Latest

EMBRACE ‘Who’s who? Who’s here?’ leaflet available.
Jan 2008
EMBRACE have prepared a leaflet entitled ‘Who’s who? Who’s here?’ which gives summary information relating to commonly asked questions concerning people seeking asylum, refugees, migrants and migrant workers who come to N Ireland. For more information or to obtain free copies, please contact our office.

EMBRACE AGM considers the shadow cast by slavery
The Keynote speaker at the EMBRACE AGM 2007 was Arlington Trotman, the Moderator of the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe. He said that African descendants are always aware that skin colour is at the heart of the matter. Africans were deemed to be inferior and European enslavers superior. This was used to justify the horrific slave trade, and was reinforced by Enlightenment thinkers. The slave trade was economic and made huge wealth for Britain and Europe, all at the expense of enslaved Aficans traded in America and the Caribbean. Even Christian themes were used to justify enslavement: One of Sir John Hawkin’s slave ships commanded by Francis Drake and owned by Queen Elizabeth was ironically called The Grace of God.
Today, some 10.5 million people exist in various forms of slavery, including bonded labour and sex exploitation. The systematic extraction of mineral resources from Africa and Asia over the centuries has contributed to abject poverty in those continents, and deep mental slavery. The Bible challenges dehumanisation but proclaims the oneness of the human family. We have to strive together to confirm the equality of all human beings, and to reunite humanity socially, economically and politically.

EMBRACE Launch ‘once we were strangers’ CD Rom
On Thursday 25th January 2006, at St. Columcilles Church Hall, Belfast, EMBRACE launched ‘once we were strangers’ CD Rom. This resource consists of a collection of nine first-hand accounts of the experience of arriving and settling here. In addition there are Bible studies, reflections, discussion starters and group activities, which provide opportunities to consider the issues and how to best respond in welcome.
Alongside the CD, Dr Scott Boldt launched a booklet entitled ‘Intercultural Insights - Christian reflections on racism, hospitality and identity from the island of Ireland’. The booklet consists of 16 short pieces on the theme, suitable for personal reflection or use in sermons and talks, and comes out under the aegis of the All-Ireland Churches’ Consultative Meeting on Racism which is part of the inter-church structures (Irish Inter-Church Meeting).

Copies of both resources are available from the EMBRACE office.

Assistance parcels for Destitute Migrant Workers
As part of a response to the destitution of migrant workers EMBRACE has established a pilot project with several Belfast churches through which basic packs of essential items are prepared and distributed to those in need. 

2006 AGM
The EMBRACE 2006 AGM was held at Edgehill Theological College on the evening of Tuesday, 16th May. The keynote address was given by Dr Neil Jarman, Director of The Institute for Conflict Research. Dr Jarman spoke on the topic of ‘Migrant Workers, new trends and new challenges’, providing a coherent assessment of the movement of workers into Northern Ireland, primarily from the EU accession states, their needs and the impact on the local community and economy.This was followed by the reflections of Anna Lo, from the Chinese Welfare Association on the experience of the Chinese population in settling in Northern Ireland in the past 40 years.