Talking About Race in Northern Ireland: Building Hope and Connection
Northern Ireland has always been a place shaped by movement.
Many of us have family, friends and ancestors who left for work, safety, or opportunity; today, people are arriving here for the very same reasons.
Talk about migration can sometimes feel new or uncertain - but they’re just another kind of conversation. With empathy and curiosity, they can build trust and understanding.
At Act Now, we believe that change doesn’t just happen through petitions or policies. It starts in conversation; in how we talk, listen, and respond to each other. It isn’t about winning arguments. It’s about building understanding.
Many people’s views are shaped by frustration, not hostility - by experiences of economic insecurity, housing pressure or feeling left out of decisions that affect their lives. When we start from that truth, we open doors instead of closing them.
1. What shapes people’s views about migrants
Many people are angry and frustrated because they care. It's because they feel unheard, insecure, or excluded from decisions that affect their lives.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman describes two ways of thinking:
Fast thinking: instinctive, emotion-led, shaped by fear or lived experience.
Slow thinking: reflective, analytical, and open to new information.
Opinions about migration are influenced by the unmet needs in our society - like access to housing, healthcare and stability. When people are stuck in survival mode, their nervous systems are in fight or flight, making emotions - not facts -the driving force behind how they think and respond.
Some views are also shaped by collective trauma - the legacy of conflict, poverty, or loss. These experiences affect how people respond to change and difference.
A trauma-informed approach doesn’t excuse prejudice, but it helps understand it..
It asks:
“What’s driving this fear or frustration?”
instead of
“Why are they wrong?”
Understanding that doesn’t mean agreeing. It means recognising that people’s views are often rooted in what they’ve lived through - and that connection, not confrontation, is what begins to shift perspectives.
2. Drawing on Northern Ireland’s experience of dialogue and displacement
Northern Ireland has decades of hard-earned experience in talking across difference. We’ve learned that progress doesn’t come from shouting louder, but from staying at the table long enough to listen.
Community dialogue, mediation, and restorative practice were born out of necessity here. They taught people how to build trust where it had broken down, and how to stay in conversation even when agreement felt impossible.
That history gives us a unique advantage. We already understand what it means to rebuild relationships after conflict and to create shared spaces where everyone belongs. Recognising that shared story doesn’t erase the challenges of change, but it reminds us of something essential; empathy isn’t new to Northern Ireland, it’s part of who we are.
3. How to have conversations that connect, not divide
We don’t need to be experts; just curious and compassionate!
Here’s a simple five-step framework drawn from community dialogue and trauma-informed practice:
1. Identify the need behind the words
Behind every statement, there’s a feeling. “It’s not fair that migrants get free housing.” might really mean: “I feel like life’s getting harder and nobody cares.”
2. React with empathy
“Things are difficult at the moment, a lot of people are struggling..” Acknowledging emotion doesn’t mean agreeing; it shows you’re listening.
3. Find common ground
Fairness, safety, family, opportunity - these are values almost everyone shares.
E.g. Everyone deserves a safe roof over their head.
4. Ask open questions
“Why do you think that is?”
“What do you think would help?”
“Who is responsible for …. E.g. providing housing?”
Open questions invite reflection and slower thinking
5. Offer gentle information
Once the tension drops, share something useful: “Most people seeking asylum aren’t allowed to work. What do you think about allowing people to contribute?” Or point them to trusted sources like Fact Check NI or Law Centre NI.
We can’t change everyone’s mind, but we can plant a seed.
4. It’s not just what we say, it’s how we say it
Tone of voice is the single most powerful part of any conversation. Long before people process our words, they feel our tone; whether it’s calm and respectful, or tense and defensive.
Body language and timing matter too, but tone sets the stage for whether someone stays open or shuts down.
Try to:
Keep your tone steady, warm and curious
Keep an open posture.
Nod or smile to show you’re listening.
Pause before responding - it signals that you’re reflecting, not reacting.
Stay calm and non-judgemental.
Small signals - especially tone of voice - can build trust where tension exists. They show respect, help others feel safe, and make it more likely the conversation will continue.
6. Know when (and when not) to engage
Not everyone is open. If someone is deeply hostile or using dehumanising language, step back. Focus on the persuadables - those who are unsure, curious, or conflicted.
And look after yourself:
Check your energy before you start.
Choose safe spaces for sensitive conversations.
Debrief afterwards - with friends or colleagues.
You can’t build empathy if you’re running on empty!
7. Useful resources
8. Bringing this training to your organisation
Conversations about migration are really important. At the core, it’s about recognising people’s humanity, and learning how to talk about it in a way that builds trust instead of tension.
If your organisation, community group, or team wants to build confidence in constructive dialogue, and empathy-led communication around migration, Act Now delivers Navigating Conversations About Migration workshops across Northern Ireland.
Find out more by sending an email to katy@actnowni.org
