Community Cohesion: Hounslow

1. Community Cohesion: Hounslow Ted Cantle Chair, Institute of Community Cohesion Associate Director IDeA

2. A Changing World • In 1965 75m people lived outside home country, now 180m do so. • 600,000 Brits now live in Spain; 1st and 2nd homes in Croatia, S Africa, Bulgaria etc • 25m tourists to UK and millions from UK to ever widening list of countries – many through Heathrow! • And globalisation in many forms, students, business, brands, internet, etc • Yet, riots in UK, France, Australia; inter-ethnic conflict and even genocide

3. The Changing Face of Multiculturalism – and Identity • Proper response to racism/discrimination • Multicultural model no longer adequate • Focussed on difference not commonalities • Differences between BME groups too • Competing claims of belonging -diaspora • New approaches, based on norms and values, transcending ‘identity’

4. Are We ‘Sleepwalking Into Segregation’? • Some encouraging signs in predominantly white areas – but still insularity • And ‘concentration’ of ethnic groups increasing due to ‘white flight’, natural growth and immigration. London - 340,000w; +600,000bme • Polarised communities • school segregation growing in some areas • Does spatial ‘segregation’ matter – can it be counter-balanced by other domains?

5. How Well Do We Manage New Settlement? • Resource conflicts are real - attitudes and fear of difference also real • Does increasing diversity undermine solidarity - can we/should we manage identity as part of ‘settlement’? • Does separate provision reinforce separation in an attempt to capacity build and promote cultural difference? • Whose role is this anyway?

6. The Challenge of Cohesion • To break down segregated communities – and the ‘fear of difference’. Oldham revisited • A new agenda, need to embed • With less initiatives, more mainstream • New sub-regional (and national) groupings • and new structures – DCLG and the New Commission • CEHR and new infrastructure, recognition that……….

7. Performance Tests • Community cohesion indicators – knowing what local people think and do • Avoiding tensions and disputes • Investing in positive relationships • And tackling equality and quality services • Planning services • Planning communities – eg shared spaces

8. Cohesion is a cross cutting issue • Crime and disorder – community tensions • Citizenship, belonging and identity – not just schools and not just for newcomers • New emphasis on ‘place making’ (Lyons) • Civil renewal and democratic engagement • ‘Social Capital – and interaction

9. Understanding Social Capital • The institutional and social networks which enable communities to function collectively • But what ‘capital’ exists now? • Is it affected by popn. ‘churn’ and by diversity? • How do we build it & create ‘bridging’ social capital? • What layers are there – institutions, civil and formal and informal social - and who uses them?

10. And in Coventry a new picture….

11. Developing Mixed Communities • Breaking down separation and fear • Planning mixed communities… • …for ‘people like us’ • Not just about tenure or facilities • Catering for social and psychological needs • In a creative and challenging way

12. Parallel Lives • physical segregation of housing estates and inner city areas cities compounded by separate educational arrangements, community and voluntary bodies, employment, places of worship, language, social and cultural networks • no contact between different communities – compound ‘layers of separation’ • The Response – intelligent clustering. All communities need support networks

13. Leadership in the Community • local and community organisations – making or reinforcing change? • Structural changes and funding regimes to incentivise people and orgs to co-operate and to develop cross cultural programmes • Funding commonalities, not only differences (and being clear about which) • Focus on White/LTR, not just BME

14. Tackling Extremism • Rise in support for extreme right • Other extremist groups • Common characteristic – that demonise one community or group • Appeal less clear • How to galvanise the wider community against destructive and divisive lobbies.

15. Action in Local communities …. • Education – review admissions/change parental perceptions, promote mixed intakes; twinning; joint teaching; sports/social links; • Housing – lettings and development programmes (and ‘Sustainable Communities’), and private sector too

16. Action in Local Communities ….. • Press and media – communications • Police and community safety • Youth – resources and cross-cultural • Sport, Leisure and Culture - opportunity • Economic strategy – training and jobs • Also– Health, Faith LSCs, colleges/HE etc • A partnership approach

17. Conclusions • Multiculturalism has not failed but need commonalities and cross cultural contact • Must face the challenge of extremists • Develop regional strategies and local partnerships • And build local community support • Investing to save • Driving new approaches – cross cutting, with clear leadership and new level of sophistication • But building upon success…