Research Email Briefing 44

Conference
The Cross Border Programme for Research and Education Contributing to Peace and Reconciliation.

Information Days
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) is organising a series of Census user information days across Northern Ireland to support the development of the 2011 Census questionnaire.

Current Research
Summary of the Community Relations Council (CRC) funded research projects:

Extracted from the funded organisations’ original grant-aid application form, supplementary documentation and subsequent letter of offer.

Recent Research
Victims, Survivors and Forgiveness: Issues and Themes for those Affected by Conflict in Northern Ireland and Beyond.

How Public Authorities provide services to minority ethnic groups (Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Scotland).

Publish your own research online
Like to make research more accessible? Got a research publication to plug or some research news to share? Now is the time to publish your research online. Publish it on Community NI free of charge.

Conference

The Cross Border Programme for Research and Education Contributing to Peace and Reconciliation – Close Out Event

The conference will be held on 12 April 2006 in the Armagh City Hotel and will present the findings of the outputs achieved to date under this programme. It also gives participants the opportunity to take part in discussions and listen to presentations about the research so far.

The programme supports research and development so as to reap benefits and impact positively on the social, economic and cultural life of Northern Ireland and the border counties. Five projects are being funded by the European Union through the Peace II Initiative. Over €3 million is being provided. This is the first time that the two government departments have jointly engaged in this type of collaborative research initiative. Each of the projects looks at a different area where new policies and new models might be developed to support cross border activities. The projects have been funded until early 2006.

The overall objective of the programme is to examine how we might work together to produce a climate of peace and reconciliation. This will result in benefits for the whole island, in particular the communities in the border counties and Northern Ireland. Researchers from third level institutions, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are working in collaboration with a variety of voluntary and community groups, including schools and charities. The involvement of these groups is a critical component of the whole programme. The Department of Education and Science, Dublin, and the Department for Employment and Learning, Belfast, are responsible for the programme. The Higher Education Authority, Dublin, manages the programme on behalf of the two government departments. A Steering Committee oversees the whole programme. This group includes representatives of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

For further information on the conference or to fill in an online application form, please visit www.hea.ie or send queries to conference@hea.ie.

2011 Census Information Days

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) is organising a series of Census user information days across Northern Ireland to support the development of the 2011 Census questionnaire. The information days will start at 10.00am and will take place as follows:

Limavady: Tuesday 28 March 2006

Belfast: Wednesday 29 March 2006

Enniskillen: Friday 31 March 2006

To attend one of these days you will be required to register in advance and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Further information will be provided as part of the registration process. You may register by one of the following options:

• Downloading and completing the word document, and returning by email as an attachment:

View the link

• Register by email to jenny.mcgarry@dfpni.gov.uk

Current Research

Below are a few examples of the Community Relations Council (CRC) funded research projects:

ARK

Contact Name:

Gillian Robinson
Dirk Schubotz

Address:

ARK
School of Policy Studies - University of Ulster
Magee
Northland Road
Derry/Londonderry
BT48 7JA

028 7137 5502, 028 9097 3947

gm.robinson@ulster.ac.uk, d.schubotz@qub.ac.uk

Project Title: NI Young Life and Times Survey www.ark.ac.uk/ylt/

Summary of project

A survey based research project on changing attitudes to community relations among young adults.

Aims

To monitor changing attitudes to community relations issues among 16 year olds across Northern Ireland.

Objectives

• To monitor changing attitudes to community relations issues among a random sample of 16 year olds across Northern Ireland.
• To contribute to policy-making on community relations and evaluation of policy over the longer term.
• To increase research knowledge of these issues.
• To monitor the views of young people in other key areas such as education and to publicise these.
• To work with partners and otherwise feed our results into the range of activities now taking place around the needs and wishes of young people in Northern Ireland.

City Bridges - Research

Contact Name: Eamonn Oakes

Address:

City Bridges - Research
8 Commercial Court
Belfast
BT1 2FG

028 9031 4168

citybridges@utvinternet.com

Project Title: City Bridges Research Project

Summary of project

This research aims to assess how the Belfast and District Trade Union Council and the trade union movement in general can best contribute to a peaceful and inclusive society.

Objectives:

• Explore perceptions of the composition, structures, activities, values and future role of the trade union movement.
• Identify any barriers to the full participation in the movement of, in particular, Protestants, Catholics, Nationalists, Unionists, women and, in general, other potentially excluded groups of people.
• Agree actions for the Belfast Trades Council and proposals for the wider movement that will ensure equity, diversity and interdependence within its structures and activities.
• Agree actions for the Belfast Trades Council and proposals for the wider movement that outline a positive role in the broader community.

The final report for this project is available. Please contact Libby Smit LSmit@nicrc.org.uk or 028 9022 7500 for more details.

For further information on any of the projects listed above please contact:

Libby Smit

Research Officer – EU Programme
6 Murray Street
Belfast
BT1 6DN

028 9022 7500

LSmit@nicrc.org.uk

Recent Research

Victims, Survivors and Forgiveness: Issues and Themes for those Affected by Conflict in Northern Ireland and Beyond

The Training for Women Network (TWN) has published the ‘Victims, Survivors and Forgiveness: Issues and Themes for those Affected by Conflict in Northern Ireland and Beyond’ report.

The report has been a result of a close working partnership between the TWN, The Institute of Governance (QUB), The Forgiveness Project and various community, victim and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland.

The report highlights the difficulty that the notion of ‘forgiveness’ poses in attempting to accept and resolve issues about historical events. Many people affected by inter-community violence have viewed the idea of forgiveness as a sign of surrender or weakness. The report recognised this as well as the need to continue ‘Truth Telling’ sessions to allow those who have been victims to relate their experiences and express what the concept of ‘forgiveness’ means to them.

For more information on this report contact:

Training for Women Network Limited
Unit 10b Weavers Court
Linfield Road
Belfast
BT12 5GH

Telephone 028 9031 9888

emailinfor@twnonline.com

www.twnonline.com

How Public Authorities provide services to minority ethnic groups (Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Scotland)

This report highlights some of the emerging findings from research into how public authorities provide services for minority ethnic groups in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. This interim report will also form the basis of discussions at an international conference on 28 March 2006. Feedback from the conference will be amalgamated with ongoing research and be presented in a final report in August/September 2006. Researchers in each jurisdiction have carried out a literature and policy review, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups with government officials, service providers, and service users. Research is ongoing, including interviews with members of minority ethnic groups in some jurisdictions.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of ethnic diversity in each jurisdiction

Northern Ireland , Scotland and Ireland have all experienced a growth in minority ethnic populations in recent years, and all are expecting continued growth. Ireland in particular has demonstrated economic growth in conjunction with increased inward migration. Scotland, like Northern Ireland, is facing a shrinking workforce though at a significantly steeper gradient than Northern Ireland. Scotland’s population is declining faster than anywhere else in Europe. The low birth rate combined with the shift in the population structure is of serious concern to the Scottish Executive, resulting in the Fresh Talent Initiative 3, which aims to bring new migrants to live and work in Scotland. Despite Northern Ireland’s shrinking population and increasing reliance on migrant workers, there is no evidence of similar plans in this regard. Minority ethnic groups in each jurisdiction include migrant workers, students, asylum seekers and refugees, Travellers and long-term minority ethnic groups. Each group has distinct, and not necessarily homogenous, needs in relation to government service provision. Each jurisdiction also has religious diversity in its population.

Chapter 2 provides an overview of the legislative and policy context

There have been significant developments in 2005 in all three case study areas with the publication of:

- A Racial Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland;

- National Action Plan Against Racism - Planning for Diversity in Ireland; and

- A Review of Race Equality in Scotland carried out by the Scottish Executive.

This report has been published to coincide with a conference on this theme which will take place in Belfast on 28 March 2006. For details of the conference go to http://www.nccri.ie/

Publish your own research online

Like to make research more accessible? Got a research publication to plug or some research news to share? Now is the time to publish your research online. Publish it on Community NI, free of charge. Follow the simple online form found at:

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm

What is Community NI?

Community NI has been developed by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) to promote the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. The website was officially launched in April 2005.

Publish your information

The principle behind the site is that every voluntary and community organisation will be signposted and have the opportunity to publish information, whether that be a newsletter, press release, job advertisement or event. Community NI aims to be the first central online source of information about the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. It gives voluntary and community organisations the chance to promote themselves on the internet and to share their resources and expertise.

Thanks to everyone who sent information that has been included in NICVA Research Update 44. Please remember to send information about research that you have undertaken and requests for information that you would like included in the next update. Also remember to let others know about NICVA Research Updates. To register send an email entitled ‘NICVA Research Updates’ to andrea.burke@nicva.org

Andrea Burke
Research Assistant
NICVA
61 Duncairn Gardens
BELFAST BT15 2GB

T: 028 9087 7777
F: 028 9087 7799
E: andrea.burke@nicva.org
W: www.nicva.org and www.communityni.org