Page 1 of 2
"Metro Eireann is a fantastic example of how - given half a chance - a multicultural environment gives new perspectives, new ideas and a new energy. That affects everobody. Here's something that wasn't here before."
Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times columnist
"Metro Eireann is very important as there is no other niche paper focusing on such critical issues at this time. It encourages the mass media to focus on issues not properly covered in depth at present."
Patricia McKenna, former MEP
Metro Eireann is Ireland's first and only weekly multicultural newspaper set up by two Nigerian journalists, Chinedu Onyejelem and Abel Ugba in April 2000.
Published by Metro Publishing and Consultancy Limited, metro eireann is the primary source of news and information on Ireland's fast-growing immigrant and ethnic communities.
Apart from supplying up-to-date news and analysis, metro eireann has become a forum for inter-cultural communication, showcasing the rich cultural diversity of Ireland.
Page 2 of 2
Massive transnational migration of people.
Globalisation of commercial life with consequent political, social and ecological impact.
Injustice, war and poverty.
A much clearer perception of the deep interdependencies that exist among all nations.
Information and communication technologies that now facilitate universal distribution of information/knowledge but have also thrown up the digital divide.
Racial prejudice and discrimination exist in all communities.
New individual and community identities are emerging from the cross-cultural encounters.
Distinctive cultures strive for self-preservation and vitality in the face of trends towards cultural homogenisation.
And closer to home, in Ireland, where...
There has been a decade of unprecedented economic growth.
Many social problems and infrastructural deficits present great challenges.
After centuries of emigration from Ireland to the four corners of the earth we are now seeing immigration of people to Ireland from many different countries, in a sudden and dramatic way.
The response to this dramatic change has ranged from fear and hostility to openness and a search for the most enlightened way to cope.
There are major gaps in the educational, legal, administrative and other infrastructural arrangements to cope with the increase in the number of new peoples.
The leaders of every sector of Irish society, including Church, State, Business, Trade Unions, Sport, and the Arts have espoused a vision of Ireland as a multicultural society, playing its role on the global stage.
In this turbulent world the creation of a vibrant multicultural society represents a huge challenge and defines a great national project for the peoples of Ireland old and new. If the vision of a multicultural Ireland is ever to be realised, practical initiatives are needed to facilitate the vital engagement and dialogue.
Specifically it is imperative that the power of mass media be harnessed so that the efforts to create a multicultural society move in from the margins (where it lies at present to the mainstream and involves everyone).
We at Metro Eireann are a group of people: With diverse national backgrounds and life experiences.
Who have personally experienced both the best and the worst of Ireland's response to immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.
Who are experienced in journalism, education and the media.
Who, in a short time and with minimal resources have demonstrated our ability to publish a newspaper that has been hailed by well-regarded critics as an original, high-quality contribution to Ireland at this time of transition towards a multicultural society.
The Mission of metro eireann is to be a channel through which the diverse peoples of Ireland will inform, challenge, understand and learn to respect each other.
We will fulfill our mission through:
A range of publications including a high-quality, mass-circulation newspaper.
Promoting the organisation of debates, conferences and seminars.
Providing training in multicultural understanding in schools, colleges, private, public and government establishments, language training and interpreting.
Celebrating outstanding contributions in creating cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.
Promoting cultural understanding through the Arts, Entertainment and Sport.
Roddy Doyle
|
|
|
|
|