ITM Community Charter
External Message
A message to agencies with regard to what a Traveller Organisation does and how it works
We are a local Traveller Organisation. We work with Travellers for Travellers. As a Traveller-led organisation we are accountable to the Community. We were set up as a human rights organisation to achieve equality for Travellers, to challenge racism and discrimination, in order that (Area that group X works in) is a place where Travellers are valued as citizens and respects and promotes Traveller ethnicity and culture.
Our organisation, like of other members of the Irish Traveller Movement, creates a space where Travellers feel a sense of belonging in. Our organisation creates a place that celebrates Traveller identity and culture. We will endeavour to support Travellers (individually and collectively) in all issues in relation to their rights.
In order to promote Travellers’ rights we, like other human rights organisations, will use tactics and methods at our disposal: representation, policy development, advocacy, political lobbying and direct action.
Our organisation is a collective voice representing Travellers in the area. We, nor any Travellers, are responsible for the actions carried out by Travellers. We were not set up to “police” the community.
As a Traveller organisation, we bring Travellers together to look and creates an awareness of the conditions that they face, such as how services are delivered, which agencies are responsible and how the policies that have been developed govern service delivery in this area. Travellers will always have the opportunity to come together as a collective in our organisation to work together to identify any potential issues with service delivery or policy development that affects their lives. As a Traveller-led organisation we are keen to find appropriate solutions to the issues the community faces in conjunction with State agencies as we recognise that Travellers or Traveller organisations cannot work on these alone.
We work alongside statutory and non-statutory bodies in order to improve Travellers’ lives. While we build access to the community which is often utilised by the statutory sector our role is not to replace the delivery of services by State agencies.
We are a professionally run organisation that operates as a partnership between Travellers and non-Travellers which aims to give a sense of community, provide information to the community and promotes pride in the Traveller community.
Internal Message
A message to Travellers on what they can expect from their Local Traveller Organisation, how it works, what it is responsible for etc
As a Local Traveller Organisation and part of the Irish Traveller Movement we set out in this Charter the key principles underpinning our work:
Led by Travellers to challenge racism and discrimination
We are a local Traveller Organisation. We work with Travellers for Travellers. As a Traveller-led organisation we are accountable to the Community. We were set up as a human rights organisation to achieve equality for Travellers, to challenge racism and discrimination, in order that (Area that group X works in) is a place where Travellers are valued as citizens and respects and promotes Traveller ethnicity and culture.
Collective Space for Travellers
Our organisation, like of other members of the Irish Traveller Movement, creates a space where Travellers feel a sense of belonging in. Our organisation creates a place that celebrates Traveller identity and culture. We will endeavour to support Travellers (individually and collectively) in all issues in relation to their rights and that Travellers in this area will not only stand together collectively in solidarity but with Travellers across the island of Ireland and beyond, as well as other minority and marginalised groups.
Safe, confidential and non-judgemental
Our organisation creates a safe, confidential space that all Travellers in (Area X) can trust and believe in, that Travellers know they will have their voices heard, their issues understood and that as Travellers they won’t have to justify their identity and will not be judged. We as an organisation will treat everyone with respect and dignity and will listen to the community, even if it is an expression of anger of frustration. The organisation operates an “open-door” policy which welcomes all Travellers to be involved.
Understanding anger, not accepting aggression
As a Traveller organisation have an understanding of the racism and discrimination that Travellers face and an historical context of Traveller exclusion and marginalisation. As a Traveller organisation we understand the frustration and anger that Travellers have with the lack of progress on issues and acknowledge the frustration but as a project we cannot condone abusive language or violent or threatening behaviour towards staff, management or volunteers. At the core of what we do is that we find any form of violence, be it by an individual, a family or a State agency as a violation of human rights which we will not accept.
For all Travellers, regardless of family name or location
Our organisation is for all Traveller families in (this area) and not for one extended family or for one geographic area in a town or county. Our organisation aims to create ways for all Travellers to have a voice here, to develop and build confidence in themselves and their community. It is an open, transparent space that is supportive and creates opportunity. There will be no bias in this organisation in dealing with families and this organisation will always be neutral should disputes arise, dealing with all families who want to work with us and agree with our principles.
Part of our code of practice is that people can only be accountable for own actions and must take responsibility for them. Just as this organisation cannot be expected to police the community, we are not responsible any actions carried out by individuals within the community, we will not judge family or extended families for the actions of individuals and do not expect anyone to hold staff, management or volunteers accountable for actions outside the work of this organisation.
A Traveller organisation must have Traveller involvement
In all our work we aim towards having Travellers involved in everything we do. We will create spaces for Travellers to have a voice not only about the issues they collectively face, but how this organisation will collectively deal with them. A key part of what we do is that Travellers feel that this is their organisation and that they know what we do, through outreach and conversations with the community, as well as drop-in spaces. The work is decided on collectively by the community and is managed by representatives from the community alongside non-Travellers who want to stand in solidarity with Travellers.
This Organisation is a Human-Rights Organisation
We promote and defend Travellers’ human rights. We respect the diversity that exists within the community in terms of gender, age, ability, sexuality and class. People accessing support from this organisation respect and support not only the rights and right to self-determination of all Travellers locally, nationally and internationally but also other people and groups seeking equality in Ireland.
Creating Visibility and Promoting Pride in Identity
Our Organisation promotes the value of Traveller identity and culture and lobbies for it to be acknowledged in or area. Our organisation creates a sense of belonging and understanding for Travellers and looks for ways that Travellers can build a sense of pride in who they are and make this visible to other Travellers in (Area X), as well as sharing that pride to non-Travellers in the area.