Our 2022 Advancing Race Equality Awards took place in the Waterfoot Hotel, Derry, on September 22 2022 with well known activists and authors Tim Brannigan and Chantelle Lunt as hosts.
The evening was an opportunity to recognise individuals, teams, groups and networks leading action, removing barriers and enhancing the inclusion of, and engagement with, ethnic minority people across Northern Ireland – from the workplace to the delivery of services.
It was also a chance for us to say a posthumous thank you to the late Ronnie Vellem who sadly passed away on February 12 2022. Having fled persecution in Zimbabwe, Ronnie became a tireless advocate for refugees and asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, with an unwavering commitment to advancing a shared society.
Youth and elders processed together carrying fabrics from Sierra Leone, Syria, and the Philippines to signal shared leadership.
Nominees co-presented a live CTA policy briefing watched by MLAs and councillors tuning in online.
A capella trio Sistren dedicated their performance to migrant health workers on the frontline.
The Community Champion award was handed over by 2021 winner Micheál Ó Fearghaíl with his daughter beside him.
