Community Cohesion Community Cohesion ConferenceConference

2008 2008National Coalition Building InstituteNational Coalition Building Institute

Royston JohnRoyston JohnDirector NCBI LondonDirector NCBI London

Community CohesionCommunity Cohesion Community Cohesion Community Cohesion

Contingency Contingency Planning and Tension Planning and Tension MonitoringMonitoring requires requires “local authorities to “local authorities to better map their better map their communities and the communities and the people that live people that live there…there…

Community CohesionCommunity Cohesion The guidelines encourage local authorities The guidelines encourage local authorities

to be aware of:to be aware of:– Who is living in their area?Who is living in their area?– Patterns and trends they manifest Patterns and trends they manifest

It encourages:It encourages:– early intervention preventing community early intervention preventing community

conflicts and general cohesion within conflicts and general cohesion within communities. communities.

– sharing of info and feedback from police, sharing of info and feedback from police, neighborhood wardens and community workers. neighborhood wardens and community workers.

Community CohesionCommunity Cohesion And invites councils to:And invites councils to:

– bring together all key players in the bring together all key players in the community  - government agencies, community  - government agencies, police, community  and faith groups police, community  and faith groups

– monitoring racist, religious and other monitoring racist, religious and other criminal incidents closelycriminal incidents closely

– action to resolve tensions including action to resolve tensions including working with local mediaworking with local media

– and of course closer working with young and of course closer working with young people in the community from all people in the community from all different faith and cultural groups different faith and cultural groups

Community CohesionCommunity Cohesion representation - strategic and grass representation - strategic and grass

roots levelroots level utilise the Local Strategic Partnership in utilise the Local Strategic Partnership in

real partnerships and include small and real partnerships and include small and voluntary community organisations voluntary community organisations

engage with people who actually engage with people who actually understand new communities... you understand new communities... you need the 9am to 5pm day turned on its need the 9am to 5pm day turned on its head… create the 5pm to 9am day head… create the 5pm to 9am day instead. instead.

Community CohesionCommunity Cohesiono the police already provide a 5pm to 9am the police already provide a 5pm to 9am

service. service.

o Who else will actually work alongside them; Who else will actually work alongside them; who will actually fill the voids not requiring who will actually fill the voids not requiring police attendance….. community leaders, police attendance….. community leaders, community elders, youth workers, street community elders, youth workers, street pastors, social workers all play a part. pastors, social workers all play a part.

o But your real community is mrs jones, mrs But your real community is mrs jones, mrs patel, mrs polanski, mrs mirzas, mrs campbellpatel, mrs polanski, mrs mirzas, mrs campbell

o unpaid, unsung, community heroes unpaid, unsung, community heroes

Community Community CohesionCohesion Work with young people Work with young people

in:in:– primary schools; primary schools; – secondary schools; secondary schools;

with adults at with adults at – community dialogue events; community dialogue events; – interfaith events; interfaith events; – Drop in centers; Drop in centers; – befriending service –beyond befriending service –beyond

local complexities local complexities allotments, boot fairs etcallotments, boot fairs etc

Community Community CohesionCohesion

Welcome packs –protocols – Welcome packs –protocols – – eg rubbish emptied; what exactly eg rubbish emptied; what exactly

happens in the town halls; happens in the town halls; Polish led - Drop in centers; Polish led - Drop in centers; befriending servicebefriending service impact of the London bombingsimpact of the London bombings mandating trainingmandating training

Community Community CohesionCohesion

In NCBI we advocate that community In NCBI we advocate that community groups need some basic skills:groups need some basic skills:– people understanding people understanding – relationship dialogue skillsrelationship dialogue skills– low level group negotiation and low level group negotiation and

mediation skills; mediation skills; – mentoring and coaching skillsmentoring and coaching skills

Community Community CohesionCohesion

"The overwhelming majority of "The overwhelming majority of people in this country live people in this country live successfully side by side…. successfully side by side….

81% of people feel that individuals 81% of people feel that individuals from different backgrounds get on from different backgrounds get on well together in their local areawell together in their local area

83% agree that people in their local 83% agree that people in their local area respect ethnic differences.area respect ethnic differences.

Thank You!Thank You!

ncbilondon@ncbi.org.ukncbilondon@ncbi.org.ukwww.ncbi.org.ukwww.ncbi.org.uk

Phone: 08707 461553Phone: 08707 461553Royston John – 07811 374074Royston John – 07811 374074