The Island Identity Policy Development Board Jersey’s National and International Identity Interim Findings Report 1 Foreword Avant-propos What makes Jersey special and why does that matter? Those simple questions, each leading on to a vast web of intriguing, inspiring and challenging answers, underpin the creation of this report on Jersey’s identity and how it should be understood in today’s world, both in the Island and internationally. The Island Identity Policy Development Board is proposing for consideration a comprehensive programme of ways in which the Island’s distinctive qualities can be recognised afresh, protected and celebrated. It is the board’s belief that success in this aim must start with a much wider, more confident understanding that Jersey’s unique mixture of cultural and constitutional characteristics qualifies it as an Island nation in its own right. An enhanced sense of national identity will have many social and cultural benefits and reinforce Jersey’s remarkable community spirit, while a simultaneously enhanced international identity will protect its economic interests and lead to new opportunities. What does it mean to be Jersey in the 21st century? The complexity involved in providing any kind of answer to this question tells of an Island full of intricacy, nuance and multiplicity. Jersey is bursting with stories to tell. But none of these stories alone can tell us what it means to be Jersey. In light of all this complexity why take the time, at this moment, to investigate the different threads of what it means to be Jersey? I would, at the highest level, like to offer four main reasons: First, there is a profound and almost universally shared sense that what we have in Jersey is special. The love and affection that is felt for Jersey by Islanders and by all those who are lucky enough to have spent any time here is profound. Jersey is unusually loved. The love that is felt for Jersey is evidenced in all sorts of ways, by all sorts of people, in all sorts of places. This is precious. It may be the greatest asset we have, and we would be foolhardy not to make more of it. Jersey’s uniqueness should be celebrated and shared. Secondly, there is a widely felt sense that something is being lost. In the face of rapid global change there is a strong feeling from many parts of the Jersey community that we must act to protect, preserve and strengthen the uniqueness of Jersey, lest its specialness be diminished. We feel that if we don’t act now, we may live to regret our neglect. Thirdly, we believe that we should be making more of our autonomy to innovate. Other British nations, such as Scotland and Wales, are bursting with pride in their national identities. Visitors to these places are confronted at every turn with unique and proud expressions of identity. Politically, these nations are constantly stretching the limits of their devolved powers to innovate new and better ways to structure their economies and communities. And yet Jersey enjoys much greater constitutional and political freedoms than they do. Recapturing a sense of our distinctive status, identity and history will make us better equipped to take full advantage of these invaluable freedoms. 2 Lastly, there are some very practical incentives to investigating identity at this particular moment in time: big global issues such as a changing relationship between the UK and Europe post-Brexit, rapid shifts in culture driven by technological advancement, and the impact of the climate crisis mean that the way Jersey positions itself in the world now is essential to building the kind of reputation we will depend on to thrive in the future. So, these four reasons drive us towards the question at the top of the page. We have to engage with it to understand what exactly we mean when we talk about Jersey – so that we can enhance and feel a part of our identity and enter with confidence into an uncertain global future. However, a programme to strengthen national identity must be far more than a superficial rebranding exercise. The way we talk about ourselves - as a future-focused world-leading jurisdiction - must reflect the reality. Engaging with questions of identity allows us to play an active part in how we move forward into the future. If we take seriously the question of who we are and what we do well we can position ourselves for success, rather than just responding passively and haphazardly to signals from the global marketplace – or unthinkingly following UK policies that are ill-fitted to our context. I have been very encouraged more recently by exciting initiatives such as Jersey’s declaration of Climate Emergency and our ambitious carbon neutrality targets. Our move towards ‘Sustainable Wellbeing’ as a holistic way of measuring our success as a nation has also given us a compelling story to tell the world about Jersey’s values. These are encouraging signs of a shift in the right direction towards a stronger identity. They must be celebrated, supported and built upon, and we must do more to innovate other exciting home- grown initiatives. The Policy Development Board, whose work this report encapsulates, believe that a strong Island Identity will allow our community to engage and be proud to belong to Jersey. (For a detailed reflection of the Policy Development Board’s observations see the SWOT analysis in Appendix 4.) We hope that we can provide a much-needed platform for thinking and discussion about Jersey Identity: to enhance and celebrate Jersey’s distinctiveness; to protect and strengthen that distinctiveness so that it may be handed down responsibly to future generations; and help inform our community of our unique constitution, history, environment, culture and community. I would especially like to thank the Policy Development Board for all their valuable time and input so far. We hope that you enjoy reading and engaging with our interim findings and recommendations. We hope that you find our proposals encouraging and challenging. We ultimately hope that the Government of Jersey will take up these proposals with the energy and urgency that they deserve. We also hope that this report will spark a meaningful debate about what it means to be Jersey in today’s world. Deputy Carolyn Labey, Chair Island Identity Policy Development Board 3 ‘Word Clouds’ generated by recent extensive research by Visit Jersey about perceptions of Jersey. These diagrams show a clear discrepancy between how Islanders believe that Jersey is perceived and how we wish the Island to be known. 4 Table of Contents Foreword Avant-propos....................................................................................................................... 2 Executive Summary and introduction Raccourchi extéchuti ......................................................................................................... 6 1. Constitution, Citizenship, Parishes and Communities Constitution, Citouoyenneté, Pâraisses et C'meunautés ............................................... 17 2. Education, Sport and Social Cohesion Êducâtion, Sport et Rassembliéthie Sociale ................................................................... 38 3. Culture, Heritage, Literature and the Arts Tchultuthe, Héthitage, Littéthatuthe et l's Arts ............................................................... 50 4. Environment and Public Realm Envithonnement et les Choses Publyiques .................................................................... 65 5. Economy and Connectivity Êcononmie et Drann'téthie…………………………………. …………………………………..80 6. International Personality Pèrsonnalité Întèrnâtionnale .......................................................................................... 102 7. Summary of Recommendations Raccourchi d'Èrquémendâtions .................................................................................... 111 Appendix 1: The Island Identity Policy Development Terms of Reference ................. 126 Appendix 2: Identity and the Jersey Performance Framework .................................... 129 Appendix 3: References to Island Identity in the Common Strategic Policy and other Government Documents ................................................................................................ 135 Appendix 4: The Board’s S.W.O.T Analysis of Jersey ................................................. 145 5 Executive Summary Raccourchi extéchuti The Chief Minister established the Island Identity Policy Development Board in October 2019. The Board is Chaired by Deputy Carolyn Labey, Minister for International Development, Assistant Chief Minister, and Deputy of Grouville. Its aim was to examine how Jersey’s distinctive qualities can be enhanced, celebrated, and utilised for the benefit of the Island and its inhabitants. This interim report has been prepared to share the findings of the Board, to spark further debate and research, and suggest practical, innovative ways to reinforce and nurture an enduring identity that all Islanders can be proud of. Rationale An enhanced sense of national identity has many social and cultural benefits. At home it reinforces Jersey’s remarkable community spirit, and further afield it enhances the Island’s distinctive international personality, furthering its interests and creating new opportunities on the world stage. Jersey is a small nation with an unusually rich cultural heritage, including its own language and a rare degree of legal and political independence. Far from being outdated these are among the very qualities on which a more united society