Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“1 Relevant Background Information
1.2In November 2011, the Belfast Conflict Resolution Consortium (BCRC) presented the outputs of the research carried out by the Forum for Alternative Belfast (FAB) as part of the ‘Shared Space 2011’ project which provided a new interpretation of ‘shared space’ and connection in Belfast.
1.3Subsequent to this research, FAB advised of an additional supplementary project they are involved with entitled ‘Maximising Opportunity for Social Transformation’ (MOST) which is being coordinated by Mediation NI.
1.4The following report outlines the aim, methodology and structure of the project. A copy of the MOST project outline is published on the Council’s Modern.gov system.
2 Key Issues
2.1Project aim
MOST is a four year PEACE III funded project is aimed at ‘developing and supporting key institutional capacity in Northern Ireland to create long-term sustainable impact by enhancing the capacity of both civic leaders and peace building practitioners to address key issues of segregation, racism and sectarianism through learning and exchange with relevant counterparts, both locally and internationally’.
2.2The project is made of two broad themes (i) Housing and (ii) Youth, of which the former is the focus of an exchange group. The aim of the MOST Housing learning exchange (HLE) is to ‘make a contribution to a deeper understanding of the concept of shared space and the implementation of collaborative decision making in creating such shared space in the city of Belfast’.
2.3Methodology
Initially, the project is to be informed by the research carried out by FAB (http://www.forumbelfast.org/projects/shared-space-2011.php) and the Community Relations Council’s (CRC) NI Peace Monitoring Report (see Appendix 2 for key points emerging from Report), as well as other related work.
In addition to this ‘research’ phase a series of consultations with key organisations will be conducted, the purpose of which is to examine how best to focus the learning of the exchange. These organisations that are to be consulted include:
- Belfast City Council;
- Forum for Alternative Belfast;
- Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
2.5Housing learning exchange composition
Following this research, it now proposed that 16-18 person Housing learning exchange will be developed, whose role will be to ‘provide the “critical yeast” for the change process that is desired in assisting the realisation’ of the aim the project. It is intended that composition of the HLE should comprise a mixture of the following:
- 5 councillors;
- 4 council officers;
- 4 statutory body representatives;
- 4 community leaders.
2.6Participant requirements
It has recommended that potential participants should have a number the following attributes:
- a leadership role in local government, key institution or local community;
- an interest in building a healthy resilient community;
- good communication and interpersonal skills;
- committed to effecting change towards a shared society;
- a degree of flexibility in dealing with changes of programme, cultural differences, challenges to own practice, and differing group needs and expectation.
2.7Project timetable
It is intended that the project is due to be conducted over a period of five months and will include the following elements:
1. preparation phase, including meetings with Mediation NI staff;
2. residential event with learning exchange group;
3. five day learning exchange in Berlin;
4. review meeting;
5. Leadership conference.
2.8Invitation to participate
Mediation NI have made a formal request for the council to participate in this project, by way of support and engagement (invitation letter from Mediation NI is presented in Appendix 3 on Modern.gov).
3 Resource Implications
3.1The project will cost £50,000 and is fully funded by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB) via Mediation NI (Appendix 4 on Modern.gov contains the letter of offer between SEUPB and Mediation NI).
3.2There are no additional resource implications for the Council arising from the MOST project.
4 Equality and Good Relations Considerations
4.1 The project will be developed in line with the ‘Shared Future’ theme, as outlined in the Good Relations Plan, with the inclusion of section 75 groups.
5 Recommendations
5.1Members are asked to:
1. note the contents of the report;
2. agree the participation of Belfast City Council in the MOST project;
3. consider appropriate members for representation on Housing Learning Exchange.”
The Committee adopted the recommendations.