A campaign to stamp out racism in Northern Ireland was launched today after it was revealed that people in the North were twice as likely to be racist as sectarian.
The North's Minister of Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, unveiled a video – True Colours- produced by young people for young people through the Children's Law Centre.
Punam Tohani, of the Children's Law Centre, said: “The facts are frightening. People in Northern Ireland are twice as likely to be racist as sectarian."
Mr McGuinness said he wanted young people to leave school equipped to challenge unacceptable attitudes and to have “the courage to debunk stereotypes”.
Speaking at the launch in Belfast, Mr McGuinness said:“There is a challenge to create a culture of zero tolerance for any manifestation of racism, from any source, within our schools and youth services.
“We, in the education sector, have an active part to play in creating the same culture in the wider community.”
The testimonies contained in the video, together with recent academic research, “presents us all with the unpalatable truth that we also face a problem of racism within our society”, Mr McGuinness said.
PA