Comic entry wins anti-racism award

 A comic book produced by sixth class students from St Eunans National School Raphoe Co Donegal won the Show Racism the Red Card Creative Competition.  A samba rap from young people from Cavan Youthreach earned second prize.  Joint runners up were group entries in the form of written and visual art from Ursuline College Sligo, Presentation Secondary Listowel and Blakestown Community School in Dublin. 

  

                                                                          

   For the competition, young people had to watch the Show Racism the Red Card DVD, which features among others Sean Óg Ó hÁilpín, Eamon Zayed and Kevin Kilbane as high profile sports personalities talking about their experiences of racism in sport and society in Ireland and abroad. After the DVD, teachers, tutors and youth workers worked with young people in the 62 schools and youth services to devise creative ways to communicate their thoughts about the themes addressed in the DVD.  We received entries in the form of poem, testimony, surveys, poems, paintings, pictures and audiovisual. Minister John Curran TD was in attendance and spoke at the event. 

Presenting the awards and taking questions on the themes addressed by Show Racism the Red Card, were a panel of special guests.Special GuestsCian O’ Sullivan (Dublin SFC GAA)Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland rugby player)Ollie Cahill (Shamrock Rovers and PFAI)Jolie Niland (former professional in Women’s Basketball in USA- Basketball Ireland)Sabina Devereux (from Russia and now one of Ireland’s top players with Table Tennis Ireland)Dil Wickremasinghe (Newstalk Global Village)Yasmina Rahmoune from Ursuline College Sligo and Shauna Craine from Donahies Community School, Dublin read out their entries just prior to the Minister for Integration’s speech.Teacher from prizewinners St Eunans Raphoe  told us tonight: ‘We had a fantastic day and I wanted to thank you so much for all your hard work. You have really made a difference in the lives of the alot of people in Raphoe. We arrived home to cars and cars of beeping horns and flashing lights. The whole community were standing out waving. I only wish you could of seen it. Show Racism the Red Card will be talked about in Raphoe for a long time. News spread faster than we even imagined. There were children out in their pyjamas waving and requests on the radio. It was brilliant’.

 The competition has also involved a joint project with the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland. Up to 25 schools, if they avail of an anti-racism workshop can avail of a coaching session delivered by a League of Ireland Professional Footballer nominated by the PFAI.Niamh Mc Gettrick wrote in to tell us about the impact of the programme in St Raphael’s Ballyfermot: ‘A very big thanks from me and the girls to yourself, David and Stuart…the girls had a great time and are already haunting me to organise something like it again soon!!! (so if there’s any other sessions up for grabs, put us on the list please!) They have loved everything we’ve done so far with the anti-racism program and can’t wait for the trip to UCD to the presentation day. Think there’ll be a few sad faces when this whole program finishes up!’See the entrieswww.theredcard.ie If you are from the Baltic states perhaps you might like to read the report here http://baltic-ireland.ie/2010/03/14237/Coverage of the event was carried in the following outlets: Newstalk 106, Highland Radio, Donegal Democrat, Sligo Champion, Evening Herald, Irish Sun and possibly more.