View, January 2012 Profile 1, Describe the nature of your work.


The Community Relations Council was established in 1990 to support practical initiatives that would help build a shared society based on the principles of fairness and justice, the peaceful celebration of difference and the importance of mutual trust and inclusion. We support projects organised by community


and voluntary organisations to help build co-opera- tion and mutual respect. We also encourage public bodies to address the strategic and policy issues that face us as we attempt to create a more peaceful and shared society after 40 years of the Troubles.


2, Best part of the job.


The satisfaction of supporting the positive energies for peace-building in Northern Ireland and helping oth- ers build a sound foundation for a better future.


from people right across the com- munity is inspiring.


3, Worst part of the job.


The frustration of the slow pace of change and knowing that the problem of sectarianism and seg- regation runs deep. Often it’s a case of two steps forward and one step back.


4, Main challenges facing Community Relations Council.


The main challenge is securing sufficient political support for an imaginative vision and strategy for building a shared future. We need cross-party leadership on this with detailed commitments to action plans. In the current financial and economic reces- sion there is also a real challenge to funding community relations work. Previous funding sources have come


The wide range of initiatives


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We talk to Ray Mullan, Director of Communications with the Community Relations Council, about the challenges facing the organisation


7, At what stage now is the draft pro- gramme for Cohesion, Sharing and Inte- gration? Executive parties have been discussing this weekly since September and our hope is that it will be produced this year in a revised form. The Pro- gramme for Government promises it in 2012-13.


8, What did you think of the Executive's input into the process?


CRC, with others, was disappointed with the earlier version of CSJ that was produced, and particularly lamented its lack of positive vision and failure to recognise the substantial work that had been done by others already. We have been frustrated by the lack of urgency which has been displayed at the political level but hope that the Executive parties recognise that a peace plan has to be the foundation for the way forward. As many, including CRC, have said, we need a ‘shared society’ not a ‘shared- out society’.


9, What did you think of Sinn Féin’s Martina Anderson who, in the past, has hit out at “unelected, unneces- sary and ineffective good relations quangos” and that she hoped to see them abolished?


There is a bit of history to that. Politicians in Northern Ireland were out in the cold during the whole period of direct rule. There was re- sentment that non-elected people were basi- cally running government in Northern Ireland. So when they got back in after devolution there was a revenge mentality – the knives were out to get rid of all the non-elected bod- ies. But the reality is do you do away with the Arts Council and the Sports Council? There are so many bodies that you could label as quangos, but the same work has to be done and who else is going to do it – civil servants?


10, The CRC gives funding to a large amount of community groups. Can this continue in the present economic climate?


mostly from outside Northern Ireland and this is now coming to an end. Community relations need to be seen as the essential ce- ment that keeps our society together and should not be relegated to an optional extra.


5, Is it difficult to get your message out?


Community relations is seen by some as a soft issue that ignores hard realities. But in practice most of the issues that really mat- ter to people such as jobs, housing, educa- tion, the cost of living, quality of life and the enjoyment of public space, are directly im- pacted by sectarianism, racism and segregation.


Once people see the relevance the mes- sage is more easily received.


6, Sectarianism or racism – which presents the most challenges?


Sectarianism is the more widespread and more deeply rooted. But it is also more easily hidden.


it is really the same problem – people being uncomfortable with difference.


Racism is a more recent challenge but


The funding is not a large amount. The total cost to the NI government is equivalent to a tube of toothpaste for everyone in Northern Ireland (OFMDFM provides community rela- tions grants of £2.4m per year through the CRC). Of course, no-one can be immune in the current public cuts climate. However CRC would argue that carefully directed community-related work helps build a sound basis for resolving damaging conflict and creates real opportunities for economic de- velopment (the cost of division has been calculated by Deloitte at £1.5bn annually; the policing bill for last year's disturbances after the Twelfth of July parade in Ardoyne was £800,000).


11, Where do you see the CRC in five to 10 years time?


We have always said that CRC was simply planting the seeds for a mature peace and helping others to acquire the skills to grow a better future. We have come a long way but much more still needs to be done. Regardless of whether CRC as an or- ganisation is still around in 10 years time it will be crucial that someone is performing the role of champion for what may still be a fragile process.


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