A Limerick primary school has completed a mural celebrating human rights and respect for minorities with Zambian artist Stary Mwaba.
Mwaba travelled to Corpus Christi National School, Moyross, to help fifth- and sixth-class pupils complete the colourful project. He works in HIV and Aids education in Zambia and the project was set up in co-operation with development education group 80:20.
The mural's themes came from artwork and issues suggested by the schoolchildren during workshops. The work depicts a bus, representing asylum seekers staying in a hostel nearby, a horse, for the Traveller community, and signposts reading "No to racism".
School principal Áine Cremin welcomed the chance to work with Mwaba and 80:20, seeing it as a new experience for the schoolchildren and an introduction to multicultural issues.
"I think every school should be doing something like this. In an Ireland which is becoming multicultural, it's absolutely fundamental to prepare children in school to integrate with all these new people without the prejudices and hang-ups that adults can pass along to kids. Kids are not born with prejudices - we give them to them," she said.
The school hopes to continue with this work. "It is our intention to draw up a programme for the teachers in the school to continue on this work," added Ms Cremin, who also paid tribute to the artist who had facilitated the mural.
"This the first time we've ever done something like this and we would count ourselves lucky to be dealing with someone as gentle, talented and insightful as Stary . . . it was a privilege to have him with us.
"I think that the kids will have got something for life from this."