1. SECTARIANISM 18 September 2012 Janette McNulty
PEACE III PARTNERSHIP
NORTH DOWN, ARDS AND DOWN COUNCILS
SECTARIANISM
18 September 2012
Janette McNulty
Vice Chair, PEACE III Partnership
Debbie McKinney
PEACE III Project Officer
Welcome
Thanks to the Consortium of CRC and Pobal for inviting the North Down, Ards and Down PEACE III Partnership to share our approach to addressing sectarianism with other PEACE III Projects
Introductions
Janette McNulty – Vice Chair, PEACE III Partnership, - Social Partner Representative from NIPSA
Debbie McKinney, PEACE III Officer based at Lead Partner, North Down Borough Council

2. Content North Down, Ards and Down PEACE III Cluster
Sectarianism in North Down, Ards and Down
Issues influencing Sectarianism
Approaches to tackle Sectarianism
Achievements in addressing Sectarianism
Difficulties in addressing Sectarianism
Sectarianism is ….
What we would do differently
Summary
Q&A
Content of Presentation
Overview of our cluster area
Sectarianism within the cluster area
The issues that influence sectarianism – as identified during our community consultation process for Phase II
Approaches that the Partnership has adopted to tackling sectarianism
Our achievements in addressing sectarianism
Whats not working so well
What we do different
Q&A

3. North Down, Ards and Down PEACE III Cluster
The cluster area covers three Council areas of North Down, Ards and Down.
Collectively the geographic coverage of the cluster is approximately 1100 sq km, equates to 8% of the total area of Northern Ireland.
The population of the area is estimated at 228,000, representing almost 13% of the total population of Northern Ireland.
North Down, is the smallest geographically sized Council in Northern Ireland, however it is densely populated, is ranked as the 6th most populated Council in NI. It has a current population of approximately 79,900 and is ranked the 6th most populated Council in Northern Ireland.
Ards Borough stretches from the major urban settlements of Newtownards, southwards down the Ards Peninsula , the shores of Strangford
Lough which is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and special scientific interest. The Borough covers an area of 376 Square kilometres and has a growing population of 77,600.
Down District Council is the largest geographically covering an area of 647 sq Km, is more rural in nature, with a population size of Down District Council is home to the Mourne Mountains. the historic town of Downpatrick, the popular seaside resort of Newcastle
Cluster is very diverse in nature of urban / rural split and also religious breakdown of population

4. North Down, Ards and Down PEACE III Cluster
£2.6m of funding support to deliver local projects that build positive relations across the area
Religious breakdown of cluster:
66% Protestant
29.04% Catholic
4.96% Other
Each area is largely single identity:
Down 62% Catholic
Ards 82% Protestant
North Down 78% Protestant
Religious breakdown of cluster
However each council area is largely single identity.

5. Sectarianism in North Down, Ards and Down
No Peace Walls
No Interfaces
Sectarianism manifests itself in many ways across the cluster both overtly and in hidden forms including attitudinal segregation or “casual” sectarianism. There is an acknowledged history of paramilitary activity and in particular paramilitary influence in certain social housing areas.
Visible manifestations of territory marking are still evident today, primarily in Loyalist housing estates through murals, memorials, flags and kerb stone. Considerable work has been carried out specifically in the Ards Borough to address physical manifestations and to support the transition of ex-combatants and ex-pris. The Peace III Partnership recognises that the Peace III Programme offers an opportunity to address these types of “hard” issues.
The Councils within the cluster have no interfaces or peace walls, but they are
characterised by single identity communities.
There are unseen or “hidden interfaces” notably along the Ards Peninsula, where communities of different traditions live side by side, but rarely mix. The Partnership recognized that more opportunities must be provided to build relationships and offer opportunities to work together and collaborate more effectively.

6. Sectarianism in North Down, Ards and Down
“Our two communities live side by side in harmony”
“Yea – we’re sectarian and proud of it”
These quotations are genuine examples of some people’s views across the cluster.
As you see the images that appear alongside the quotes do to an extent contradict each other.

7. Sectarianism in North Down, Ards and Down
88% believe sectarianism in the cluster
Division
Prejudice
Denial
Hatred
Our consultation for Peace III Phase II confirmed that 88% believed that some degree of sectarianism occurred across the cluster.
As reflective of most communities, sectarianism results in
Division – segregtated living
Prejudice – views of the “others”
Denial – two communities live in harmony
Hatred – manifested in violence, community tensions, conflict

8. Sectarianism in North Down, Ards and Down
How Sectarianism manifests
Flags, emblems and murals
Community Unrest
Violence
Intimidation / Threats
Isolation
Divided Living
Apathy
Verbal abuse
Banter / Craic
Sectarianism across the cluster results in

9. Issues Influencing Sectarianism
Lack of cultural awareness
Lack of cross community contact
Visible manifestations of the conflict
Intra community conflict
Cultural celebrations
Community consultation highlighted the key issues that influence sectarianism.

10. Approaches To Address Sectarianism
Awareness raising
Capacity building
Cross community interaction
Removal of physical manifestations
Conflict Mediation Support
Community events / celebrations
Therefore going forward the Recommendations of our PEACE plan and project delivery were to
Reinforce the focus on sectarianism and racism
Tackle separate or divided living
Focus on flags, emblems, memorials and murals
Increase capacity of community leaders
Engage and challenge ex-combatants and ex prisoners
Address good practice in bonfire management
Focus on tackling racism
Improved Partnership working
These in effect formed our strategic priorities - hand over to Debbie McKinney

11. Approaches to Address Sectarianism
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Addressing Conflict
Building Positive Relations
Developing Leadership
Partnership Working
Sharing Communities, Sharing Resources
Sectarianism is not someone else’s problem, it’s an issue for us all
Impacts on so many areas in society

12. Approach - Addressing Conflict
Address the physical legacy of the troubles including flags, emblems, murals and memorials
Support women and their families address the legacy of the conflict
Encourage good practice in relation to bonfire management
Provide conflict mediation support
Building on work between local community groups and Ards Borough Council, the funding support provided for this project will enable the removal of a significant number of murals in the Bowtown, West Winds and Donaghadee areas.
Community representatives have made significant contributions to reduce sectarian emblems and the improve the overall appearance and image within their local community by moving away from political murals to creating reflective space which is acceptable to a greater number of people in the borough.
Projects will encourage discussion on what symbolism/imagery means to people within the community as well as those outside of the communty

13. Approach - Building Positive Relations
Promote shared and integrated communities within the cluster to address divided living through community animation programmes
Build capacity of single identity communities to address local issues arising from sectarianism and racism a

14. Approach - Developing Leadership
Investing in young people and prepare them for a future that embraces diversity and promotes acceptance
Promoting and facilitating leadership

15. Approach - Partnership Working
Building cross border and cross community linkages
Communities are all too willing to meet groups from other Partnership areas, however not to engage on a more localised basis.
Partnership are seeking to encourage more local engagement

16. Approach - Sharing Communities, Sharing Resources
Addressing racism across the cluster

17. Achievements in Addressing Sectarianism
Contentious issues to more tolerant and accepting
may not be regarded by some as significant however it is a major shift

18. Achievements In Addressing Sectarianism

19. Achievements in Addressing Sectarianism

20. Difficulties in Addressing - Sectarianism
Social / economic situation
Political context
Community Tensions
Tackling a belief system that is deep in our society
while we must be part of the solution, we should recognise that we may also
be part of the problem our silence often renders us complicit in sectarianism and that an awareness
of the consequences of our behaviour and language is the first step towards
change

21. Sectarianism is… Attitudes, actions, beliefs and structures
Personal, communal and institutional levels
Typically involves a negative mixing of religion and politics
Distorted expression of belonging, identity and the freedom of expression of difference
Expressed in destructive patterns of relating.
From Joseph Leichty, Irish School of Ecumenics
Sectarianism is…a complex set of attitudes, actions, beliefs and structures
At personal, communal and institutional levels, which involves religion
and typically involves a negative mixing of religion and politics.
It arises as a distorted expression of human needs, especially for belonging, identity and the freedom of expression of difference, and is expressed in destructive patterns of relating.
99 (From Joseph
Leichty, Irish School of Ecumenics – for more information see Appendix 1, below.

22. What we would do differently - Sectarianism
Multi faceted approach
Education
Political Leadership
Community Development
Initiatives with young people
Family focus
Concerted action by everyone
The best response to a deep-rooted problem such as sectarianism will be multi-faceted: education, legislation, police presence,
national and local leadership, community development, initiatives with young people
in and outwith school, individuals taking a stand when friends or family members
behave inappropriately. What will it take to finally eradicate sectarianism? Both the
vision and the will but also the energy and concerted action of everyone involved –
... people talk about their rights, their rights, but they never talk about their responsibility.

23. Summarise
All peace building activities matter and make a difference in addressing sectarianism
Challenge attitudes and perceptions
Its .... seed, life, looking ahead, .... responsibility.
Seventh Generation
Small part of a much, much larger political picture – all activities matter
Challenge peoples attitudes and perceptions
reminds you that you have responsibility to generations that are coming. And that you are indeed in charge of life as it is at the moment. Every generation has its time, every generation has its leaders, and every generation has its heros, every generation has all of that. When that generation passes, the next generation will have the same. They will also have their leaders, they will also have their heros. They will also have their problems, and they will also have the continuing responsibility to look out for the next seven generations.

24. PEACE III PARTNERSHIP
NORTH DOWN, ARDS AND DOWN COUNCILS
Q & A