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27 October 2010

The Community Relations Council (CRC) today released its response to the NI Executive’s policy on Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. While welcoming the publication of the consultation document as a symbolic moment, CRC are critical of many of the aspects of the programme.

CRC believes that sectarianism is the defining feature of our political and social landscape and requires a comprehensive and deliberate policy approach. Sectarianism here is part of normality.  A shared future is a different future.  What we need is a root and branch change or it will be at risk of just tinkering. The scale of the current CSI is inadequate to deal with the topic.

Tony McCusker, Chair of CRC, said:

‘The critical test of the proposals in the CSI document must be:  ‘Do they work to promote cohesion, sharing and integration?’  CRC has concluded that the proposals do not meet this test.

‘Violence in the past continues to throw a long shadow over all attempts at reconciliation in the present.  CSI Programme offers a serious possibility to address the legacy of past injustice.  However it contains nothing on causes and appears to have dropped the goal of deeper reconciliation in Ireland.  The failure to acknowledge our division is an omission in the CSI document and fails to set the backdrop against which success in this policy might be measured.’

He continued:

‘The proposals for delivery and funding in CSI are potentially retrograde.  CRC believes that they should all be reconsidered if the principle of ‘fit for purpose’ is to be fulfilled.  The peace process was and is built on the interaction of political leadership and broad civil society.  Mandated independence, as is currently exercised by CRC, has been an important aspect of maintaining honest debate and practical progress towards reconciliation.  There is a real requirement to ensure that exchange is open, values are shared and power is held to legitimate account.  CRC believes that we perform an important task by speaking independently and combining a capacity to tackle intercommunity, intercultural and legacy issues together.‘

Duncan Morrow, CRC Chief Executive, said:

‘Building a shared society should not be seen as something separate from economics.  CSI is nearly silent on the crucial connection between reconciliation and a sustainable economy.  There is no use talking about build prosperity unless we also set about tackling what makes this place unattractive.  Peace has been the biggest good news story to hit this place in years.  Ongoing violence and sectarianism will destroy any attempt to attract investment, to keep our most creative young people her or to end the dependency culture.  CSI is a top priority economic issue, but this policy document has no real clear policy to connect the two together.’

The main points in the CRC response are available in an executive summary attached to this press release

To download full response click here.

To download Executive Summary click here.

For further information contact

Ray Mullan

028 90 227500

Email: rmullan@nicrc.org.uk