Robin Newton MBE MLA

Thank you Mr Speaker. I welcome this opportunity to come here to day to discuss and debate the new proposed good relations programme which has the aim of achieving greater cohesion, sharing and integration across Northern Ireland.  The development of this programme has been a priority within OFMDFM since devolution.  Strong public Ministerial commitments and statements to the agenda have been given throughout this period. We are now intending to reinforce these words and our significant funding of projects over the last number of years with this detailed Executive programme. Despite a long and at times frustrating process we are now reaching the critical final stages before going out to public consultation.

There has been much said over the past years and months about this issue including in this house - debates, speeches, questions and, at times disagreements.  However, despite this, it has been clear that across all the political parties we have been united by one desire and aim - to produce a blueprint and framework for a shared, brighter and better future for Northern Ireland.  

Today presents us once again with an opportune time for reflection. The loss, pain and trauma of those lost decades must serve as a reminder of why we must continue to strive together to secure the peace.  There must be no more victims created; hurt and trauma caused or divisions deepened because of sectarianism and hate.

We must never forget the past, but we must not revisit it.  I believe the overwhelming and vast majority of people across Northern Ireland want to move forward but we must do so together.  We must aim to bring every part of the community with us as we step forward with hope and optimism towards our shared future.  

We have already come far in this journey. Since 2005/06 there has been a 31% reduction in sectarian motivated crimes.  Over 70% of young people believe relationships between Roman Catholics and Protestants are better.  This is testimony to the hard work carried out thus far. However, we cannot become complacent and there is much yet to do.  

The reprehensible murder of Kieran Doherty last Wednesday night; the attacks and violence in Craigavon and the other disturbances in Dunmurry and West Belfast serve as a stark reminder of what we want to remove utterly from our society. It has been said that if nations want peace then they must not ignore the pinpricks that precede the cannon shots.  This is precisely why we are urgently acting to try and tackle new or emerging seeds of violence and sectarianism that are still attempting to grow at the heart of communities.  

There is no place for this destructive, evil and malignant activity within a shared and better future.  We must and will do all within our powers to tackle the scourges of hate, prejudice and sectarianism.  This programme attempts to identify the problems, commit ourselves to finding solutions and fully resources a programme to reach our ultimate objectives of greater cohesion, sharing and integration right across our society.

It is critical that we ensure that the prejudices that have marred our past will not be repeated towards and within new communities who have decided to make Northern Ireland their home.  This is an essential and central part of this new programme.  

There has been considerable and valuable hard work that has taken place in our communities over the last decades engaging in exactly this type of work.  Since devolution we have significantly increased resources to support this.  We will now use this experience, research and best practice to move forward with renewed vigour within the context of an agreed programme.  

Every single one of us have the opportunity to contribute to this work.  We must continue to identify what went wrong in the past, the reasons for segregation, hate, intolerance and division and commit in an united way to work together to eliminate them.   

It has been said that the only way to make a sailor is not to give a person some wood to build a boat and assign him tasks and duties, but to give him a thirst and desire for the sea.  We must all build a clear vision of where we want to get to as a community and how we want our society to behave and interact.  Without this we are destined to repeat the mistakes of the past where hopelessness and division blighted the ambitions and lives of generations upon generations.  

Over the next few weeks, the final draft of the programme for CSI will be sent to the all Government Departments.  

We will work closely with our Ministerial colleagues in areas such as education, transport, housing, youth provision, health, economic provision, rural communities to develop and secure those essential departmental actions that will become an integral part of the strategy and will build on and enhance its’ cross-cutting nature by embedding good relations at the heart of all government departments’ policies and procedures.  

This is a key component of building a shared and better future in order that we can see government working in full partnership and seamlessly to deliver real and meaningful benefits for all.  We will need to work hand in hand with the community groups, churches and faith organisations, businesses and statutory agencies that carry out so much good work already.  It is only through partnership that we can achieve our goals.  We are committed to building on the work of the past, securing these foundations and reaching new heights through community collaboration.


KEY AIMS OF CSI

The programme will support changes for people to:

o    Promote fairness, equality, rights, responsibilities and respect.
o    Emphasise inclusion, interdependence, acceptance and understanding.
o    Embrace and support minority ethnic communities arriving into this society.
o    Create practical and open networks across communities, ethnic groups, north / south and east / west to the benefit of all.
o    Build on shared values of human rights and equality to build a society which honours rights and accepts our civic responsibilities to one another.
o    Promote partnership communities which celebrate difference.

It will also support changes in places, so that we have:

o    Shared and safe spaces for working, shopping, socialising and playing.
o    Shared accessible and welcoming facilities which provide high quality public services.
o    Greater sharing, respect and understanding for the expression of cultural diversity
o    Safety for individuals and groups who wish to express and celebrate their identity peacefully.
o    Cohesive, integrated communities.
o    Sharing in education.
o    Integrated workplaces.   


It is however, what we do from here on in to give effect to concrete actions on the ground that will build stronger communities, that will give hope and pride to those isolated by physical barriers, geographic location or any other barrier. This work is vital.

The Executive has committed over £28m in the current CSR period to resource such work.  And we continue to work closely with the Special EU Programmes Body and other funders to deliver and ensure maximum impact of our programmes and initiatives to guarantee real and meaningful good relations benefits.  

We know that economic growth and prosperity is underpinned by stability.  Violence, division and hate undermine this and rots away at the very foundations of our community.    

We need a stable society, where our children can play together, where people can work together and where families can live happily side by side, regardless of their community background their ethnic background or beliefs.  This mutual acceptance and respect are the determining factors that will help give us a stable, prosperous and growing economy.

CONCLUSION – LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

This is still a time of relative peace and of opportunity in Northern Ireland.  Whilst it remains a very challenging time both in economic and social terms I believe the will, the drive and the mindset of us all is that we will deal with these challenges best by moving forward together.  We must build for tomorrow.

People who live in divided communities must be able to see and feel the impact of this new dispensation on the ground.  

Our role whether it is in the Executive or the Assembly is to give leadership, work in partnership and lead by example to ensure that the effective implementation of this programme across government and its agencies is delivered.  We must also ensure that mechanism(s) we put in place to guarantee its effective delivery and implementation are meaningful, targeted, robust and stand the test of time.  So that over time we are able to map progress on the health of good relations and make the necessary policy changes as and when appropriate.   

The planning of the consultation process for the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration is at an advance stage and will be robust and meaningful.  We want to hear from all those interested, whether the person on the street or the business sector, the community workers and volunteers of the young people who will move forward from the foundation we are building.  This debate is an excellent start – but only the beginning of the discussion.

To paraphrase the words of Eleanor Roosevelt - it isn’t enough to talk about peace.  One must believe in it.  It isn’t enough to believe in it.  One must work at it.  Let us all today commit ourselves to this project and I hope all of you will fully contribute your thoughts, views, ideas and actions to this programme as we move through the consultative stage.  

I want to thank all the Members of this House for an informative and spirited debate.