NI agencies 'blueprint' for conflict zones

Community relations initiatives in Northern Ireland should act as a "blueprint" for other conflict zones, according to a University of Ulster report.

UU researcher Dr Clem McCartney said that the government’s funding and support of bodies like the Community Relations Council and voluntary organisations was a proven template for others to adopt.

The report – by UNU/INCORE, the United Nations University based at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus – examined governmental policies towards community relations in a number of countries including Britain, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Lebanon and India.

It concluded that throughout the world there is "very limited experience" in promoting better community relations. In many instances, governments had adopted strategies which often hinder the improvement of community relations.

“Governments are quite good at setting in place structural arrangements such as new constitutional arrangements, the legal protection of the rights of minorities, provision of resources for cultural activities for each community, increased policing and security measures," Dr McCartney said.

“Governments are not necessarily good at dealing with people’s attitudes and state of mind. That, possibly, is best done by voluntary bodies and the non-governmental sector which have the flexibility and commitment to pioneer new programmes. Governments can encourage them through funding and support.”

The research concluded that bodies modelled on the Community Relations Council could provide a mechanism to bridge the gap between the state and ethnic communities.

(GMcG)