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01 November 2010

 Presbyterian Moderator Dr Norman Hamilton has called for good community relations to be an integral part of the equality agenda. Dr Hamilton made the call in a personal response to the Northern Ireland Executive¹s proposals on Cohesion, Sharing and Integration.

³ I want to make a clear call for a change to the equality legislation so that good community relations are an integral part with the same standing as
other parts of the equality agenda,² Dr Hamilton told guests at a breakfast meeting in Belfast this morning, Monday 1 November.

³The equality agenda has clearly brought huge benefits to us all by increasing opportunity and outlawing discrimination.  It is self evidently clear that good relations cannot be built on inequality.

³However, it is also clear that equality can be delivered with little apparent improvement in good relations.  This is a dangerous position to be in, for it takes us in the direction of wanting, making ­ even turning - our society into a relationship free zone, and one that is dominated by the impact of law, tribunals, commissions, and monitoring.²

Dr Hamilton described the Executive paper on CSI as ³hugely disappointing² stating that the manner in which the policy was written was ³fatally flawed.²

³The strategy was fatally flawed at the outset because the very people who would be at the centre of delivering a cohesive and integrated society were excluded from its design.   And since it looks increasingly unlikely that they can be brought on board for its delivery, then surely this strategy document is all but dead, with little hope of it being resuscitated.²

Despite this the Moderator still saw possibilities to build a shared society and was definite that the responsibility to bring forward new ideas rested with those unhappy with the present document.

³ All of us who are unhappy with the current document now have both the opportunity - and crucially the responsibility - to bring forward ideas that will help develop a new policy that we can all enthusiastically endorse. ³No single party, group or individual has the definitive answer, However, none of us, whether we are in politics, or the public service, or in arms¹ length bodies, or the voluntary sector, or in church circles, or in business, or in trades unions, can back away from the urgent need to help create a much more attractive and uplifting community life than we now have.²

And the Moderator had this challenge for the churches and a warning for government.  ³I am very keen that the churches urgently work to create a short statement of common purpose on the contribution we wish to make together to the building of a cohesive and integrated society ­ and then apply ourselves diligently to that work for as long as it takes.  We have not needed a government paper in the past to stir us to action.   We don¹t need to wait for a new one either, nor do others. However that does not mean that government is absolved from making a huge contribution. They must do that too.²

Dr Hamilton also had two very practical suggestions about how everyone could play a part in building good relations through rediscovering the practice of generous hospitality and more careful use of language in public debate. ³Given the pressing need to improve relationships right across society, I would urge everyone, corporately and individually to rediscover the practice of generous hospitality towards those whom we either do not know or do not have many dealings with. I can think of no better way to deal with our fears and build cohesion than offer such hospitality.

³Change is also needed in the way we relate to each other through the public use of language.  We live in a community where it is now completely acceptable to rubbish others and their views than to either listen carefully or respond graciously.  For as long as any of us regard this as either acceptable or normal, relationships will not be built.  Good relations cannot emerge from bitter tongues, because bitter tongues betray bitter hearts and bitter thinking.²

The Moderator¹s comments are contained in a wide ranging paper ³Come together ­ for a change², a personal contribution to the debate on Cohesion, Society and Integration which has been published today  (available online at <www.presbyterianireland.org <http://www.presbyterianireland.org> > or <www.nicrc.org.uk>  and which was written as part of a period of academic study on the subject completed earlier this year.

ISSUED BY STEPHEN LYNAS, PRESBYTERIAN INFORMATION SERVICE

Stephen Lynas
Presbyterian Church Press Office
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