Immigration is not just a by-product of Ireland's success but a requirement if society is to continue to flourish, President Mary McAleese said today.
Launching the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID) in central Dublin, she said migrants would play a pivotal role in coming generations, deepening and strengthening our heritage and culture.
The EYID aims to promote greater awareness about diversity in countries throughout the EU as well as encouraging greater dialogue with migrant and religious minorities.
"The reality is that the people of the world, and the Irish foremost among them, have always migrated in search of a better life," she said. "Migration into Ireland is part of who and what we now are, a permanent and necessary part of this successful, high-achieving Ireland, not just evidence of our success but a source of our continuing success.
"We will build tomorrow's Ireland together whether we call ourselves Irish, British, Polish, Chinese, Latvian, Ukrainian, Ghanaian.
"A new generation will soon flourish which will perfectly, spontaneously describe itself as Polish/Irish, Nigerian/Irish and all the rest. "They will draw easily from a variety of cultural wells and they will deepen and strengthen our heritage, their heritage," she said.
2008 was designated EYID by the European Parliament and Council and countries throughout the EU are planning a series of events to promote intercultural dialogue. In Ireland they will be jointly organised by the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) and the Equality Commission Northern Ireland.
They have appointed six 'ambassadors' including Stormont MLA Anna Lo - the first politician born in East Asia elected to a national parliament in Europe - and Micheal O'Suilleabhain from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.
"I am deeply honoured to act as an Ambassador for this important year," said Mr O Suilleabhain. "I look forward to working closely with the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) from my own base at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick and especially to seek out sustainable projects that will live beyond the year itself.
"In all of this work, a cross-cultural awareness of the arts is a vital component," he said. The remaining ambassadors are Anastasia Crickley, NCCRI chairperson, Catherine Joyce, advocate for the rights of Travellers with the Irish
Traveller movement and the National Traveller Women's Forum, Chinedu Onyejelem, Editor and Publisher of Metro Eireann and hurler Sean Og O hAilpin.
The NCCRI said the year was timely as a survey carried out by the EU Commission showed Ireland was among the top countries in Europe with positive attitudes towards ethnic and cultural diversity.
Ms McAleese was joined at the launch at the Mansion House by Integration Minister Conor Lenihan and Ms Lo, Northern Ireland Alliance Party representative for South Belfast.
The range of events planned in Ireland for the year will centre around six themes, ranging from arts and culture, to sports, business and cross-border co-operation.
"I would encourage everyone, be they Irish national or newcomer, to engage actively with the intercultural dialogue process and to participate wholeheartedly in the sequence of events being organised, so as to ensure that the objectives of the Year will be realised to the fullest extent in this country," Ms McAleese said.
She also added it was important to remember there was unfinished work with regard to the country's Travellers and expressed hope their journey towards full social inclusion would continue. Further details on the year can be found by logging on to www.nccri.ie
PA