Addresses the silence in current literature on the perspective of African asylum-seeking families in Ireland. The book allows the voices of those on society's margins to be heard and the author employs a progressive approach to develop understanding of child protection issues within the context of asylum-seeking communities.
Colletta Dalikeni is a Registered African-Irish Social worker and academic, currently based at Dundalk Institute of Technology. She is Board member of the Irish Association of Social Workers, and co-founder of the IASW Anti-Racism Advisory group. Colletta's local and international social work academic and practice experience encompass various areas that include but are not limited to child protection/welfare, medical social work and intellectual disability. Her research and teaching interests have a bias towards culturally sensitive social work practice with various ethnic minority categories such as immigrants, asylum seeker and refugees. Her particular focus is on how the intersecting discourse of race, racism, culture, come to bear on their human rights in the context of social citizenship entitlements. Colletta's emancipatory activist research and scholarship is evidenced through her ongoing active involvement in several community social inclusion and diversity projects. Some of her current work is focussed on creating safe spaces and conducive conditions for addressing race-based issues in both social work practice and education through asking difficult questions about Racism. Her other current preoccupations involve leading collaborative Erasmus Plus funded EU projects that are also aimed at challenging Racism and other injustices to promote successful social inclusion and integration at national and EU levels.