‘A Shared Future’ - from the NICVA Policy Manifesto
Posted by Feargal O'Kane on Feb 12 2007 under A Shared Future, Policy Manifesto |
Voluntary and community organisations have welcomed the publication of A Shared Future and the first draft Triennial Action Plan to accompany it. Sectarianism and racism are problems which are found at every level of society across Northern Ireland, not a localised issue for interfaces or disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
The policy document recognises he seriousness of this as a policy challenge for the first time, but is weak in many areas
– there are few concrete targets, no dedicated budget and little emphasis on key areas such as children and young people. We now need a clear action plan with measurable targets and timeframes which translates all of the policy into actions, not just selected parts.
There is frustration that full implementation of the Shared Future policy seems to be waiting political progress. While this is ultimately essential, implementation of the policy just proceed now. If the policy is really to bring about change, we need a clear mechanism whereby any government policy must demonstrate how it contributes to A Shared Future, before funding is granted. This also requires a strong monitoring function.
The voluntary and community sector has a clear role to play in healing social divisions and increasing community cohesion when Northern Ireland’s society is changing and our challenges go beyond the traditional orange and green to wider ethnic and cultural diversity. This includes the involvement of women in the process, in keeping with government’s international
obligations. Unfortunately, much of the good practice and expertise resident in the sector is in danger of being lost due to the uncertainty of short-term funding. We now need a clear link between Positive Steps, which promises the introduction of longer-term, outcome focused funding for the sector, and the delivery of A Shared Future.
Future developments must be capitalised upon to increase the impact of A Shared Future. These include the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Review of Public Administration and Peace III. We call for a genuine investment in A Shared Future through a proper budget to resource its implementation, a central role for the policy in structures flowing from the RPA such as community planning and a Peace III programme tightly focused on peace and reconciliation outcomes.
We therefore call on government and political parties to:
- Ensure the RPA delivers A Shared Future by placing the policy at the centre of statutory guidance to be developed for community planning, so that every community plan contributes to a shared, diverse and inclusive society. We also need to develop a robust code of conduct for elected representatives.
- Ensure that changes in education move us closer to integrated education, rather than peripheral sharing of facilities, and that teacher training includes anti-sectarian awareness techniques, diversity and confl ict management – both for new teachers and those already in post. There is also an urgent need to incorporate these elements into the school curriculum.
- Implement extended schools provision in a non-segregated manner.
- Institute an awareness raising campaign that the problem of sectarianism highlighted in A Shared Future is not solely about interface or disadvantaged communities, but is about everyone in Northern Ireland, including the middle classes and political parties.
- Ensure that plans for all new development, such as that in Titanic Quarter, on the Crumlin Road site and Cathedral Quarter in Belfast set out clearly how they will implement A Shared Future in terms of shared housing, education and public space, particularly if a proportion of social housing can be made available in every new development, as happens in the Republic.
- Develop and implement a new policy for preserving existing mixed/shared areas across Northern Ireland so that the housing market alone does not drive residential mixing.
- Ensure a robust link with the Racial Equality Strategy in the implementation of A Shared Future.
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