HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The African and Caribbean Community Support Organisation (ACSONI) was formed in 2003 as an independent community Organisation to address the needs and aspirations of people who are from the continent of Africa and African descendent nations.  These include people who are of Afro-Caribbean, African American, and African European Heritage.

ACSONI was borne out of a series of consultations and focus groups carried out by South Belfast Highway to Health Project.

Although the African and Caribbean community is one of the larger Minority Ethnic Communities in Northern Ireland (1136 people, according to the 2001 Census, which today is estimated to be in excess of 6,000), information on the life and experiences of Black Africans, African, Caribbean and other Afro-descendants in Northern Ireland is virtually non-existent.

In 2003, a focus group was convened to explore, identify and discuss the need for developing a community organisation to cater to the needs of Northern Ireland’s African and Caribbean community.  The group carried out a needs assessment to identify gaps in service provision to the African and Caribbean community.  One of the outcomes of the needs-assessment was the assumption that Africa was a country and not a continent.  It was also identified that there was a lack of resources, community support and infrastructure to address specific needs of individuals from the African continent, the Afro-Caribbean and other individuals of African descent.

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ACSONI'S 2010-2013 STRATEGIC PLAN

 

To request a copy of the Strategic Plan, please contact the ACSONI office.

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ACSONI MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to Africans, African-Americans, Afro-European, Caribbeans and Afro descendants including spouses, and family members, provided they are in sympathy with  the aims and objects of ACSONI. People are deemed to be in sympathy if they share a common interest and accord with the mission of ACSONI. They wish to contribute to ACSONI sanctioned activities. Recently the organisation has seen a rapid and dramatic increase in the number of individuals from this community who have decided to reside and work in Northern Ireland.

Membership fee is only £5 for the year for individuals and £10 for families. Please contact the office to join ACSONI.

The activities of ACSONI are open to all and participation is welcomed especially from the local community. As a member you are entitled to many privileges including, voting for your desired candidates in AGMs, taking on roles in management, have a say in the running of the organisation which represents your community, influence change in your community, assist in policy making in Northern Ireland as it relates to the Afro /Black  community, access to international paid exchange programs, take part in events, workshops and training courses, Equal access to  resources, references and recommendations  for employment and other applications; Take part in our Annual Christmas dinners,  summer barbecues , day excursions and other cultural celebrations;  Have credible representation from a reputable registered umbrella organisation. Be socially included in a community where your needs are catered for. The membership fees will directly go into general administrative cost of the work of ACSONI and will be used for your own benefit. An annual financial report will give you details of how the funds are being used for the benefit of the whole community.

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VISION

A society that enables fair and equal treatment of all individuals, where equality, inter-culturalism and human rights are valued and embraced; a society that is inclusive, shared and free from all forms of discrimination.

VISION PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES To achieve our vision, we have set seven strategic priorities and three key objectives under each priority.  The outworking of our strategic objectives will be through an annual action plan which will describe activities, programmes and projects which ACSONI will undertake to achieve these objectives and anticipated outcomes.  Our 7 Strategic Priorities: Foster integration and promote understanding, within and between communities. Build the capacity of individuals within the Afro-Community to engage with mainstream services through development education programmes. Develop and promote positive images and cultural awareness of the African and African descendent communities in Northern Ireland. Promote social inclusion, community involvement, community engagement and participation through relevant structured programmes. Provide anti-racism training and influence the media and development sector in terms of their usage of positive images. Provide and organise citizenship / induction training for new residents from our community to Northern Ireland. Monitor and record hate crime incidents within the Afro-Community and serve as a third party recording and tension monitoring centre.

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MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to promote the capabilities and interests of the Northern Ireland Afro-Community, and to ensure that all individuals are empowered and given equal opportunity to contribute to civic life in Northern Ireland.

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VALUES

Integrity and Accountability
Discharging roles and duties with unquestionable integrity and upholding public ethics of accountability, honesty and transparency in all aspects of its operations.

Professionalism
Promote continuous learning, capacity building and training whilst cultivating a harmonious and conducive working environment.

Teamwork
Engage cohesive and collective community involvement as project custodians, to take full ownership of and work together to achieve our goals.

Equality and Equity
Fair and impartial treatment of all members of society.

Mutual Respect
Create and maintain an environment of tolerance and mutual respect.

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