Knowledge and understanding of politics at an individual and community level in immigrant/new Irish communities. Participation levels in politics in the same group. The scheme also aims to address closed/ill-informed views of migrants among politicians and the public in Ireland.

Goals

To offer a valuable learning experience of individual participants
To help generate greater understanding of and participation in politics among migrant communities
To diversify politics and the political establishment

Assumptions

Thats politics is for everyone, that once politics is demystified people will see how accessible it can be, that radical actions need to be take to get adequate participation from new Irish/immigrant communities, that new Irish/immigrant communities have leaders that need to be given opportunities

There are two targets. Immigrant communities (increasing understanding and participation) and mainstream Irish audiences (increasing openness to immigrant issues and leaders with immigrant backgrounds). 12 interns and 12 parliamentarians on an annual basis. Wider community hard to measure.

We recruit a panel of suitable interns and we approach members of parliament with a view to taking on an intern for a placement. We ensure that the placement involves learning, variety, challenges and responsibility. We offer ongoing support during the placement. Diary articles are published during and after the placement. We regularly review and update our orientation, supports and terms of reference and get feedback from members of parliament and interns after the placements.

At an individual level all interns have gained significantly in terms of knowledge and understanding of politics. The community level has proven harder to measure. Members of parliament have also learned from the scheme and it has broaden their minds on immigrant related issues.

We review the placements formally with a detailed questionnaire for both the members of parliament and the interns after each placement.

The impact at community level has proven harder to measure although it is clear that ‘word’ of the scheme has spread among communities and is looked at favourably.

The formal agreement that we reached with the Houses of the Oireachtas (Parliament) was key in getting the scheme started. The process of getting this agreement involved over 12 months of work and lobbying and is central to the operation of the scheme.

European Integration Fund. The key resource was the time of the workers who set up and runs the scheme. The set up period was labour intensive. Running of the scheme ideally needs at least one full-time dedicated person if adequate publicity is to be garnered. Periodically the scheme has been run on a shoestring when funding was low – but still required a minimum of two full days a week (on average over the year). Actually funding has fluctuated regularly but is close to on average €20k per year although this did not always cover the expenses of the interns which was an issue.