How It Started

On March 2018, Kate Ennals and Una Traynor were tasked by Breffni Integrated CLG in co-operation with Cavan County Council to facilitate the development of a Multicultural Network for County Cavan. This was an opportunity for ethnic minorities in Cavan to get involved, develop their own skills and capacity with a view to influencing local policy and to let Cavan have a strong and diverse representation in the country. The brief included the following:

• To establish a sustainable Multi Cultural Network for county Cavan and that relationships within the network are built on mutual respect and understanding.

• The Multi-Cultural Network will be the lead in terms of protecting diversity, continue to promote inter-faith dialogue and act as a voice for all ethnic minority groups within county Cavan.

• The Multi-Cultural Network will promote pluralism and the acceptance of differences, encouraging a culture of respect for freedom and dignity and understanding of human rights and equality in the State;

• The Multi-Cultural Network will articulate and promote an understanding of interculturalism and diversity in local communities based on human rights and equality.

• The Multi-Cultural Network will participate at a Local Government Level and contribute to local decision making that will affect the lives of its members.

• To aid the group in identifying Training on Diversity, Interculturalism and Inter Faith

• To aid the group in identifying Awareness Training (Racism, Intolerance, Human Rights, Equality)

• The programme of work will culminate in the organisation with a seminar to be organised by the new group.

Coincidentally, in 2017 the Cavan County Council Multicultural Committee headed by Majella Tierney and Theresa Tierney got in touch with community groups in preparation for the 2017 Taste of Cavan and met with the Lithuanian, African and Polish Communities. The Lithuanian Community took part in the Taste of Cavan, then preparations for the Cavan Christmas Food and Traditions Peace Project of the council followed. The Latvian, Philippine and other ethnic communities joined the event. By December 2017, after a couple of meetings and consultations, the group had agreed with the name Cavan Cross Cultural Community (4C), a logo, and a structure, with the aim of representing and integrating all society groups in Cavan.

4C, which had 8 member societies at that time, participated in the programme of activities of Breffni Integrated from April to July 2018 which included the formulation of the multicultural network’s Aims and Objectives and Vision, Committee Roles and Constitution, Steering Group Meeting, Establishing a Work Programme, Specific Actions, Performance Indicators and Training Needed, Structuring the Launch or Culminating Event Seminar, and Finalising the Running of the Launch of 4C, which will be celebrated on the 24th of November 2018.