New Shades of Green - 23rd of November 2016

New Communities Partnership (NCP) highlighted the contribution of new communities’ members to the development of the organisation over the past 13 years by launching a photographic exhibition titled New Shades of Green, on the 23rd of November 2016, in the Atrium of Dublin City Council.

The multicultural exhibition portrayed over 30 individual NCP community leaders, board members, staff and volunteers from 20 different nationalities who have supported us over the years and whose commitment and passion brought NCP to where it is today.

We were delighted to have Mr. David Stanton TD, Minister of State for Justice at the Department of Justice and Equality with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration, and Integration, launching our exhibition. We also welcomed the presence of Cllr. Mary Freehill speaking on behalf of Lord Mayor of Dublin, and the Romanian Ambassador to Ireland Manuela Breazu.

"This exhibition is about us, many of us making Ireland our home. We called it New Shades of Green first of all because we are the NEW Communities living in Ireland, secondly because Green represents Ireland and thirdly because Irish green has many shades which is symbolized by the green in the plants portrayed in the photos. The same as the Irish Green, Ireland has many nationalities who are now part of the society and who bring their contribution in making Ireland a more inclusive and positive place to live with their families", Anca Lupu, NCP CEO explained at the launch.

"As an umbrella body for a large number of diverse communities and organisations the New Communities Partnership is well positioned to understand the challenges facing migrants in Ireland today. It provides a platform from which the voices of those communities and organisations can be heard. In gathering here this afternoon for the opening of this exhibition, we are recognising the very worthwhile contribution made by members of Ireland's new communities to the development of the New Communities Partnership over the past 13 years. The individuals depicted in the photographs on display are representative of a much wider community of people who have made that contribution – including both staff and volunteers. This is a fitting and well deserved tribute to the hard work and dedication of a large number of people.
Looking at the photographs on display is a reminder of the vibrancy and colour that our new communities bring to the country as a whole. I believe this exhibition will help to foster positive dialogue between people from both Irish and international backgrounds and as the exhibition moves on from here to other venues, it will allow an even wider audience to share the experience and to allow people hear the stories behind the photographs.

I would like to conclude by expressing my admiration for the hard work that went into putting together today's exhibition. I warmly commend everyone involved, including those who were involved in taking the photographs and those who brought this body of work together culminating in today's event.", Minister David Stanton TD said at the launch.

The exhibition was supported by Dublin City Council Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, POBAL and Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme 2015-2017. The exhibition portrays were taken by Monica Hadarean Photography.

The photographic exhibition was displayed in the hall of Dublin City Council for three weeks in December 2016 and will continue its journey in South Dublin Council Tallaght Library from January 2017 with other public places afterwards.

Thank you all for attending our event and celebrating our wonderful work.

This event was supported by Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government , Pobal, Dublin City Council, and Dublin City Community Co-operative through Scheme to Support National Organisations 2016-2019 and Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme 2015 - 2017