DiversityIreland

How can the Internet meet the information needs of Irish immigrants, ethnic minority groups, and others interested in immigration and multiculturalism?

Many newcomers and members of ethnic minority groups in Ireland are not adequately informed about matters relevant to their own needs and circumstances. There is clearly a need to improve the quality and quantity of information and to provide new opportunities for members of ethnic minority groups to communicate with each other about common interests.

Many Irish citizens are also poorly informed about matters relating to newcomers and ethnic groups in Ireland. Relevant information needs to be more widely available about the lives and circumstances of newcomers and members of ethnic minority communities in Ireland.

The Internet - especially the Web and discussion lists - may be a good way to meet many of these information and communication needs. Diversity Ireland, a new Irish organisation, planned to use the Internet to enhance the information flows between relevant agencies and ethnic minority groups in Ireland, between members of ethnic minority groups, and between newcomers and members of ethnic minority groups and people from the majority community.

I was asked to conduct a feasibility study to develop the Diversity Ireland website. The study began with research on international websites about immigration, multiculturalism and racism - to find out how these sites developed, the challenges they faced, and how the websites addressed these challenges. The study also considered: the particular information needs of newcomers and members of ethnic minority groups in Ireland; the organisational, financial and management structures of the Diversity Ireland website; and the content and technical aspects.

The Web Site for newcomers feasibility study was conducted for Diversity Ireland.

The study was completed in 2002.

- Related PUBLICATIONS -

Diversity Ireland: A Website for Newcomers to Ireland and Ethnic Minority Communities in Ireland - read

Fear and Loathing in Cyberspace (1999) - read

Human Right on the Net (1996) - read

 

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