MEMBERS OF THE Traveller community are generally highlighted in the press for negative reasons. Online discourse around the community is often filled with racist undertones and judgement. Traveller Pride Week is the one opportunity where Travellers can come together and celebrate our vibrant culture, identity, and resilience.
The annual event showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Traveller community and is a country-wide celebration that provides an opportunity to promote understanding, acceptance, and equality while raising awareness about the challenges faced by a historically marginalised group. Our aim is that through various events, discussions, and cultural displays, Traveller Pride Week can foster unity, empowerment, and recognition for the Traveller community within Irish society.
Like other minority groups in Ireland, Travellers experience discrimination at all levels of society. Some key challenges facing our community include access to housing, education and employment. Sadly, all of these challenges play a role in the poor mental health of many within the Travelling community. The suicide rate among Travellers in Ireland is six times higher than that of wider society, with over 65% of Traveller suicides occurring among those aged under 30.
Reengaging this younger cohort of Travellers and inspiring them to have pride in their culture is a key focus of Traveller Pride Week. Age-old stereotypes and attitudes in society towards Travellers play a part in the discrimination and prejudice we face. Often seen as lesser members of society, this has a profound effect on Travellers’ mental health and self-image.
Younger Travellers no longer feel pride in their identity or heritage and become excluded and isolated from wider society.
Providing a platform for Travellers to express their identity, share their stories, and educate the wider community about their rich cultural heritage, will hopefully in turn engage our Traveller youth and encourage them to have pride in their identity.
It’s also important for us to encourage young Travellers to pursue their aspirations, by showcasing role models from within the community who have excelled in various fields, including art, music, academia, sports, and activism. By highlighting these achievements, Traveller Pride Week can hopefully inspire future generations and encourage them to embrace their talents and potential.
At the root of acceptance is understanding. If there was greater understanding and education around Travellers in Ireland – our culture and values – I believe that Irish society would be more accepting. As a nation, we are a welcoming and accepting country, but Travellers are often subjected to particular prejudiced and racist attitudes. There are countless stories of unanswered job applications, cancelled bookings, whispered slurs and degrading looks.
There is not a single member of the Traveller community that does not have a personal experience of a story like this. It can be a struggle constantly having to battle against intolerance.
Travellers are constantly linked to anti-social behaviour and crime. Yes, crime and anti-social behaviour does exist within the community, but look at any socially deprived community and you will see the same. It is wrong for the whole community to be judged by the actions of a few.
Change can be slow, but through initiatives this year, we hope to foster a sense of unity and solidarity between the Traveller community and wider Irish society. Individuals from different backgrounds should be able to come together, learn from one another, and work towards a more inclusive society that values diversity and respects the rights of all its members.
Travellers have routinely been left out of conversations and decisions at a national level. As a community, we need a platform for dialogue and collaboration that will enable the Traveller community to engage with policymakers, organisations, and the general public, promoting understanding, cooperation, and meaningful change.
By acknowledging the unique contributions of the Traveller community, Ireland can take significant strides towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all its citizens. Seeing positive news stories about the Traveller community and giving a platform to Traveller voices are only the first steps in making these changes.
Michael Power is CEO of Involve Youth Services and a member of the Traveller Pride Week steering committee. Traveller Pride Week is funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and coordinated by the national Traveller organisations consisting of the National Traveller MABS, the Irish Traveller Movement, Involve Youth and Community Services, Pavee Point, the Parish of the Travelling People, Exchange House Ireland, Minceirs Whiden and the National Traveller Women’s Forum.
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