in the College of Health Professions. Her primary teaching interests include research methods, health policy and women’s studies. Dr. Groh’s research interests include women’s mental health, especially the impact of class, race, and gender on mental health. She has conducted research on the adult mother-daughter relationship; adolescent female offenders; the role of hardiness as a mediator of stress in older women; and most recently, the experiences of couples undergoing infertility treatment.

 

Cairde is reaching out the Polish community in Ireland to raise awareness of the breast cancer and Brest check programme.

Gabriela Kownacka, a noted Polish actress died recently of breast cancer. On 19^th of February, 2011, to commemorate her achievements and raise awareness of breast cancer, the Polish Cultural and Social Association hosted an event “Lady Gabi”. The evening included screening movies starring Kownacka and a presentation about breast cancer awareness by Cairde.

For more info email Emilia Marchelewska – email hidden; JavaScript is required; info in the Polish language on www.forumpolonia.org.

As we mark the seventh International Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Day this year, the Steering Committee of Ireland’s National Plan of Action to Address FGM reiterates its call to ensure that Ireland continues to prioritise reform in domestic policy and practice in line with the National Plan of Action.

The Steering Committee today reiterates its’ concern over Ireland’s slow progress in the implementation of the recommendations outlined within the National Plan, particularly in light of an increase in the number of women who have experienced FGM living in Ireland, which reflects the increase in size of the vulnerable populations in the country. The Steering Committee hereby highlights the urgency of progress required, in line with those recommendations.

Research undertaken by AkiDwA in September 2010 found that the estimated number of women with FGM living in Ireland from has increased from 2,585 to 3,170 within the last three years.

The National Steering Committee on FGM welcomes recent legislative progress. The Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2010 was introduced to the Dáil on January 18^th, 2011. However, with the suspension of the Dáil for the upcoming General Election the Bill did not pass through the Houses of the Oireachtas and into the statute book.

On the 31^st January, 2011 the National Steering Committee on FGM wrote to all political parties contesting the forthcoming General Election asking for:

“strong worded, and public, commitments to ensure that legislation on the practice of FGM will be at the top of their policy agenda, will form part of their election manifesto and any subsequent programme for Government in which they assume responsibility.

“… that your party declare now, that if you are to form part of the new Government, that the explicit criminalisation of FGM will be accorded the appropriate priority within that Government’s Programme.”

Female Genital Mutilation is a gross violation of human rights that denies women and girls their rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom from violence, the highest attainable standards of health, freedom from torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatments and discrimination on the basis of sex.  As such, the reform laid out within the National Plan of Action to Address Female Genital Mutilation is a women’s and children’s rights imperative, that must be upheld.

Salome Mbugua CEO of AkiDwA says: “Many children are still open to enduring FGM, the legislation would be an excellent way of enhancing our work in AkiDwA on this area, it gives a clear message that this practice is not acceptable either in or outside Ireland.

Ireland’s National Plan of Action to Address Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was launched on the 25th November 2008 by;

AkiDwA,  Amnesty International (Irish Section), Bernardos, Cairde, Integration  Centre, Irish Family Planning Association, Irish Aid, Refugee Information Service, National Women’s Council of Ireland,  Somali Community Ireland, Somali Community in Ireland, Women’s Health Council, UNICEF Ireland

Ireland’s National Action Plan Key Goals:

• Prevent the practice of FGM in Ireland.
• Provide high quality, appropriate health care and support for women and girls who have undergone FGM.
• Contribute to the worldwide campaign to end FGM.

A copy of Ireland’s National Action Plan is available at http://www.akidwa.ie/fgm.php

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital

The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) each year raises awareness about this practice. Female genital mutilation of any type is recognized as a harmful practice and a violation of the human rights of girls and women. Female genital mutilation refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Female genital mutilation has no known health benefits. On the contrary, it is associated with a series of short and long-term risks to both physical, mental and sexual health and well-being.

Practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

According to the  World Health Organisation (WHO) FGM is affecting about 140 million girls and women, and more than 3 million girls are at risk every year.

In today’s Irish Times

Cairde attended the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Chinese Alumni One-Year Anniversary Celebration evening on the 25^th January, 2011.

During the last 12 months, since its establishment TCD Chinese Alumni association has made a national reputation for itself in Ireland. 2010 witnessed a rise in numbers of alumni members and activities organized for them. One of them was an information session for the Chinese community in September 2010, a collaborative initiative between the TCD Chinese Alumni, Crosscare and Cairde. It started a ongoing cooperation between Cairde TCD Chinese Alumni aiming to support Chinese community to access information and advocacy. Information sessions on different topics for association members are planned for 2011. More info email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Cairde encourages women from ethnic minorities to take free smear tests as a part of CervicalCheck programme for women between 25-60 years old.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women under 44 worldwide. Each year, 500,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are diagnosed globally and more than 250,000 women die from the disease.

A smear test only takes a few minutes and it is the most effective way to detect changes in the cells of the cervix (neck of the womb). The earlier cell changes are found, the easier they are to treat. There is a choice of over 4,150 male and female GPs, doctors and practice nurses nationwide – and it’s free.

Tonya Myles, Community Development and Policy Coordinator, Cairde said:

“Minority ethnic women are not being adequately supported to achieve their full potential in terms of their health. Many of them are unaware of the supports and initiatives that are there to assist them, such as CervicalCheck programme. We hope that European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week will promote the importance of cervical screening for women, including women from ethnic minority communities and help to raise awareness of how cervical cancer can be prevented.”

Cairde will support you in arranging your free smear test.

Maeve Cusack, Head of Screening Promotion at the National Cancer Screening Service said:

“CervicalCheck is delighted to support European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. As cervical cancer is a preventable disease, we encourage all women aged 25 to 60 to take a few minutes out of their busy day to look after their health and have a free smear test. To celebrate European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, CervicalCheck is hosting a number of information sessions. Any woman who would like to learn more about cervical screening and the benefits of a regular smear test is invited to attend. For details of all events see the ‘News & Events’ section of www.cervicalcheck.ie”.

How to arrange your free smear test

To arrange a smear test you can contact a registered smeartaker of your choice to make an appointment. Thousands of GPs, practice nurses, Women’s Health, Family Planning and Well Woman Clinics all over Ireland are registered. For details of all registered GPs, doctors and practice nurses you can call CervicalCheck on 1800 45 45 55 or visit www.cervicalcheck.ie.

CervicalCheck also sends invitation letters to women who are on the CervicalCheck register. You can check that you are on the register by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55 or check on-line at www.cervicalcheck.ie.

If you have already had a CervicalCheck smear test, CervicalCheck will let you know by post when your next smear test is due – and if you change address, be sure to let CervicalCheck know your new contact details.

How often should you have a smear test?

It is recommended that women have a smear test every three to five years, depending on your age.

The results

Most smear test results are found to be perfectly normal and CervicalCheck will contact you about your results within four weeks of having your free smear test.

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European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is organised by the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) with the support of CervicalCheck – The National Cervical Screening Programme.