Minister gets a flavour of multi-cultural cuisine

Culture Minister Nelson McCausland today attended a multi-cultural lunch at the McCracken Summer School in North Belfast.

The international buffet lunch was designed to promote a range of communities and cultures that make up the rich tapestry of life in Northern Ireland today. Food for the event was provided by members from the Chinese, Indian, Islamic and Latin American communities, each providing a flavour of their home cuisine.

The Minister said: “It is clear that over recent years Northern Ireland has become a much more multi-cultural society and events like this help us to promote and celebrate this cultural variety. It is vitally important that all these cultures are an integral part of the wider shared future vision that is being promoted by the Northern Ireland Executive.”

The McCracken Summer School is an annual event organised by the McCracken Cultural Society in North Belfast to promote Irish culture. The summer school programme includes a wide range of events including music, Irish language courses, film and art as well as a number of special events such as CD and book launches, lectures and historical tours.

The Minister added: "My Department’s contribution to the budget of the North/South Language Body in 2009 amounted to £6.5million. Through this funding the Department's investment in the work of the Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge has seen successful projects and programmes, such as the McCracken Summer School, take place. This funding helps to promote and develop the indigenous Ulster-Scots and Irish cultures in Northern Ireland and ensures that our diversity can be shared and enjoyed for the benefit of all.”

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