Commission on Integration and Cohesion

Voluntary and Community groups

Emerging themes

'It is about relationships… what people feel before facts'

'Inspire and enable young people'

'Real life narratives…to bust myth'

We need:

• Community engagement and awareness
• To build integration and cohesion through capacity building, interaction and shared activities
• Communication about the changes in communities
• More celebration of heritage, self worth, citizenship
• Mixed communities whilst respecting choice
• To unite around good behaviours
• To resource translation to assist transition but invest in English language provision in communities
• Good quality, culturally sensitive services

Your key messages

'Not just treating people equally but being seen to'

'Adopt a multi agency approach which listens to, and acts on, local residents concerns'

 

We need:

• Tackle multiple layers of inequalities and discrimination
• We must mobilise the potential of young people
• Safe accommodation is a basic human need
• Give refugees and asylum seekers the right to subsistence levels that matches income support
• Key role for community empowerment networks
• Government can lead through national leadership
• Need for transparent resource allocation
• A community development approach with long term, stable funding
• Local bodies must provide equality of quality services
• Recognise the role of women and young people
• Place value on volunteer and advocacy role

Some important challenges

'Don't shy away from important issues… tackle them in a non-blaming, uplifting and fun way’

 

We need:

• Interactions needs to be safe and supported
• Effective leadership and strategic planning
• Structured but realistic, flexible support for migrants
• More provision for young people
• Tackling gender inequalities to empower women
• Facilitating the VCS through resources and support
• VCS needs to overcome its rivalries and divisions
• Tackling constant low level tensions
• Wider information and investment from Government
• Accurate information about population changes
• Policy changes that allow asylum seekers and refugees the right to find a job after six months