Remarks of An Tánaiste, Mary Harney, T.D. at the launch of the National Anti-Racism Awareness Programme on Wednesday, 24th October 2001

I would like to build on the words of the Taoiseach in advocating support for the National Anti-Racism Awareness Programme, and in his advocacy of an Ireland free of racism.

We all have a duty to combat racism together, because racism in our midst is a stain on our whole society.

Very often, when there is discussion about combating discrimination and racism, there is a tendency to talk as if this was solely of vital concern for minorities within our community, and how minorities are treated by the majority.

This is not so. It is not a minority question. The issue of whether we allow racism and racist behaviour to propagate in our society is about our commitment to the fundamentals of our democracy. It is for us all.

And let us face facts: there is already racism and racist behaviour in our society. The Awareness Programme is not an immunisation shot against a potential danger, but an antibiotic against an infection already present.

We live in a liberal democracy; but it needs regular maintenance. We must continue to promote the basic values of that democracy and the rule of law. I don't need to remind you here today of those values, but central to them is that human rights are universal; they are not a matter of race, birth, riches, gender or even citizenship. Insofar as we fail to uphold rights for one person among us, we fail to uphold them for ourselves. The Programme we are launching today says that Ireland is not in denial about the dangers of racism.

Some among us, who sincerely and passionately believe in liberal democracy, often paint efforts by governments to combat racism and prejudice as efforts in thought control, a violation of the liberal principle of free speech itself.

I don't agree.

The Anti-Racism Awareness Programme is not about the promotion of political correctness. Nor is combating racism a fashionable effort by well-meaning people. It is simply about safeguarding and vindicating the basic democratic values that make individual freedom possible.

We, each of us, must be able to live free of prejudice, free of discrimination, free of hatred. The stakes are high for our society. Racist attitudes and racist behaviour infect our democracy and cause damage well beyond the pain inflicted on the immediate victims. Our whole society is diminished.

The principle of equality before the law, and of the equal value of human beings, is compromised fatally by racism. Racism is a dry rot for democracy: you think you can live with the odour, with the initial slight degradation of structural supports, with its hidden spread beyond the obvious, until it's far too late. That was its power, as shown too often in the 20th century, from Nazi Germany to Kampuchea, Bosnia and Rwanda. We must combat racism and racist behaviour very early on. There is no such thing as a tolerable and safe level of racism.

I like the theme of this Programme - "Know Racism" and "Reject Racism". Irish people know about racism. We have been victims of racism in the countries where we have emigrated. Not in ancient times but in living memory and in folk memory. Why? Because people in the dominant culture in those societies convinced themselves that Irish people belonged to an inferior race and an inferior faith and as a result were violent, drunken, and dishonest.

Shaw said "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history". We need to learn from our history. We need to remember that our people suffered great prejudice and we need to resolve we won't do unto others as others did unto us.

This sense of solidarity underpins our approach to development aid and it's fitting, I think, that today as we launch this programme, President McAleese is in Africa, accompanied by Minister Liz O'Donnell, to see the investment our national aid programme is making in the work of missionaries and NGOs to support prosperity and peace for the people of that war torn area.

"Know racism" highlights the power of reason, the importance of debate and of fair discussion if we are to meet the challenge of culture change.

We have to make sure that that reason and reasoned policies will win the day. I can't see any alternative to reasoned, and frank debate if we are to deal openly with the new and sometimes-controversial issues we face. If we don't opt for reason and open discussion, the scourge of ultra-nationalist, xenophobic politics will take root in this country.

Political parties have a special responsibility as we head into an election period. Yes, we have to answer the legitimate concerns of the public about new issues. But we must do it in a way which doesn't put the security of votes above the personal security, or the rights, of foreign nationals who are living here; nor above the need for a shared commitment to address issues of concern to both the Travelling and settled communities.

I commend the work of the NCCRI in developing a code of practice for political parties and offer the full support of my Party to its full implementation.

I believe that, overall, there is a growing awareness that diversity and difference is part and parcel of a modern, open society and that diversity goes hand in hand with economic success and positive social change.

In terms of our overall economic development, a lot of our current success can be traced back to policies of free education and openness to international trade and investment which once were resisted strongly in favour of protectionism.

Nowadays, we need to confront a new type of protectionism in social values and attitudes by raising awareness about the values of diversity and the relevance it has to our core national interests as an economy and as a liberal democratic society.

Openness in this broadest sense is the heart of what Irish people are known for all the world over. We are hospitable, welcoming, flexible, well-educated. Let's keep it that way.

This campaign has a key part in our overall effort to build an inclusive society which overcomes new as well as the old divisions in Irish life.

Is there no greater lesson in this than the welcome developments in Northern Ireland this week? We have devoted enormous efforts on all fronts to deal with old divisions among the peoples on the island and to build up trust within communities.

It has been John Hume's life's work. We must not confine the rich and fruitful insights about healing divisions and building an inclusive society to addressing the cumulative problems of four centuries of Irish life.

We need to apply the same approach to other diversities in Irish life, old and new, including the Travelling community, refugees to whom we give shelter from oppression, newly arriving working immigrants, and asylum seekers.

There is no doubt, as we go forward, that if we are to develop our open economy further, we will need to demonstrate even more that we can work well together in diverse workplaces with peoples of many backgrounds.

In my own Department's work, I have been struck by the great enrichment we are experiencing by the diversity of people now coming to work with us in our successful economy. Over 29,000 work permits have been issued this year, to people from countries as diverse as Eritrea, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chile, Hungary, the Philippines, Lithuania and Romania and many more.

The world is coming to Ireland, not the other way round. We do not, and will not, engage with the world of international work somewhere out there, beyond our shores, when we leave on airplanes. The international workplace of high value employment is a workplace of great diversity. If we are to take part in it, this has to be the Irish workplace too. Already, I am pleased to say, it is happening in the high tech, pharmaceutical and financial services sectors.

Across all sectors, but especially in lower value-added areas, we have to be vigilant to stamp out any exploitation of migrant workers living among us. We will show no tolerance for the denial of labour rights to migrant workers. I would like to commend the work of IBEC and ICTU to combat racism in the workplace and I would like to add my support to Novermber's Anti-Racist Workplace Week.

Our future economic prosperity, as individuals, families and communities, will be greatly enhanced if we manage ourselves well as a diverse society and economy, deeply respectful of each other's dignity and rights, and valuing different cultures.

Clearly, racism and racist behaviour has no place in this future. Racism is deeply inimical to our economic prosperity, just as it is to the fabric of our democracy.

In our lifetimes, not many of us are going to be asked to defend freedom or human rights beyond our shores. It's far more likely that we'll be called to stand up for equality in our factories, in our offices or in our neighborhoods.

Let's hope that this awareness programme helps people see the issues that are at stake and encourage them to stand against racism in Irish life.