Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - Council Minutes

16 February 2007

Policy Development Committee Meeting

16^th February 2007

Present:Robin Wilson (Chair), Edwin Graham, Tony McCusker, Neil Jarman

Apologies:Vivienne Pollock, Nelson McCausland, Davy Adams, Declan O’Loan, Ann Anderson Porter

In Attendance:Duncan Morrow, Dympna McGlade, Ali McAllister, Gemma Attwood, Peter Thompson

Minutes of the last meeting

Agreed as accurate

Matters arising

None

Good Relations Panel

Postponed until this week

Policy Responses

DSD - BelfastCityCentre North-West Quarter Part Two: Baseline Regeneration Issues Report

Economic/social regeneration/Housing

OFMDFM - Play Policy for Northern Ireland

Main points are focus on ASF, Paul Connolly’s Report on sectarian attitudes from young children

RPA & Education Papers.

The basis of the response will focus on the issues raised during the Young People’s Roundtable, from which Ali has produced a short internal discussion paper

Irish language Act NI

As part of the consultation process the PD Programme intends to invite representatives from interested organisations to speak about the main issues. A short discussion followed:

Number of bodies to research language schemes
Rights/language scheme within a broader Cultural Diversity strategy
Language as cultural protector – is this responsibility for NI?
Do not want to present this as cultural protection
Part of rich cultural ecosystem
EU set precedent
Equality Commission – suffer huge costs to translate reports into Irish
Irish Speaking Zones – is it restricting mixing?
Need challenged in order to make proper policy
Other responses.
DHSSPS – Good Relations, Equality & Human Rights . This is a working document and the PD Programme met with representatives from the Equality Unit in early January. This strategy has been in the development phase for over 2 years. They intend it to be a ‘living’ strategy. As it currently stands it focuses on racism and there is not enough emphasis on sectarianism. A discussion took place:
‘Caring Through The Troubles’ – ICR report; People from NI more like to suffer from mental health issues (PTS) Orla Muldoon
The Preparation for Government Committee. There was a call for submissions during the Christmas holiday period for ‘priorities for Victims and Survivors’. The PD programme made a short submission. The submission made clear Council was concerned at the short period of consultation, and would welcome further opportunities to consider the issue in more detail. It is hoped that CRC will be given the opportunity to give oral evidence in the near future.

Director’s Report – Dympna McGlade

Pilots being developed to deliver ‘ASF’
A number of different key areas broken down into thematic working groups

Interfaces

3 key themes for North Belfast in partnership with NBCAU.

Youth
Regeneration
Good Relations – CRC chairing this sub group

Shared space

Springfarm, Shared Neighbourhood Scheme - CRO for Lisburn (Davy Mitchell) – keen to do some work on this area and Ballynafeigh interested in becoming involved
St.Columb’s Park House interagency shared space research and follow up recommendations

Murals & Memorials

Facilitate discussion based on internal paper
roundtable discussion with EU and core funded groups will be held 8 March
Met with Ulster Museum to explore their work in this area – keen to partner CRC to develop further

Community Planning

Omagh Council and LSP – joint conference 27 March with CRC to explore ASF, Community Planning and Peace III through a GR lens
GR mainstreaming within Community Planning process – paper being developed for discussion with BCC and RPA team

Monitoring and Evaluation

GR Panel will set Indicators. – CRC acknowledges that they will have to be qualitative as well as quantitative. Awaiting report in near future.

Shared Education Seminar – Sir George Bain (The Bain Report)

Wednesday 17^th January – 10am -12.30pm

Young people

DENI roundtable seminar held 11 December
Ali’s pulled together papers
What are the gaps
Recommendations to go to Youth Council, Youthnet and possibly Commissioner for Children and Young People to be finalised before going for consideration for inclusion in the triennial action plan

Racism/Race Relations

The PD Programme’s race relations work is at an important policy level. It is growing at a rapid speed which staff are finding hard to keep up with on top of all the other work priorities.

The PD Programme has serious concerns about CRC’s important but unclear and under resourced role in the delivery and support of race relations funding and policy support.

In short, is CRC moving from a CR to a GR organisation and, if so, how do we prepare for this?

It is acknowledged that CRC has delivered its race relations work to date in a professional and meaningful way and, given the right structures and remit, could continue to develop and deliver this crucial work to deliver a shared future as a key strategic partner with the race relations sector.

EC/GR Guidance Draft

CRC and EC jointly hosting consultation meeting 30^th January in CRC, 2-4pm
Concern about the lack of joined up approach in relation to S 75(2), ASF and other key Gov policies, strategies and funding packages
CRC need to clarify role in this area of work with further discussions needed to develop policy positions

Agreed:

Need to formulate CRC positions and/or policies on key ASF priorities
Identify the key issues/priorities we are working on over the next 3 months and invite speakers to suit

Summary of Newspaper Reports – Nov/Dec ‘06

- Useful information and easy to digest in new format

- Should be placed on CRC’s website

- Include the Belfast Telegraph when scanning papers for stories

‘ASF’ Update – Duncan

GR Steering Panel – Thursday 18^th January - was initially to meet on the 22^nd December but was cancelled
6 core departments - OFMDFM, DE, DSD, DCAL, DOE, DFAP
4 other bodies also to sit on panel - NIHE, PSNI, CRC, EC
6 monthly review of TAP
5 year plan - core element of TAP
Terms of Reference – Duncan will email to PD Committee
Develop driving and accountability structure
CRC need statistical challenge tool
Discussion re: resource for challenge function
Feed in from practitioner/academic resource
Release minutes to appropriate members of council (with agreement from GR Panel). Chair of panel should meet CRC Council to update and discuss progress

Cost of the division

Rep meeting – Friday
Final draft - submitted in May
Dept of Education has stated that they have incurred no additional costs!
ASF’ – worker for District Council’s will be jointly managed by CRC and CRU

Peace III

Out for consultation – 4^th April 2007
ASF’ named and CRC delivering programme together with Border Action (SEUPB, CRC and Border Action) meeting this week.
tight timetable for finalising and delivering programme following consultation

BDO – Revamp of CRC & Council procedure

Resolved within next 3 months
Issue: recruitment and membership
Attendance of members linked to membership (remuneration)
Governance review of strategic plan

AOB

CR Week theme – “Transformation”
Policy Conference – 1^st May venue to be arranged
Suggestions for speakers given
Re-issue committee meeting dates to members

Draft framed questions to work through:

Political transformation

- what signal factors

- Role of international community

Political leadership

- Ideas replicated

- Underpinned policy

Abolition of Slavery Week

- Trevor Philips possible roundtable speaker

- CRC working with Intercomm, DeBono Foundation, BCC and Drochaid an Dochais to develop event in Clifton House followed by public lecture in Belfast City Hall

Council of Europe - White paper on inter-cultural dialogue

- Policy/practice guidelines member states

- CRC could apply to host UK launch

Date of next meeting

Tuesday 13^th March. 2-4pm CRC