A new cross-Border initiative to raise awareness of racism in schools will be launched this Thursday in the Office of the European Parliament in Dublin.

The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) in the Republic of Ireland and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland have come together to devise a programme for schools which both celebrates cultural diversity and highlights the problem of racism.

An activity pack will be available to schools on both sides of the Border with a list of ideas on promoting inclusion. These include developing a school charter on racism and setting up a multicultural desk within the classroom.

Five different workshops for both primary and second level are also available to teachers.

NCCRI director Philip Watt says the programme aims to raise awareness of multiculturalism among young people and help schools recognise and combat racism: "There is a rising concern about the level of racism in schools, particularly among younger children. There are also a lot more schools that are multiethnic, providing challenges that need a whole-school approach."

The programme is being launched ahead of the UN International Day against Racism on March 21st and European Week against Racism which runs from March 19th to 25th. The activity pack is also available at: www.equalityni.org or http://homepage.eircom.

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