A Guide to Understanding and Responding to the Far-Right
A resource to support community workers, community work organisations and groups concerned with promoting social inclusion and human rights to respond to far-right actors and activity.
Far-right ideologies are shared across borders and activity inspired by far-right values are increasingly seen as a transnational threat. While the atrocities committed in other jurisdictions have not been seen in this country, since 2018, the far-right have been increasingly organising and attempting to build a narrative of discrimination, racism, inequality, homophobia, and transphobia in Ireland. The focus of their attention has primarily been on building opposition to asylum seekers and refugees, organising homophobic and transphobic mobilisations, anti-repeal pickets outside hospitals and, since 2020, COVID conspiracy theories. Their activities and mobilisations take place online and offline. The impact of their activities can be profound on people and communities at the receiving end of their action.
There is an urgent need to better understand how this ideology manifests in action and how to challenge it when it does. It is important that those of us who care about human rights and inclusion are prepared and take a stand to disrupt far-right activity that is actively working against an inclusive and just society.
The aim of this guide is to increase knowledge and support community workers and civil society organisations to challenge far-right organising in our communities. The guide is informed by the work of the Far-Right Observatory and of Community Work Ireland and by the issues, concerns and experiences of our members.
FRO have also produced Guidance on messaging for civil society in context of local protests against people seeking asylum and refugees that might be useful in the current circumstances.
