Dublin Embraces Inclusion and Integration
Inclusion and Integration Week 2025 aims to encourage social inclusion, integration & diversity
opening event Humans of Dublin photography exhibition
Celebrating Dublin as a City for All, Dublin City Council’s Inclusion and Integration Week will take place from tomorrow 23rd May through to Sunday 1st June 2025. The week is a celebration of everyone who lives in our city and features hundreds of free events online and in person, including: music, talks, arts & crafts, walking tours, films, workshops and more!
Cllr Feljin Jose, deputising for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Shauna McIntyre, DCC’s Local Community Development Committee Chief Officer, Beatrice Casserley, DCC Social Inclusion Officer and Peter Varga, Creator of Humans of Dublin.
It was officially launched today by Cllr Feljin Jose, deputising for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who opened a photography exhibition called ‘Humans of Dublin’ for staff at the Civic Offices.
Inclusion and Integration week shows that everyone is welcome and valued in Dublin, such as young people, older people, those living with disabilities, members of the Traveller community, early school leavers and migrants Another key aspect of the events is to help inform the people of Dublin how they can appreciate and grow diversity.
Cllr. Feljin Jose, deputising for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, commented “Dublin City’s Inclusion and Integration Week 2025 is important so that everyone in Dublin can feel included and know that they are a vital part of our community. This week’s inclusion and integration events highlight the rich cultures that make up Dublin and show how diversity brings with it exciting new experiences.”
“Inclusion and Integration has to be front, left and centre of every conversation, every policy, every step we take as public representatives to meet the needs of the people and communities we represent and improve their quality of life,” he continued.
Shauna McIntyre, Dublin City Council said, “Dubliners live in an increasingly diverse, multicultural city. We are more challenged than ever before to better realise the future of our city as a welcoming, inclusive, dynamic, prosperous and indeed a fair city to live in, to work and to play in.”
Humans of Dublin photography exhibition opens today in Dublin’s Civic Offices as the first Inclusion and Integration event. Dublin’s Humans are an exhibition of twelve photos each with an accompanying story highlighting twelve council staff members and their stories with Inclusion and Integration. It will be on display for the duration of Inclusion and Integration Week.
Yoga Laakshmi Chandrasekhar, who participated in the ‘Humans of Dublin’ Project.
Peter Varga, Creator of Humans of Dublin said, “Behind every large organisation, there are people. People like you and me, with lives just as complex, challenging, and layered. We often forget this when we’re navigating policies, processes, or public services. The “Humans of DCC” project was created to remind us of the human side of Dublin City Council. The planners, carers, drivers, engineers, and countless others who quietly keep the city going. Through honest portraits and open conversations, I was given a glimpse into their world. With each story, I was reminded that empathy has the power to shift how we see institutions not as faceless systems, but as communities made up of individuals doing their best. This project is my way of saying: look closer. There’s always a human story behind the work.”
Inclusion and Integration Week aims to highlight the positive work carried out by Dublin City Council and other agencies to promote social inclusion, integration and diversity in our city. The week’s events are organised by Dublin City Council’s Community & Social Development working collaboratively with a range of delivery partners.
More information about the week is available from www.dublincityinclusion.ie.
Notes to the Editor:
Dublin City Council Social Inclusion Unit
Dublin City Council’s Social Inclusion Section works actively in the development and promotion of social inclusion initiatives, events, projects and programmes throughout Dublin city. The work of the Social Inclusion Section is guided by Dublin City Council’s Corporate Plan 2025-2029.
Aims of the Social Inclusion Section include:
- Highlighting the positive work that Dublin City Council and other agencies are involved in to reduce social exclusion and poverty
- Promoting an understanding of inclusion in Dublin city
- Celebrating diversity across the city
The Social Inclusion Section works closely and in partnership with:
- Community and voluntary groups
- Non-government organisations
- State agencies and social partners
- Dublin City Public Participation Network
- Other Dublin City Council departments and sections
Some of the work of the Social Inclusion Section can be seen by the following actions:
- Diverse community initiatives
- Social inclusion Week
Contact: socialinclusion@dublincity.ie
More information about Inclusion and Integration Week is available from www.dublincityinclusion.ie. #DublinCityInclusion25
Humans of Dublin is the creation of Peter Varga. Born in Budapest, he moved to Dublin at the age of 19. Peter is an author, photographer and creator of the social media phenomenon, Humans of Dublin.
For more information see www.humansofdublin.ie.
