Anti Racist Network {ARN}

by The Insider Sat Nov 29, 2003 12:18

That neo-nazi David Noone who was kicked off UCD campus earlier this year is now logging onto UCC Students Union's boards and spreading his vile filth. May I suggest that a few activists log on and tell him to take a hike?

A complaint to the SU in Cork would also help...maybe if there's any UCC students here it would give it added weight.

You'll find the boards on http://su.ucc.ie on the Left of the page.

by Jenny B Sun Nov 30, 2003 23:28

The Equality commission is a joke, another quango of elite hoity toity snobs and snooty ulster establishment brownnosers, who exist simply to protect/prevent other snobby ulster establishment/government figures from being sued for racial, sectarian, social class and disability discrimination.

by Oi against nazis Mon Dec 01, 2003 00:35

Getting bands like ' the Thrills?', such trendy, shite, commercial,indy, student social climber bands only serve to turn working class people away from anti-rascim and only goes to show that students have no taste or notion of mulitculturalism.

What working class people want are reggae, ska, punk and oi bands, not piss poor trendy student drivel.

A better advert for anti-rascism and mulitculturalism is ska, reggae and carnival.

by Davy Mon Dec 01, 2003 09:09

On above two comments ,

As persons are aware the meetings are open which means those organisations that have an interest in attending can so do. {democratic}. People are also very well aware of what organisations are or are not about.

Secondly there will be various gigs we intend to hold in localites around the North with reggae. ska and punk bands etc. But for the major event we seek to get one or two bands which are a big crowd puller for young peole { which would not neccessaily be to the liking of many in the network} and with that then various other 'radical' bands and DJ's etc making up platform. It is better getting many people there {drawing the crowd} where then the opportunity exists to listen to radical bands and DJ'S ,where many who may not have heard such music before could become interested and indeed infuenced by it.

by Cleo Mon Dec 01, 2003 13:54

To date the NI Equality Commission have failed to bring any cases of Racial discrimination against Northern Irish individuals, government bodies and other organisations.

It has championed the case of white irish travellers, but will not touch cases of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, colour, disability or social class background of which there are many.

It is not only my experience but the experience of other anti rascist bodies, including MCRC and NICEM.

by Jenny B Mon Dec 01, 2003 14:08

In many cases the Equality commission actually makes a bad situation worse, by creating the illusion/giving false hope to individuals who have been discriminated against into believing that they actually have an avenue of recourse against those that discriminate.

The Equality commission encourages people to complain against racist bodies, and then withdraws all help and support to individuals fighting against the discriminaters, leaving people in the lurch, and standing alone as isolated individuals against the might of well organised institutionalised racists and discriminaters.

Organisations be they schools, government bodies discriminate against people who are disabled, for the purpose of saving money. Cash strapped schools refuse to recognise or adapt learning materials, provide additional support for pupils with non visible learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, autistism, ADHD, etc.

by Davy Mon Dec 01, 2003 14:45

Of course there are people who have a problem with N.I equality commission as others would have problems with NICEM and other organisations. People are aware of who does or does not do what within the network. The network is the coming together of many strands and as was stated at the onset for those who wish to get involved in a visual and active stand against racism and increased racist attacks.

The network has seen many more organisations looking to get involved as we become increasingly known. Yet people can and do have problems and differences with others as I had again held such problems and differences against various organisastions that particaped In the Anti War Movement. While I held those problems with some, the priority for me as an individual was wishing to see the largest mobilisation possible of those who where first and foremost against the war. Similar if people want to get actively involved in the fight aginst racism at whatever level then that is a start. It is then through those actions or lack of, that more people will come to an understanding of who 'really' does what. It is then through that course of activity that one can challange others while getting on actively with the job in hand.

The network is open and democratic and it holds various strategies on how to tackle the rise of racism, with of course some intially attending through just wanting to know if something was developing which they would need to know about.. Fundementally thought it is about a visual impact through activity, gigs and the mobilisation of communities, students ,workers and all who are opposed to racism and racist attacks, to stand collectively against it. I like others would hold political, stratagic and tactical diferences with others in such a broad network, but for me it will be now in that course of activity, and I believe in the years ahead in that course of struggle, that I will listen to others but also put forward my own ideas about how we can effectively deal with this issue.

I found through time that rather than keeping persons out in the cold or shouting at times from the sidelines that in the course of common activity one tends to get a better hearing. On the overwhelming occasions though organisations of course will not change their minds or mindsets but on a significant number of occassions individuals in and out of such organisations can be won to a differing opinion when they see words successfully put into collective and solidarity type action. Each organisation within the network could hold individual problems with each other but the network attempts to reverse such problems to start at a commality. In fact we have worked and found a common practical relationship with a long term practical strategy. Yet in working together on that practical strategy we can therefore like the Anti War Movement engage an discuss differences with those who are open to or wish to discuss such..



You may disagree or hold different experiences but to date Cleo that is my experience.

by Cleo Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:04

Again Davy you are alluding to the alledgedly superior communiction skills of the middle classes hoity toity mums/women's tea circle, against what you believe are inferior working class mothers methods of communication.

The Disability discrimination Act does not extend to cover primary/secondary educational institutes.

This means that it is LEGAL for schools to discriminate against disabled/non visibly disabled children in terms of providing equality of educational opportunity.

This means that children who may be intelligent but have ADHD, can be treated less favourably then normal children by teachers. This means that children with ADHD although clever, may be criminalised, taken out of schools to be taught in centres which cater for mainly young adult offenders. This means that teachers may choose to focus on children with ADHD in a negative, derogatory way. Teachers may choose to target and label children with ADHD as bad, bullying and treating these children as scapegoats.

Let us not forget it wasn't so long ago, that teachers used corporal punishment against children.

As a person educated during the era of corporal punishment, I observed that teachers tended to beat the crap out of poor/working class children, picking on these children for essentially being poor.

At the same time these teachers wouldn't dare touch a hair on the head of the children of the rich/middle classes.

Today we see this pattern of discrimination by teachers transfrerred onto children with disabilities/non visible disabilities. Although teachers aren't allowed to beat children anymore, the treatment of children with disabilities/non visible disabilities is tantamount to mental abuse and neglect.

Similarly teachers still tend to discriminate against children from non professional low income backgrounds.

In grammar schools intelligent children who are from poor backgrounds are treated appalingly by teachers.

by Davy Tue Dec 02, 2003 13:53

Cleo I understand what you are saying but would put some of it into a differing political understanding - this in relation to discrimination and schooling.

Cleo in the next Blanket edition online a part text of my speech at the Progressive Unionist Party Conference will be printed which deals with some of what you had raised above. I was also due to give a Key note speech tomorrow on 'differences' at a cross community conference consisting of ex republican and loyalist prisioners along with other working class cross community workers etc { but work commitments prevents me from doing so} and I had again thought that such expererinces could be put also into the context of religon and class - I may again touch on such for an article in the time ahead.

Cleo I believe you may know what I stand for if you follow indymedia It is for mobilistions of working class communities, trade unions etc and the embracement of class and revolutionay politics. Yet we in the ARN are a diverse network and some move more quickly than others, as well as there being others whom I could not hold agreement for.

You talk of the disability discrimination Act but one just also has to look at the Human rights commission for example

Once again after you read the next addition of the Blanket I believe you will get a fuller understanding of both what I mean and indeed of oneself as I revert back to real experiences in the article, and with such experiences I attempt to learnt and work them with ideas in the present .

Finally I believe racism is the product of the system we live under therefore it is only with the overthrowing of the system that we can begin to forge real equality. While I like others will continue along that path, I will also attempt to make and struggle for whatever immediate progressive gains along the way. I belive and hold the understanding of revolutionary politics, but with that I am also pragmatic. Davy

by citizen cleo Wed Dec 03, 2003 00:25

It is illegal to discriminate against a person, because of their religion, ethnic origin, colour, disability, maritial status, and social economic background.

Unfortunately the Disability discrimination Act does not extend to cover and protect the civil/human rights of disabled and non visibly disabled dyslexic, autistic and ADHD children in educational institutes, such as primary, secondary and Grammar schools.

The treatment of Disabled and non visibly disabled children by ignorant teaching staff within some primary, secondary and grammar schools is tantamount to child cruelty, child abuse and child negligence.

Parents are not professional educators, and they place their trust in teaching professionals, assuming that teachers have been trained as professionals, are paid more than the minimum wage, and should have some inkling of human decency and concern about advancing all children's educational progress, without prejudice against the child because of his/her socio economic/familial/religious/political/racial background.

Poor/working class children do not have the safety net of daddy's buisness to fall into, if they fail to achieve academically, they will end up on the scrap heap, turning to anti social activities, drink, crime and drugs. That is why it is important that children from poor/low social economic backgrounds regardless of religion, colour and political background are able to progress educationally to gain qualifications, to have their learning difficulties which may block their progress educationally addressed, to enable them to go on to further education to get well paid jobs to overcome poverty and environmental hardship.

The children of the rich/middle classes can afford to get private tuition, to pass exams, such as the 11+, and other exams, children from working class/poverty backgrounds have no such unfair advantage when it comes to passing exams.

As a special needs adult educator, I have witnessed sickening treatment of disabled/mentally disabled adults by teaching staff in private New deal training organisations. In terms of these organisations defrauding/cheating vunerable disabled young people and other vunerable groups such as lone parents out of allowances, and out of provision of adequate teaching materials, courses and qualified teaching staff.

Young adults/teenagers with disabilities who expect to progress educationally and expected a trainning operation, were given menial tasks to perform, such as being continually sent out on errands to the shops for teaching staff, to buy fags, nic nacs and household shopping items for teaching staff's personal use. These young adults were used as servants, and denied educational opportunities and the chance to learn. At the same time they're entitlements to training/travel allowances were continually being docked/cut by staff, who pocketed the money for themselves.

Staff who had access to the medical/social service files on disabled yound adults, also rountinely engaged in speaking publically in a derogatory way about the familial/personal background of disabled young adults. All because teaching staff viewed these disabled young adults as less than human and their families as only poor working class people of no significance or influence.

by Pedro Depacas - Unity Inc. Tue Mar 30, 2004 18:03

Alot of Metal or Heavy Metal is Anti-racist,. There is quite a bit of racist metal. Alot of it isn't really racist, because it discriminates against anyone, and everyone with such lyrics as "I hate you all" its just pissed off music, fuck all these trendy bands against anti-racist movements, they have no idea what kind of problems they are causing. It's simply just not right to be racist!