Welcome to the ‘Ats us nai‘ project – where we inform you of what’s going on ‘nai’ in Northern Ireland’s communities. This project is funded by the Community Relations Council‘s through it’s Media Grant Scheme – they caught up with us to ask us about our upcoming series. This is what we had to say:
The #AtsUsNai project is a series of interviews with folks from Northern Ireland’s community sector about the work they’re doing to bring about positive change.
Tell us about the ‘Ats us nai’ project…
We are officially launching AvilaMedia as a social enterprise in Northern Ireland with this project. Our followers will know us as a blog, but we are much more than that now.
The ‘Ats us nai’ series will contain vlogs and articles interviewing community leaders on the positive impact they’re having ‘nai’ on shaping Northern Ireland and its future. We are partnering with another vital contributor to Northern Ireland’s community sector , Ani Kanakaki, whose track record of delivering vlogs, digital media and training for communities across Northern Ireland and, indeed, Europe, will only further enrich this project. You can continue to follow the project on Northern Slant and on social media at #AtsUsNai.
Here’s more on the idea behind the project
Who will you be interviewing?
I don’t want to give too much away at the beginning but we will be centring a several themes: women’s work, minority ethnic communities, youth work and the use arts and sports to build community and continue reconciliation throughout NI.
So, tell us a little more about your social enterprise?
AvilaMedia is now a social enterprise dedicated to three things: current affairs, culture and community. As lifelong travellers, our journalism has been globally focused, but our outreach and work within the community sector is very much based in Northern Ireland.
Belfast is where we call home and it’s only right that we pay tribute to the community here. We really think a lot can be achieved with the social enterprise model, especially locally. We want to make a lasting and sustainable impact in communities throughout Northern Ireland – whether that’s through aiding in continued reconciliation or in developing ways to better integrate migrant communities – we’re all in on helping make Northern Ireland a thriving and inclusive place.
Where did the idea behind AvilaMedia come from?
We wanted to create an online platform that models Northern Ireland’s unparalleled sense of community and character and bring that to a global stage. So far, we’ve had a few guest articles from those dear to us, from other travel blogs and frequented Twitter accounts. This is still very much the goal of AvilaMedia – in which I’ll explain a bit more about later – but this was also small minded. We want to have real social impact locally that gives back to the community and really shows what Northern Ireland – and its people – have to offer.
We have a real love for Northern Ireland and what goes on in its communities. We’re well aware of how both the local and global media thrives on negativity. Yet, working in the community sector, we see so many positive things happen every day to real people. We want to concentrate on that positivity as much as possible and that was the thought behind ‘Ats us nai’. Instead of dwelling on where our political leaders fail us, let’s take a look at those making real impact at the grassroots level – those are the stories that should be told! Our goal isn’t to shy away from sensitive topics, but to find constructive and collaborative ways to address everyday issues. I think that’s at the heart of this organisation and specifically this project.
What’s your long term vision with this project?
Where to start? We want this project to be a launching pad to bring further awareness to the ‘third sector’. We see Northern Ireland’s potential and we want to continue to foster it and bring people from different backgrounds together. Northern Ireland is an increasingly diverse place in 2020, as this project no doubt highlights. In short, we want to build an online community that models Northern Ireland’s continued pursuit of a better tomorrow and we’re here to do our part.
Any other thoughts?
No, ‘ats it! We’re very excited about the launch of ‘Ats us nai’ and of our new social enterprise. We appreciate all the support from Northern Slant and the Community Relations Council for their mutual collaboration on this project!
Whether you live in Northern Ireland or further afar, we hope to see you out in the community soon!
If you ware interested in being interviewed for the project, please contact us!
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