Key messages from young people in Bradford
(TiD 2001-2003)
(a) There is a general expression that they
are "Bradfordians".
(b) Most like living in Bradford and feel
they are part of the whole community.
(c) They also felt a loyalty to their particular
community.
(d) To varying degrees they felt that the
other community did not understand their community or their
customs and culture.
(e) They blame outsiders for "stirring
up trouble" (in 2001-02) but said that there were problems
within the community(s) that had not been addressed which made
it easy for the outsiders to cause problems.
(f) They identified institutional and social
problems which were unresolved: racism, drugs, crime, Asian gangs,
poverty, policing, segregated housing and schools.
(g) The responses by local authority and
social agencies was criticised for reinforcing boundaries, barriers
and stereotypes.
(h) One of the strongest messages was that
young people in Bradford were in a "cycle of violence",
where tit-for-tat, revenge attacks and reprisals were spiralling
out of control. They expressed fear and anger at this situation
and were clear that adult intervention was needed but that young
people had to take responsibility and be in the forefront of any
measures taken to break the cycle.
(i) There was a call for more mixed provision
and services both within the school system and outside in youth
clubs and centres.
(j) There was a worry that services and
activities based in a particular area would only attract the predominant
ethnic group from the area. They saw this as a somewhat insurmountable
problem.
(k) They felt that there should be more
organised activities like the TiD workshops but over a longer
period of time and more sustained, residential and sports events
were also suggested.
(l) They felt that schools generally had
positive policies and practices towards community relations and
provided a safe environment but did not always have answers and
sometimes compounded the divisions in their community.
(m) Most wanted to accept and meet the challenge
of creating cool communities as presented but while they accepted
the challenge was theirs, they gave a clear message that they
needed help, resources and direction to address the issues identified.
The peer research and training team identified
a number of factors:
i. Racism, prejudice and aggrievement was
more apparent in those from low-income groups and those less educated.
ii. Young people, particularly Asian young
people wanted opportunities to mix and get to know about each
other's culture.
iii. Asian young people wanted to define
themselves as either Asian or British but in this faced a dilemma
wanting in some ways to be recognised as both. However they saw
this as their problem and one which they had to work out.
iv. Black young people much more secure
with a "Black British" identity but felt that they always
suffered racism and disadvantage within in society, particularly
in their education, the economy and in job market and more so
than Asian people.
"I was asking myself what they would
do if they were with their mates and the group started to abuse
a member of the other community. I feel they are ready to begin
to make a positive contribution but they need training if they
are to take it forward.
Shahanaz Begum, Peer Researcher, Tolerance in
Diversity Commenting on work with a TiD/Rainbow group in Oldham
2002
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