Mind Yer Tongue Breakfast Seminar

Business and community leaders in Strabane were amongst around 50 people who gathered last Thursday at a unique event aimed at raising the profile of the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Strabane and Lifford area.

Those at the breakfast seminar, held at the Fir Trees Hotel, were told to “Mind Yer Tongue” by learning some phrases in other languages.

Seven different nationalities were represented at the event, including those from Poland, Hungary, India, Phillipines, Ireland, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The format of the event involved a host from a different nationality taking control of each table. Over the course of the breakfast, the participants were encouraged to ask questions about the other cultures, and to learn how to say commonly used phrases in their language, such as “hello,” “what is your name?” and “how can I help you?”

Organised by the Strabane and Lifford Development Commission, Strabane Ethnic Community Association and the Community Relations Council, the morning proved to be extremely successful with all in attendance in agreement that further exploration of cultural and linguistic diversity in the local area would be very worthwhile.

Speaking at the event, Donal Mac Lochlainn, Chairman of the Strabane Lifford Development Commission, said “The demographics of our community are changing as the last five to ten years have shown. Economic growth and mobility of labour means we truly do live in a global village. As a result our community must be able to adapt and welcome people from diverse backgrounds. This event is designed to highlight the cultural and linguistic diversity of our community and give delegates the chance to meet and learn from people from different cultural backgrounds. We hope the employers, community and statutory agencies attending the event will get an appreciation of the barriers faced by those from different cultural backgrounds and take steps to enhance access to employment and services.”

Bobby Rao, Development Officer with Strabane Ethnic Community Association, said “This is a unique project which encourages linguistic diversity and exchange with local people and the Ethnic Community Association is delighted to be involved.”

Source: Strabane Chronicle

SECA Welcomes Anna Lo to Strabane

The Strabane Ethnic Community Association (SECA) is delighted to be welcoming Anna Lo MLA to the Alley Theatre on June 19th to highlight the increasing diversity in today’s society and reflect on the struggles many in the ethnic community are faced with on a daily basis.

Bobby Rao, leading activist within SECA said he is delighted to be hosting Anna Lo’s first official visit to the North West. He said he found strength in her support in raising awareness of the increasing role of the ethnic community within the area. “It is a proud occasion for our Chairman Narendra Babu and SECA to have Anna here as she is the first ethnic MLA in Europe. After her election to the assembly it is the first visit she will be making to the North West area.”

As part of her trip to Strabane, arranged by SECA, Anna Lo MLA will be delivering a key note speech to a selected audience before the Northern Ireland Premiere of “Mushroom” at the Alley Theatre.

The play is a wonderfully witty piece of theatre that focuses on the lives of six young people – some from Ireland, some from central Europe. Their everyday lives collide and interweave, the play has twists and turns, parts are particularly amusing and parts will profoundly move the audience. The main characters are Martin, a young Irish man searching for information about his late Romanian mother, and Ewa, a young Polish woman, who journeys to Ireland searching for her estranged husband. Mushroom looks at the different ways in which immigrants view their relationships with their adopted state. Some find their new homes as strange and ugly, other view it with disappointment and some simply see it as another “galaxy” far away from the previous homeland.

Anna Lo said this week, “I am very pleased to be asked to open this play in Strabane. This is the first ethnic play to run in the new Alley Arts Centre and recognises the increasing diverse community in Northern Ireland. We all need to feel that we belong and it is not easy in Northern Ireland to be included all the time. I hope this play identifies barriers and encourages inclusion.”

Source: Strabane Chronicle