Emer Costello is an EU and Public Affairs Consultant based in Dublin, Ireland.  She is a member of the Board of Show Racism the Red Card, Ireland.  At the first ever Nordic Diversity Forum in May 2020 she is going to share her experience about successfully promoting diversity in a thriving European capital and working for social justice globally.

Emer Costello has received several awards for her work with migrant communities in Ireland, including: The Africa Centre International Diversity Leadership Award (2018); Metro Éireann International Leadership Award 2014 for service to New Communities; and Excel Network Friends of Africa Award. 

As Lord Mayor of Dublin and a Dublin City Councillor, Emer developed a number of initiatives to support migrant communities in Dublin, including promoting ethnic entrepreneurship, campaigning for rights of irregular migrants and domestic workers and the dissemination of voter information for migrants.

In the European Parliament, Emer was a Member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee where she acted as Rapporteur on the EU Food Poverty Report – the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD).  She was nominated for an “Innovation in Politics” award for her work on that report.  She was Chairperson of the European Parliament’s Delegation to Palestine and she led many Parliamentary delegations to the West Bank.  Emer was also a Substitute Member of the Development Committee.  

Prior to going into work in politics full time, Emer served as Programme Manager of the Education Service of Léargas, the Irish National Agency for EU Programmes in Education, Training and Youth – Erasmus+. Emer Costello holds a first class honours MBA from the Technological University Dublin and a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Higher Diploma in Education from University College Dublin.

Emer has a strong record of campaigning on diversity and equality issues.   She was to the fore of the campaign to outlaw Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Ireland and worked with many migrant groups in Ireland on this issue.  She features as a character in the 2019 biographical film of FGM Campaigner Ifrah Ahmed, “A Girl from Mogadishu” (directed by Mary McGuckian).   In 2018 she acted as an Expert to the Rapporteur of the Committee of the Regions Report on Women’s Empowerment in the Southern Mediterranean.

Emer continues to work on and support anti-racism campaigns in Ireland and the EU.

We are looking forward to listen to her and discuss with her at the first ever Nordic Diversity Forum 2020

Nordic Diversity Forum 2020, Helsinki, Maxime Theatre, May 20th, engage, inspire innovate!