How Poppintree Youth Project Is Challenging Far Right Narratives in Youth Work

In late November protests against the opening of migrant accommodation broke out in East Wall. Over the Christmas period, these protests intensified. When the youth workers in Poppintree Youth Service returned to work in the new year, it was clear that the campaign to wreak havoc in disenfranchised communities was gaining momentum. External actors were whipping up fear on what was happening in communities. Information gaps were being filled with misinformation. 

The heart of any youth project is the kitchen table; “if you wanna know what’s happening in the community sit at that table from 2.30 pm and you’ll hear it all” said the service manager. As protests started to spread into Ballymun lots of misinformation and fear turned up at that table about people potentially moving into the area. Poppintree youth workers started to focus on the growing issue around the kitchen table straight away. “We realised the kitchen table conversations weren’t going to be enough” the service manager explained

The first intervention planned was to run a programme for 8 young people from 6th class. What youth workers knew wouldn’t work was telling any young people that was confused, or had questions, or believed the misinformation, that they were wrong. The programme had to be fun, led by the young people, engaging, and meeting them where they were at. The aim was to broaden young people’s understanding of the context of the conversation that was happening in the community. 

“For example, in the first week, we asked them what they thought democracy was and they hadn’t a clue so we ran an election… I promised every second Friday off school and a free chicken fillet roll every week…. the student we had on placement promised free electric scooters for going to school and bottles of Prime in their school lunches” explained one of the workers. Young people cast their ballot, which opened up a discussion about how political decisions are made and how you influence them, what politicians promise and why people might say things that aren’t true in the community.”

As the programme developed, the protests in the community started to intensify. By week 3 of the programme, on the day the group were coming in for their session, a rumour was being spread in the community.  It started to go around that 200 beds had been placed within the community centre and that men were going to move in. Moreover, the centre was to close and services lost. Misinformation was rife in the community, a march to the centre was planned that night at 6 pm. Staff did everything they could to address the misinformation, they brought people into the centre to show them it was empty, shared videos of empty rooms and sports halls; nothing could convince the protesters that what was being spread was lies. At 3 pm Dublin City Council decided they were closing the facility to protect the staff from the protest called for 6pm. “We decided we weren’t closing, we weren’t going to be intimidated into withdrawing a vital service for the community” explained the service manager “The young people arrived for their 3rd session, full of the rumours that were going around so us youth workers just played along” and we marched with the young people down to the hall to show them the beds. When the young people threw open the doors and saw it was empty they were, first of all, confused but then had a penny-drop moment about the power of misinformation in the community and how much trust we can put in what we hear and see online. “It was a powerful moment and pulled everything that was being talked about in the programme together.” The programme also looked at solidarity and understanding the lives of others, exploring young people’s own experiences of being judged and excluded. “The last day of the programme we brought young people to the Dail, so they could see where decisions are made. It was a really great programme around political education, misinformation and solidarity.”

Alongside that programme, Poppintree started to engage in a joint piece of work with other Northside youth projects. Drawing on the “Transforming Hate in Youth Work” training and resources from the National Youth Council of Ireland, youth projects from across the northside have been working with young people on tackling hateful narratives. “So there is one group from each project and they work on their own programme in the project, doing their own activities and sessions… Then twice the young people come together for integration days to share what they have been learning with young people from other areas” explained the service manager. The young people are learning about hate, hateful narratives, understanding others, and looking into misinformation. Youth workers are working to build community solidarity. “The National Youth Council coming to train the youth workers from across the projects on their resources was an integral part of that project and then as youth services we just took it from there, it’s a great piece of work we are incredibly proud of it.”