TWO powerful new short films focusing on migration and social integration will premiere in Dublin this week thanks to a successful partnership between the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Dublin City Council, as part of International Migrants Day on the 18th of December.

The two new films entitled ‘Drive it in!’ and ‘I would never…’ focus on the positive contribution of migrants in sport in Ireland; and the impact of racial microaggressions in everyday life. The films represent the strong commitment from the Lord Mayor and DCC to address these important issues especially within the forthcoming Integration Strategy for Dublin City.

“It’s really important to celebrate diversity and be inclusive. It’s not about just ticking a box, it’s more about how we can actively help integration and inclusion. It is one of the core pillars of my term as Lord Mayor to make sure that we fight discrimination and are an inclusive society. Everyone has a part to play in making Dublin a more multi-cultural place, calling out discrimination and celebrating people’s culture and ethnicity,” said Hazel Chu, Lord Mayor of Dublin.

The short films will be presented on an online event as part of the Global Migration Film Festival 2020 hosted by EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum on Friday next, at 6:30pm.  The online screening will be followed by a virtual panel discussion focusing on integration and multiculturalism issues as well as the importance of fighting against misinformation and xenophobia.

Both films, co-produced by Galway-based Heavy Man Films and IOM Ireland denote the latest effort by IOM Ireland to focus on the positive contribution of migrants to Irish society, especially during the pandemic.

Lalini Veerassamy, Chief of Mission of IOM in Ireland said that “effectively addressing migration, globalization and diversity remains a challenge for governments and citizens in every country around the world. Likewise, countering the effects of racism requires a comprehensive and multifaceted response from all levels of society.

The launch of these awareness raising tools coincides with the launch of the Global Migration and Media Academy, an initiative funded by Irish Aid and the IOM Development Fund aimed at setting up a media training platform to counter disinformation around migration to equip journalists and students with tools, knowledge and ethical guidelines to report in a more balanced manner on the issue of migration and migrants.

This year International Migrants Day is marked by the theme ‘reimagining human mobility’, according to the Global Compact for Migration, a watershed international agreement and roadmap comprising 23 objectives to manage migration in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Academy supports Objective 17, “Eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote evidence-based public discourse to shape perceptions of migration”.

For further information please contact Deborah Miranda, IOM Ireland. Email: dmiranda@iom.int