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Memorandum from
1. ESREC is a voluntary organisation working in partnership for a just and fair society, where equality and diversity are valued. We use partnership, persuasion and legislation to give everyone an equal chance to live free from harassment, discrimination, prejudice and racism. Our objectives are to work towards the elimination of racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and good race relations between persons of different racial groups
2. ESREC has been working closely with East Staffordshire Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council to deliver a faith awareness programme. We work with local schools to raise awareness of four main faiths by organizing visits to the places of worship and holding workshop activities. We have also organized a series of lectures to promote better understanding and build the resilience of local organisations to challenge violent extremist ideologies. In the last financial year we have supported over 1680 children, 188 support staff and over 400 adults through the faith awareness programme.
Consultation response
1. We believe the Government is right to address this issue of rising extremism but it should not be targeted at any particular community. The strategy was right but the promotion was not so good. The targeting of a particular community leads to isolation and adverse impact. It also makes the job of local organisations difficult to build trust and confidence.
2. We are now living
in a truly global village. The
3. The Government is right to develop a strategy to deal with acts of terrorism but it also needs to deal with root causes of conflict and tension. It is no longer possible or acceptable to ignore or walk away from global responsibilities.
4. The basic protection of human rights is not just valued at home but across the world. We must ensure there are no double standards. We cannot preach what we do not practice ourselves.
5. The Government's strategy to engage with communities has been successful to a limit. What is needed is support and development of local organisations that have contact with local people so that the early warnings can be picked up and appropriately dealt with. The Government is good at starting new programmes but there is no strategy to sustain these successful programmes.
6. The advice and expertise was made available to the local authorities with too much top down approach. There should be more flexibility given to the local authorities to deal with local issues as they seem appropriate.
7. The Government should reach out more through voluntary and third sector organisations. There is more flexibility, intelligence and direct contact with local people. The strategy of dealing with large national third sector organisations leads to bureaucracy and wastage of resources. The Government should seriously consider establishing a department that has responsibility to build and sustain third sector organisations.
8. The public at large remains unaware of prevent strategy. They are looking for greater safety, respect and tolerance. The current economic climate, high unemployment, poverty and health issues lead to division and resentment in society. The Government in the past invested in programmes to improve community cohesion and integration but more recently embarked on prevention. In our view the successful cohesion and integration programme would have lead to same objective.
9. In conclusion we say: Ø Address the root causes of tension and conflict Ø Build the capacity of the third sector organisations Ø Look for sustainability of successful community cohesion programmes Ø Build trust, confidence and tolerance at local level Ø Prevent work should be part of main stream activities of the local Authorities. Ø Resource adequately to ensure a lasing impact Ø Avoid targeting which leads to isolation and alienation
August 2009
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