Community Cohesion: Challenge and Change

1. Community Cohesion: Challenge and Change

2. Ted Cantle CBE Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo) Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA)

3. Some key trends ….. • In most developed countries • And at an international level …and some common emerging responses • Generally under ICD banner • Or, Community Cohesion Framework

4. The world is on the move….. • In 1965 75m people lived outside the home country, now 200m • 600,000 Brits live in Spain, many more from other countries; and other parts of the world (eg,200,000 NZ); Or, with second homes • Travel: 25m tourists to UK, 70m from UK – total tourist visits? • Globalisation in many forms: international students, business, finance.

5. With impacts on our neighbourhoods….. • Broader diversity: Over 300 languages in London schools; 150 + in other cities • Rural areas becoming more diverse too • Changing population composition: eg, schools becoming more polarised • New migration & population ‘churn’

6. Creating new identities • From settled communities in 50s and 60s – to an era ‘super diversity’ • Hybrid identities • Sequential and fluid identities • Inter-generational differences

7. Creating new identities • Growth of diaspora identities which compete with national identity – faith emerging in to public sphere • Transnational ‘virtual’ communities too • Pace of change – limited shared experiences; debate about shared values

9. Super diversity: managing the interface • Between and within BME communities • No longer a black v white issue • Between generations • Conflict resolution and intervention • Extremism issue – and understanding diversity within communities

10. Community cohesion framework emerged after 2001….. • Polarised & segregated communities • ‘Parallel lives’, underpinned by inequalities • Ignorance, fear & demonisation • Leadership ambivalent & shared values unclear • Initiatives reinforced difference & separation

11. Community cohesion developed to: • Promote a common sense of belonging • Positively value diversity • Tackle disadvantage and inequalities • Promote interaction in the workplace, schools and neighbourhoods

12. And community cohesion now includes…. • ‘Integration’: greater focus on what we have in common, (but not assimilation) • ‘Rights and responsibilities’ and ‘trust in local institutions’ • Now applied to faith, age, sexual orientation, travellers, social class, special needs – how any ‘difference’ is seen

13. Has multiculturalism failed? • We have many multi-cultural countries, under different models • All were a pragmatic response to racism / discrimination – acceptance of pluralism with some real success (though more to do on disadvantage) • But multicultural models were focussed on difference, rather than on commonalities

14. But the politics are changing… • Migration centre of gravity shifted • Emphasis on integrational measures – eg ‘earned citizenship’; English language, school duty • New focus on white w/c • The far right – growth across Europe

16. First response: new engagement • Political representation of new communities – electoral and at community level (block deals more difficult too) • Can umbrella bodies really represent diversity between and within communities? • And do we know who our communities are? • Meanwhile white w/c disenfranchised

17. Second response – understand local issues • What does it mean to Manchester, Maidstone – or Madrid? • Keeping a ‘finger on the pulse’ - local issues, tensions and priorities, across all differences • Continuing to tackle unequal life chances, poverty & disaffection • And trying to create a sense of belonging….

22. Understanding our communities • The ‘fear of difference’ • Not dismissing racism & identity ‘loss’ • Far right groups play on these fears, and focus on insular communities with limited conceptions of ‘others’ • (Which – ICD programmes can break down)

23. Understanding social capital • Institutional & social networks which enable communities to function effectively • Is it affected by population churn & diversity – as people ‘hunker down’? (Putnam) • How do we build ‘bridging’ social capital? • And get people involved in their local community – and ‘looking out for each other’?

24. Third response – facilitating change • Planning mixed spaces and communities, not just housing, also - • Employment and enterprise opportunities, cultural, faith and community facilities • Catering for social & psychological needs – understanding how social capital works • Designing shared spaces – leisure, shopping, libraries, sports, arts, festivals

25. Facilitating change - across communities • Examples such as school twinning, sports & arts programmes, inter-faith networks, youth projects – ICD programmes • Welcome packs – induction programmes • Special schemes – church/mosque visits; living libraries; cooking together • All to create shared experiences, shared spaces, develop respect, trust & shared values

26. Facilitating change - across communities • Make it sustainable – social capital/civil society • And make it mainstream – in schools, new ‘duty to promote cohesion’; citizenship; gangs etc regeneration and housing schemes in the workplace, social, sports and cultural programmes

27. Facilitating change - across communities • Communications programme, to dispel myths, to provide information and to tackle real concerns • Tackling inequalities and disadvantage (must be in the same places!) • And ensuring mutual respect through status and position

28. Facilitating change– success indicators • ‘Hard’ and ‘soft’ indicators can be used • The key indicator – ‘people of different backgrounds get on well together’ (but ‘sense of belonging’, ‘interaction’, ‘trust’ to be added) • Ongoing tension monitoring essential • And engagement with diverse and changing communities

29. Fourth response - building partnerships and capacity • Political parties – re-doing politics • Civil society as a whole, employers, sports people, youth uniform organisations etc • Creating diversity advantage – creative and entrepreneurial centres – and visibility • Values, symbols & celebrations

30. Fourth response - building capacity • Developing technical and managerial capacity – eg data, tension monitoring, new ‘duty to promote cohesion’ in schools • Developing political capacity – cross party support • Developing community leaders – ‘gateways’ rather than ‘gatekeepers’ (and SGF debate)

31. Building capacity in local communities • Emphasis on mainstream services, rather than specialist provision – housing, education, employment • Review of labour market – with employers – project future needs and skills • Press & media • Faith and community sector • Sport, leisure & culture, • Partners – universities, police, health,

32. New roles: • Manage new population – engagement, services & identity – local and national belonging • Respond to resource needs – eg in schools, health & housing • Manage settlement of new communities and work with existing residents • Prevent & manage conflicts & disputes at early stage – not police led

33. As well as…… • Initiate cross-cultural programmes • Understand social capital & bridging relationships between communities • With leadership and vision - and commitment from whole community • And as part of mainstream civil society, not a special programme

34. And build on emerging success!

35. Ted Cantle Book: Community Cohesion: a new framework for race and diversity www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk