Speech by Darra Singh, Chair of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion
(CIC) at the launch of the Commission on 24 August 2006
When Ruth asked me to chair this Commission I was fascinated, flattered and
a little flustered. Let me tell you why.
Fascinated, because I think the Commission is going to look at one of the
most important issues we are currently facing. As a country we may have a
long history of immigration, but what we are experiencing now is an
increasingly complex picture of diversity. It brings significant benefits
economically and culturally. But it can bring tensions. And its impact is
being felt by different parts of our country in different ways.
So my first thought was that the Commission will need to develop a model of
integration that can keep up with the pace of change in our communities.
And one that can be flexible enough to accommodate differences in local
experience.
It needs to be a definition that is as readily understood in rural
Gloucestershire as it is in the Northern Mill towns.
It needs to be definition that creates space for difference but also
clearly puts the emphasis on the similarities that bind us together and the
trust and sociability that is so important in building strong
inter-connected communities.
It needs to be a definition that makes sense to settled as well as new
communities, and that makes it clear that integration is not just an issue
for minority ethnic communities.
This is quite a challenge.
Is integration about the process of adaptation that new migrants go through
- or is it about integrated communities as the opposite of segregated ones?
Is it symbolised by citizenship ceremonies? Is it symbolised by young Asian
lads wearing England football shirts? Is it symbolised by a South African,
Sikh and a Muslim playing for the England Cricket team? Is it symbolised by
a school in which 30 or more languages are spoken, but all the lessons are
in English?
The Commission will need to be a place where those debates can happen. But
more than that, a place where the tensions inherent in those questions are
acknowledged. And where realistic and practical solutions are developed to
address them.
And I think that the emphasis has to be on the practical. To be of value,
the Commission must add to what is already in place, while at the same time
challenging those involved to make further and faster progress.
It must be based on those local ideas that have national potential - such
as school twinning, and projects aimed at bringing young people of
different backgrounds together. And it must draw on local good practice
that might fit other towns and cities - such as the programmes that bring
young women of different communities together in Kirklees.
So I remain fascinated about how we can both foster the big debates, and at
the same time root the solutions to them in the real world.
I said that I was also flattered. That's partly because the work I have
been involved in at Ealing and Luton has been recognised. But I was also
flattered on behalf of others - because in choosing a Chief Executive, Ruth
has emphasised the critical role of local government in this area.
My experience has shown that the way to tackle the tensions caused by
diversity is at a local level. The job of local authorities is to balance
diverse community interests - to know when to say no, and to hammer out a
way forward that manages competing demands and conflicting priorities.
The Commission will therefore need to think about how best to support local
authorities in that task. So that local councils are able if they wish to
support celebrations from across communities with equal vigour. And how to
communicate to all communities, in local boroughs across the country, that
diversity is not just about special treatment for particular groups.
It's about how local civic structures and leadership can help
communities function as harmonious wholes.
So having been by turns fascinated and flattered, I moved on to being
flustered - because I know that this is going to be a tough task.
I certainly paused before I accepted it. Can a Commission tackle these
issues? There are plenty of people who can sit round a table and pose
questions and challenges. But the answers and solutions are more difficult
to identify - and there are no quick fixes. Ideas take time to come to
fruition.
But I did accept it. Because I'm convinced that the Commission can help
local communities develop a resilience to change, and put practical
measures in place that safeguard against tensions.
The Commission will need to be pragmatic and focused with a clear
structure: each meeting will need to have a big question that will address
a key element of the argument. We might talk about the positives and
negatives of communities clustering together; about how we can break down
the divisions; and what practical things communities can do to tackle the
extremists in their midst.
And I think it's about consultation. Vigorous and open debate will be
important for this Commission - particularly with people at the local level
and with those whose voices are often not heard - women, young people and
established communities who may not think integration is an issue for them.
It's also about evidence. The Commission will need to gather together
what we know, and to undertake some fresh research so that it adds to the
sum of our knowledge in this area. There must be space for dialogue to
develop ideas, but we need the rigour of evidence to evaluate the outcomes
of that dialogue.
But most of all, I go back to it being about innovative local examples.
What can we learn from Leicester, where the contribution of strong
immigrant communities is evidenced by the Peepul Centre or the strong local
faiths forum? What can we learn from projects such as Peace Maker in
Oldham, or from the other towns that have been focusing on cohesion since
2001? What do we know about London - where cohesion and diversity helped
build resilience to 7/7, but where there are still well-publicised
challenges in areas such as Barking and Dagenham?
In working out the answers to those questions, I will be supported by a
group of Commissioners who bring their own projects and expertise.
Leonie's experience of offering support with English language
requirements to new migrants in Peterborough, for example. Sam
Tedcastle's work addressing conflicts within communities in Oldham and
Burnley.
No doubt there will be criticism of the Commission and speculation about
its findings. Some people might wonder how we have enough time before June
to develop something that is practical and sustainable.
I agree that we do not have long - so we must make productive use of our
time. But it is time well spent. We will come back in June 2007 with a
report and a set of practical recommendations that can not only move this
debate forward for now, but set communities up for the longer term.
I believe there is no more important issue than how we get on with our
neighbours and the contribution we are able to make to our communities. The
Commission is a real opportunity to really get to grips with this
challenge. And I look forward to chairing it.
Speech by Darra Singh on 24 August 2006.
