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Where is the diaspora in the Irish-language strategy?

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

The new 20-year Irish-language strategy announced by the Taoiseach recently is aimed at increasing the use of Irish among all citizens. Curiously, however, the document makes almost no reference to the Irish abroad, despite the enthusiasm of the government for diaspora participation in almost every other realm of strategic growth (The diaspora has figured highly in recently announced strategies for the Smart Economy, higher education, and tourism, for example).

The omission is particularly glaring in light of the fact that the Gaeltacht areas have traditionally been some of the hardest-hit by emigration, and the numbers of Irish-language speakers abroad are not insignificant. There are 95,000 Irish speakers in the UK, according to Wikipedia. The US census found that in 2000, there were 25,661 people speaking Irish in the US, while in 2005 it reported that there 18,815 speakers. (The decline in numbers perhaps reflects a number of Celtic-Tiger returnees as well as the deaths of some of the 1950s/60s generation.) The heaviest concentration was in Massachusetts (where many Connemara emigrants have settled), New York, and Illinois.

So why is there so little mention of the Irish abroad in this document?  The first reference to the diaspora is this comment, which follows an outline of 13 policy objectives previously set out in the 2006 “Government Statement on the Irish Language”:

It is also an objective of Government to support the promotion and teaching of Irish abroad, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. Particular emphasis has been placed on supporting the teaching of Irish in third-level colleges in a range of different countries.

Apparently, the inclusion of the diaspora is an afterthought, perhaps reflecting the larger status of the diaspora now, post-economic collapse.

The second major mention of the language as it is spoken outside of Ireland is in reference to third-level courses abroad:

In 2006 the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs established a dedicated fund to support the development of Irish language courses in third-level institutions overseas. The objectives of the fund are to promote and foster goodwill for the Irish language and indeed for Ireland and Irish culture in general across Europe, North America and Canada and to provide a platform from which the Irish language can be assessed and showcased as an international language. This increases awareness of the Irish language and culture outside of Ireland and leads to links between Ireland and the countries in which these institutions are located, resulting in positive long-term impacts on the language. It also provides an excellent opportunity to present the Irish language to the academic community worldwide and gives the Irish language equal status to other European languages being taught abroad. In addition, many students who study Irish in their own countries continue their studies here in Ireland and as a consequence students from all over the world attend courses in the Gaeltacht. This results in bonds of friendship and a lifelong interest and understanding of the rich language and culture of this country.

Currently over 30 third-level colleges and universities in the USA, in European countries and further afield are actively providing Irish language and Celtic Studies’ programmes within their own institutions.

These measures by the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs to support the teaching of Irish overseas (including the joint programme with the Fulbright Commission and the Ireland Canada University Foundation) will be maintained as a vehicle to expand the teaching and learning of Irish in universities outside Ireland.

The strategy thus seems to view the use of Irish in the diaspora solely as an academic exercise. Is this not a lost opportunity? Surely native Irish speakers outside of Ireland are as deserving of support as those in the Gaeltacht, and they should be also encouraged to use their Irish, pass it on to their children, and to partake of opportunities to use the language in their communities.

There may even be some native speakers in Boston, New York, and Chicago who might be interested in creative interaction with those learning Irish in nearby universities.

Here are a few ideas off the top of my head of ways to encourage the use of Irish abroad and to engage native speakers in promoting the language:

• Support touring productions of Irish-language dramatic productions
• Encourage oral histories of Irish-speaking communities abroad
• Support Irish-language elder programmes in senior centres
• Irish-language programming on the long-overdue Irish television service for the Irish in the UK
• Extend support for family language transmission to Irish speakers abroad
• Engage the GAA and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in promoting the language abroad
• Support Irish-language programmes aimed at preschoolers and children in Irish cultural centres
• Strongly promote Irish-language summer programmes for diaspora-based learners of all levels.

Perhaps some of these initiatives are being undertaken already, but it would be nice to see more outreach to native speakers in the diaspora as part of the strategy. It seems a rather glaring oversight to ignore them, particularly given all the recent focus on both the diaspora and the importance of Irish culture abroad.

Global Irish Economic Forum year-on report released

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has published “The Global Irish Economic Forum – One Year On”, a progress report outlining initiatives taken up in the year since the Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh.

Mr Martin describes the effect of Farmleigh on the Ireland-Diaspora relationship as “transformative”:

The Irish worldwide embraced the spirit of Farmleigh by actively contributing to the debate on Ireland’s future and, in particular, by establishing a range of new and innovative local initiatives.

Also, to a much greater extent than before, many state and private sector organisations recognise that the enhancement of the relationship with the Diaspora is proving a valuable asset in Ireland’s economic recovery – in particular in providing a competitive edge in certain key markets.â€?

The press release highlights a number of key activities:

• the establishment of the Global Irish Network; a network of over 300 highly influential figures from 37 countries. This was a key proposal of the Forum and Network meetings have since been hosted in a number of key markets including in London, Paris, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.  A meeting of the North American Network members will take place in New York in November.  The Network provides Ireland with an invaluable resource of international expertise from which we can draw as we work towards economic recovery.  This direct access to key private-sector decision makers across the globe has the potential to deliver real, tangible economic benefits for the Irish at home and abroad;
• the establishment of a secretariat to develop and expand the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ILTG) in Silicon Valley and the opening of the Irish Innovation Centre in California.  The ITLG is an independent organization comprised of a number of high-level technology leaders in Silicon Valley who are Irish or Irish-American. The Group includes senior executives from some of the Valley’s leading corporations, each of whom are committed to helping Ireland address the challenges of embracing new technology opportunities. The appointment of Craig Barrett, former President and CEO of Intel and a prominent Farmleigh attendee, as the Chair of the ITLG is a very positive development;
• the establishment of the Farmleigh Fellowship in Singapore by a group of Irish based business people in Singapore.  This graduate scheme will provide up to 25 Irish participants the opportunity to work and study in Asia and Ireland over the course of a year.  Selection of the participants is underway with the programme scheduled to commence in December, 2010;
• Gateway Ireland another private sector initiative, aimed at creating a new high quality Irish portal website, is being developed by John McColgan in close cooperation with a number of prominent private sector partners;
• The Ireland Funds, in close coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, hosted a Youth Forum in Farmleigh in June 2010.  The forum examined how younger members of the Diaspora can contribute effectively to Ireland, both culturally and economically; and
• in the Tourism and Culture sectors, the Government agreed to the appointment of Gabriel Byrne as Ireland’s first Cultural Ambassador while Culture Ireland is developing a special programme for 2011 which will showcase Irish arts and culture throughout the US.  One of the elements that came to the fore most strongly in Farmleigh was the potential for leveraging our cultural identity in support of our economic regeneration

While the report is highly comprehensive, one thing it does not mention is the commitment in the 2009 Programme for Government for recommendations on the feasibility of extending the franchise in presidential elections to emigrants.

From the report’s conclusion:

There is now acceptance across Government and in the private sector that deeper engagement with our Diaspora can play a valuable role in policy and business strategy development. It is important that this engagement be facilitated and deepened in the period ahead. The success of the regional meetings of the Global Irish Network has shown that the Irish and our friends abroad are keen to maintain and develop this engagement.

The government’s openness to diaspora economic engagement is laudable – but surely economic and political engagement should be going hand in hand. The diaspora isn’t just the “huge and willing resource” referred to by the Taoiseach at the launch of the Smart Economy policy a few weeks ago. It also includes a body of disenfranchised citizens who are willing to assist Ireland despite having no voice here. Granting them votes – as nearly every other developed nation does for their expat citizens – would be a key step in deepening this engagement.

See the full report – “The Global Irish Economic Forum: One Year On”

Artist depicts emigration in satiric exhibition

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Because emigration is so rarely depicted in the Irish visual arts, it’s always exciting to see an artist tackle the subject.

Brian McCarthy’s Exodus [see larger size] is part of a new exhibition called “Boomtown”. It’s a bit cheeky in its depiction of Irish emigrants as refugees in a boat bedecked with a white flag and a shamrock – several of the emigrants even look like they’ve donned green jerseys for the trip. The artist’s press release describes the painting by saying “the scramble to leave is brought to life with Irish boat people on the high seas”.

The painting bears several hallmarks of traditional emigrant scenes: vulnerable-looking travellers, moving toward a brightly-lit sky in what at first glance could be a fairly typical signification of salvation ahead. But wait – those enormous rocks in the way are reminiscent of Patrick Hennessey’s 1943 painting, “Exiles“: surely one of the most disturbing images of emigration in the Irish canon. Hennessey’s painting is a surrealist take on the vulnerability of ill-prepared mid-century emigrants facing an urban wasteland: Are those cliffs or smokestacks? Are those clouds or plumes of pollution?

It’s the juxtaposition of those cliffs with that shamrock and those green jerseys that gives McCarthy’s painting its satirical edge. McCarthy is poking fun at traditional images of emigration while making a provocative statement about emigration’s return.

An excerpt from the exhibition press release:

Liveline’s Joe Duffy to open Brian McCarthy’s Boomtown exhibition. THE KEELING GALLERY on October 14, 2010 The exhibition runs from 15 October – 30 October

RTE’s Liveline gives a voice to the citizens of this country and right now this collective voice is angry. Very angry. Who better to open an exhibition of paintings about the life and times of the Celtic Tiger than Joe Duffy, himself a student and protégé of artist Brian McCarthy?

Brian McCarthy is one of Ireland’s foremost realist artists with a career that goes back to the Irish Exhibition of Living Art at the Douglas Hyde Gallery in 1981.

This exhibition of his recent paintings includes Boomtown, a short series of canvases reflecting this artist’s unique take on the last few climactic years in Ireland. These paintings form a surreal satire of recent times:

Delirium – a head shop like no other – a treasure chest, champagne and a vulture in the window, while discarded cash litters Easy Street. Members only.

Boomtown – a vast shantytown bedecked in Irish tricolours with an unfinished Tower of Babel looming in the background.

Euphoria – another head shop, this one selling Craic pills, booze and bongs. A lighthearted look at our national obsessions as the country is flushed down the drain.

Exodus – the scramble to leave is brought to life with Irish boat people on the high seas.

Sword of Justice – illustrates the mood of the country in a dramatic night scene.

Visit the artist’s website.

Irish culture showcase planned for US in 2011

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

2011 will be an exciting time for lovers of Irish culture in the US, according to Mary Hanafin, Minister of Arts, Sport and Tourism. In an answer to written questions in the Dáil, Minister Hanafin revealed plans for Culture Ireland’s showcase of Irish artistic excellence that will be taking place all over the US next year.

Here is what she said:

Culture Ireland is planning a strategic initiative in the United States in 2011 which will showcase Irish artistic excellence in partnership with significant US institutions, venues and festivals. Its objectives are to reinvest in the unique cultural relationship between Ireland and America, strengthen links with the Irish diaspora, enhance Ireland’s reputation and profile as a global leader in creativity, expand the reach of Irish culture to new audiences and provide a strategic platform to promote Irish tourism, trade, investment and innovation.

This initiative was announced by the Taoiseach during his visit to Washington DC in March this year. It draws on the recommendations of the Ireland-US Strategic Policy Review, and also on the strong strategic focus on culture as a unique long-term strength and door-opener for Ireland and Irish business, at the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh.

Mr Gabriel Byrne, in his position as Cultural Ambassador for Ireland, has been closely involved in developing the initiative, in collaboration with Culture Ireland and our Embassy and Consulate network in the US.

The programme, scheduled to run from January to December 2011, will comprise a range of events across artistic disciplines in key cities (for example New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and Philadelphia) and in other locations where there are strong presenting partners. Funding for this strategically important initiative will be made available from my Department’s allocation for 2011 and will be finalised in the context of the ongoing Estimates process.

Is the government forgetting its promise on presidential voting rights for emigrants?

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Is it possible that the government’s promise relating to presidential voting rights for overseas citizens may have been forgotten? An exchange in the Dail seems to indicate that the government’s commitment to movement on the issue of presidential voting rights for the Irish abroad may not be at the forefront of Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s mind.

The renewed programme for government, published in October 2009, made this promise to the Irish nation:

Within 12 months, the Electoral Commission will also propose reforms to the electoral system, including:

• Make recommendations on the feasibility of extending the franchise for Presidential Elections to the Irish abroad.

I, for one, have been eagerly awaiting these recommendations. But this exchange suggests that the government is backing away from such proposals: (more…)

Migration Policy Institute publishes series on diaspora engagement

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

The Migration Policy Institute has produced a most impressive series of works on diaspora engagement, in association with US Aid. The series examines the role of diasporas in development policy, and cover a wide range of topics. The ones on Diaspora philanthropy and heritage tourism seem particularly relevant to Ireland.

The series so far:

• Diaspora Philanthropy: Private Giving and Public Policy (by Kathleen Newland, Aaron Terrazas, and Roberto Munster)
• Heritage Tourism and Nostalgia Trade: A Diaspora Niche in the Development Landscape (By Kathleen Newland and Carylanna Taylor)
• Connected through Service: Diaspora Volunteers and Global Development (By Aaron Terrazas)
• Diaspora Investment in Developing and Emerging Country Capital Markets: Patterns and Prospects (By Aaron Terrazas)

And they’ve even produced a video podcast associated with the series (which I’m having trouble viewing, but you may have more luck.)

These reports will certainly resonate with Irish policy-makers; it’s exciting how the growing interest in diaspora engagement strategies around the world enables us to set Irish efforts in international context.

See more at the Migration Policy Institute’s page on Migrants, Migration and Development.

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