Press Release

North West Women Lead the Way in Welcoming Cultural Diversity

Wednesday , December 07

Derry City Council’s Women’s Officer, Joanna Boyd, has praised Women’s Groups from across the North West for leading the way, in helping to understand and communicate with the diversity of ethnic groups and different cultures who now share our city and district.

More than seventy women came together for the “Yours, Mine and Others” conference, earlier this week. It was instigated by local women who told the Council officer they wanted to welcome women from different backgrounds and involve them in their activities - but didn’t know how to go about it and were wary of causing offence.

The conference involved participants in two workshops, which examined the traditions of other cultures through dress, songs, celebrations and greetings.

“This was about dispelling myths at grass roots level,” says Joanna Boyd. “The guest speakers- a Ghanaian refugee who belongs to the Donegal African Women’s Group and a woman from Zimbabwe who lives in the North- spoke, from the heart, about their personal experiences. It was neither academic nor hypothetical; it was something we could all relate to.

“The Polish, Hindu, Muslim, Chinese, Ulster Scots and Irish speaking communities were all represented”, she adds. “It’s clear that women are leading the way in embracing cultural diversity.”

Welcoming the delegates, the Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Mary Hamilton, told them “We at Derry City Council support diversity in our community, both for established ethnic minority communities and the most recent growing Eastern European migrant workers. “

Plans are now being made for more women’s workshops to coincide with Community Relations week in April 2006.

This event was funded through the District Councils Community Relations Programme.

ENDS

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