The objectives of the National Action Plan Against Racism will be implemented within the Institute, and among members and students, under a recently unveiled Ethnicity Network Group initiative
At Chartered Accountants House on a recent evening in late October, members of the Ethnicity Network Group (ENG) announced their plans to implement the objectives of the National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) within the Institute.
The ENG is committed to supporting the implementation of NAPAR recommendations within the Institute both as a professional body and employer, explains Deborah Somorin, ENG founder and Co-Chair.
“The National Action Plan Against Racism will be a catalyst for creating more equitable, diverse and inclusive workplaces for people from ethnic minority backgrounds in Ireland,” says Somorin, who is Manager, People Advisory Services, EY Ireland.
“Organisations will now acknowledge that racism exists in Ireland and hopefully put in place policies to create authentically anti-racist environments where everyone has fair access to opportunities to gain employment and grow in their careers.”
As well as supporting the implementation of NAPAR recommendations within the Institute, Somorin and her ENG colleagues are also committed to supporting members and students who want to implement the recommendations within their own organisations.
This is especially important given the recent rise in anti-immigration narratives in Ireland – and the profession is not immune, explains Somorin’s ENG Co-Chair Aisling McCaffrey, Director of Sustainability and Financial Services Advisory at Grant Thorton.
“A recent Chartered Accountants Ireland survey found that 43 percent of members and 66 percent of students have personally witnessed or heard someone else being discriminated against in the workplace,” says McCaffrey.
“The survey also found 28 percent of people who identified as being an ethnicity other than white felt their ethnicity had a negative impact on their career as a Chartered Accountant. Only three percent of people who identified as being white responded the same.”
The development of NAPAR
This isn’t the first time Ireland has attempted to tackle the issue of racism.
The country’s first National Action Plan Against Racism was introduced in 2005. When it ended in 2008, however, it was not renewed, leaving “an important vacuum contributing to a ‘normalisation’ of racism”, according to a report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, published in 2019.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued guidelines on creating a new National Action Plan Against Racial Discrimination in 2014.
In turn, Ireland – with a mandate established under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act – created the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in 2014.
Its purpose was to “protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland and build a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State”.
An Anti-Racism Committee was subsequently established in 2020 by then Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, David Stanton TD.
The committee was given the mandate to conduct research on racism in Ireland, research best practice in other countries and come up with recommendations to tackle racism here.
“We did a number of interviews and consultation processes with different departments and ministers, agencies and bodies,” explains Dr Bashir Otukoya, Anti-Racism Committee member, law lecturer and Higher Executive Officer for the Courts Service.
Dr Otukoya took part in a panel discussion at the October launch of the ENG’s NAPAR initiative at Chartered Accountants House.
“We had hundreds of written submissions from members of the public, and we put all of that together to end up with NAPAR,” he says.
“Each of the board and community members have their own expertise in different fields, like human rights, anti-discrimination and equality law – and [we have] members of communities that are affected by racism. We went at it from an angle of experience and knowledge.”
For ENG member Reabetswe Moutlana, Audit Manager at EY, one of the most important aspects of NAPAR is the momentum it creates for collective action.
“NAPAR recognises that the journey towards an inclusive society is a collective journey and, therefore, puts the onus on everyone – the State, private actors, organisations and individuals – to work together to make Ireland a safe place for all,” says Moutlana.
“The Action Plan also focuses on a victim/minority-centred approach. The key principle of the plan is that ‘affected groups should participate in the development and oversight of all government policy initiatives and targeted measures to address racism…This essentially means that this is a plan created by affected persons, for affected persons.”
NAPAR and the Ethnicity Network Group
Established in 2022, the mission of the Ethnicity Network Group within Chartered Accountants Ireland is to promote a sense of belonging and inclusion for people who belong to Traveller, Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups within the profession.
“As such, we see it as our role to promote awareness of NAPAR, provide suggestions for key actions across the profession and assist with its implementation where possible,” says Deborah Somorin.
Both Somorin and Dr Otukoya recognise that the strengths of the plan are its five key objectives, comprising very specific action points and target dates.
The plan also acknowledges the intersectionality between racism and other forms of oppression, and that the required actions and remedies cannot follow a one-size-fits-all approach.
“We were very careful with how we set the objectives in NAPAR,” explains Dr Otukoya. “We wanted it to be relatable to everyday citizens. So, objectives like being seen, being equal, being heard, and being counted were [designed to be] persuasive and in plain language, usable and implementable by anyone.”
NAPAR awareness
Even though NAPAR was launched on 21 March 2023, few members present at the ENG event at Chartered Accountants House in October were aware of it, according to McCaffrey.
“This could indicate a lack of awareness around the plan, which means that it is more difficult to keep those in charge of it accountable for the actions proposed, especially as this is more of a short to longer-term plan,” she says.
“We want as many people as possible to know about NAPAR and become allies towards creating a safe and equal environment while also promoting it. It’s important that the responsibility for raising awareness and promoting NAPAR does not solely rest on affected persons. This is a collective journey.”
NAPAR and the Institute
The Ethnicity Network Group has devised a four-step plan to integrate NAPAR into the operations of the Institute, explains Somorin:
- We will support Chartered Accountants Ireland in its role as an employer, in creating an anti-racist working environment by implementing relevant NAPAR actions;
- We plan to work with decision-makers to implement NAPAR actions related to Chartered Accountants Ireland’s role as a professional educational body;
- We will develop members’ and students’ awareness and understanding of NAPAR and how they can implement it within their organisations; and
- We plan to roll out the industry’s first Ethnicity Pay Gap report.
NAPAR can positively influence the world of work, not just for employees, but also employers, Somorin believes.
“As noted in NAPAR, inclusive communities are vital to ensure that minority ethnic groups feel a sense of safety, connection and belonging,” she says.
“For employees, we believe that being part of an inclusive workplace, where the impacts of racism are acknowledged and addressed, creates an enabling environment for individuals to reach their highest potential.
“For employers, I believe that embedding key considerations linked to NAPAR will lead to improved retention of staff and, in turn, increase access to a more diverse talent pool.
“This increase in diversity enables companies to relate better to all customers and clients, promotes balanced internal discussion and challenges thinking, which often results in driving innovation – all of which is good for business.”
*Written by Liz Riley
Northern Ireland Racial Equality Strategy 2015–2025
In Northern Ireland, The Racial Equality Strategy 2015–2025 was launched in December 2015. Alfie Wong, MBE, is Head of Racial Equality Delivery at The Executive Office, Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Race and Ethnicity Champion, founder of NICS Race and Ethnicity Network and Chartered Accountant. Here, he outlines the key outcomes of the strategy:
- Outcome 1: Equality of service provision
People from a minority ethnic background can access and benefit from all public services equally.
- Outcome 2: Elimination of prejudice, racism and hate crime
Effective protection and redress are provided against all manifestations of racism and racist crime, and a victim-centred approach is promoted.
- Outcome 3: Increased participation, representation and belonging
People from minority ethnic backgrounds participate, and are represented fully, in all aspects of life – public, political, economic, social and cultural – and enjoy a shared sense of belonging.
- Outcome 4: Cultural diversity is celebrated
The rights of people from minority ethnic backgrounds to maintain their culture and traditions in line with human rights norms – and to pass them on to subsequent generations – are recognised and supported.
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