No. 346

JUNE Bulletin 2006 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY

Northern Ireland’s equality Young People understanding tolerance Speak Out change

Patrick Yu, NICEM: ‘Today we brought together around 50 something minority ethnic young people to this historical parliament building to debate our own future. – basically our shared future; how the minority ethnic young people see their own future, looking into different areas of concern from them. I think the main purpose is to bring the people together and then discuss the issue that affects their lives.’

Billy Gamble, OFMDFM: ‘As I said to the young people today, the elected representatives from the assembly will be in this building, on the 15th of May, and hopefully will be able to form a devolved government here again. It’s important that the issue the young people are talking about today – this is about racism and whether or not you can do anything – it’s important that this sort of debate that affects the Students grouped in front of Stormont, Belfast, the seat of the (currently suspended) Northern Irish real lives of people is debated in Assembly, on 5 May for a Youth Summit. The Summit was supported by the Office of the First Minister and this chamber. And that’s crucial. Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic And fingers crossed; that will Minorities and the Runnymede Trust happen.’

ISSN: 1476-363X RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 1 Working Together – the Strategy Northern Ireland government has developed a race ensure that the strategy and action plans deliver real equality strategy for 2005–10. Published in change for the people of Northern Ireland, we will November 2005, the strategy document sets out the be working with government departments, other principles by which race equality will be delivered in statutory bodies, the voluntary and community RACE Northern Ireland. In April 2006 all 13 Northern Irish sectors, and BME community organisations over the EQUALITY government departments set down the actions they coming year. will take over the coming years to ensure that the The aim of ‘Working Together’ is to bring people strategy delivers race equality for all citizens of together to share their ideas and experiences, to 1 NISRA (2001) Northern Ireland. think about what both government and the ‘Table KSO6 Six principles form the core around which action voluntary sectors can do to promote race equality, Ethnic Group’. should be instigated and coordinated: and to support better policymaking and practice. • Elimination of racial inequality We will be doing this through a series of 2 OFMDFM • Equal protection seminars, debates and conferences with (2005) A Racial • Equality of service provision policymakers, practitioners and citizens of Northern Equality Strategy •Participation Ireland.The process began in May with a Youth for Northern • Dialogue Summit held at the then mothballed home of the Ireland: • Capacity building Northern Ireland Assembly, Stormont.This was 2005–2010. These are ambitious aims and principles in a context followed by a seminar gathering together Belfast: Office of that is not the most promising.The inability to form a representatives of government departments and the First Minister devolved government is a symptom of the voluntary/community organisations to focus on the and Deputy First entrenched religious sectarianism that colours the first three principles of the strategy. Major events to Minister of political discourse of Northern Ireland. Action to come include further seminars in September and a Northern Ireland promote race equality must operate within this conference at the end of the year to reflect on what political context, and it takes on a particular bent in we have learnt. 3 RAG (2005) relationship to it. We hope through our input to be able to help Forced to Flee: The population of Northern Ireland was recorded improve the planning around race equality, and guide Frequently asked in the 2001 Census as over 1.6 million people. Out policymakers and community organisations towards questions about of this overall population, 14,279 were from minority working together to make race equality a reality for refugees and ethnic backgrounds – around 1% of the total the people of Northern Ireland. asylum seekers in population.1 However, it is suggested that the To k eep abreast of developments in the project, Northern Ireland, number of ethnic minorities may be as high as read the background papers and sign up for future 2nd edn. Belfast: 45,000.2 The largest minority ethnic group are those events, and visit the Working Together pages on the Refugee Action who identify as Chinese. Even since 2001 there has Runnymede Trust website:www.runnymedetrust.org ❑ Group been change in the ethnic make-up of the Northern Irish population, with 4 Watt and one aspect of the ‘peace dividend’ McGaughey (eds) being increased immigration as (2006) How Public workers from within the EU and Authorities Provide beyond made Northern Ireland their Services to Minority home. Ethnic Groups: Refugees have also moved to Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland as a safe haven. An Ireland, and estimate by Refugee Action says that Scotland; Emerging there are up to 2000 refugees in Findings. Dublin: Northern Ireland.3 Given these trends, National demographic projections estimate that, Consultative by 2030, 5% of the population of Committee on Northern Ireland will be from minority 4 Racism and ethnic groups. Students participate in a facilitated workshop on 5 May inside Stormont Interculturalism Keen to share our learning from the (NCCRI). rest of the UK with policymakers and Rob Berkeley, Runnymede: practitioners in Northern Ireland, ‘The young people are getting the opportunity to think about things Runnymede has put together the practically and then address their thoughts and reflections on that ‘Working Together’ project with the issue to government, community leaders and others. For example, in Office of the First Minister and Deputy one of the workshops they’ll be working in a role-play on how to solve First Minister (OFMDFM) and the problems. In another they’ll be looking at what they want for the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic future and try and express that and build some consensus for what Minorities (NICEM). In order to help the future of Northern Ireland should be.’

2 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Working Together On 5 May 2006 the Office of the First Minister and at the the Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, in coordination with the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities Race Equality Youth Summit (NICEM) and the Runnymede Trust, sponsored a RACE Youth Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In EQUALITY attendance were approximately 50 students from On Changing the Public Debate minority ethnic communities across the Education and Patrick Yu, NICEM: Library Boards of Northern Ireland. ‘If you’re talking about racism it’s about different Student: This Summit was planned in coordination with the levels and issues.The first and foremost is racism in I think the launch of the Northern Ireland Race Equality Strategy our society. Because of the conflict, we more of less government Action Plan – a government plan to set the agenda put racism under the carpet, so we never address or can have redress this issue. It’s only in the last 5 to 10 years that for race equality until 2010 and beyond. In order for the racism issue has become more prominent than in events or fun young people from minority ethnic communities to the past, partly because of the political process days to have a have their say in a national discussion that affects them changing, and partly because there are more minority mix of colours, all, the Youth Summit was convened in an attempt to ethnic people living in Northern Ireland. So, I think not just white, open and widen debate and comment on the Action the racism epidemic is crucial, and we have to tackle black or it on the society level.’ Plan.The young people who attended had much to Chinese so we say on their perceptions of the problems of Northern Student Letter: will get to know Irish society, how to address them, and possibilities for Dear Northern Irish Public, each other the future as well. Do you believe it is right for people to be better. It’s not The Youth Summit aimed to discriminated against? just like, ‘you’re Of course you do because at the moment we can’t • Enable young people from minority ethnic get past the religious barriers. black, I’m not communities in Northern Ireland to influence I choose not to believe that because if there were no talking to you, action to promote race equality choice for us to eradicate discrimination I wouldn’t you’re white I’m •Increase their understanding of the role of be going to an integrated school today. not talking to government and communities in Northern Ireland So if we in Northern Ireland can get past that hurdle, you.’ Mix them why can’t we stamp out all kinds of discrimination? in tackling racisms and building a shared future After all, this country needs a new culture, so why not together so • Allow young people from minority ethnic bring different races. We need a makeover. they’ll get to communities in Northern Ireland to share their I don’t understand why people insist on being racist. know each experiences and identify together ways to respond After all the majority of them want to be tanned other better. to racisms and contribute to building a successful anyway. We need a bit of colour! multi-ethnic society

On Finding Yourself ‘out of step’: Rob Berkeley ‘For young people, most of their interaction with the state in particular is through schools. So schools need to take seriously when young people report racist bullying. Schools need to find a way of responding to the needs – the cultural needs – of young people so they can be confident in their own background and heritage as well. Some of the young people spend a great amount of their time in the streets in terms of their leisure time, etc. So racist violence often has a disproportionate impact on young people. So the police services and the court services need to respond sensitively and quickly and thoroughly to the threat of racist harassment.’

Student Letter: Dear Miss… Sometimes is very confusing to me, my understanding Patrick Yu talks is that your opinion about me is not as good as it could with a group of be. My life is kind of turning over and sometimes I students from the feel that you treat me as if I am stupid and you’re Northern Ireland tired of me.We started off on the wrong foot. I’m not Youth Summit on stupid I’m just confused with this new culture and I the front steps of don’t really know why you think this, but I expect the Stormont better understanding between me and you. Assembly building RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 3 Speeches from Billy Gamble from the Office of the While the workshops were going on, young people First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and Rob could elect to be interviewed on video, in a ‘Diary Berkeley and Jessica Sims from Runnymede opened Room’ style format.The morning’s speakers – Rob the day’s proceedings, followed by a student-led Berkeley, Billy Gamble, Jessica Sims and Patrick Yu – debate on the proposition that ‘this house believes were interviewed too, and both sets of interviews that nothing can be done to stop racism in Northern have been combined to make a short film of the day’s RACE Ireland’. After weighing the possibilities for changing proceedings, which provides an explanation of the EQUALITY the beliefs of prejudiced people and the importance strategy and the summit, as well as revealing the views of education and raised awareness, the assembled of the young people in terms of their personal experiences with racism, perceptions of racism in Northern Ireland and opportunities for change and On the Perception of Racism elimination of racism.What will accompany the video Student Participant: interviews, as the outcomes of these days at Stormont ‘I think sometimes racism isn’t just calling people names or stereotyping. are assessed, are those letters written during the I think sometimes there is racism to prevent racism. Sometimes you see workshops. Representing the opinions and issues of propaganda, or something like that, that show people as an object of how these young people, they will be reproduced in full as we are not racist. How we are not racist: show a white person hugging a a significant strand of the final Youth Summit report – black person and,“oh, we are not racist. Our functionaries are and extracts from just a few of them appear within ❑ accepting”. This is more racist than anything else, you know?’ this feature.

Student Letter: Dear Minister On School You might not know me but after my experience I decided to put my Student Participant views forward and maybe you could help. ‘My school is quite a friendly school; I came here I’ve been living in Belfast for the past 3 years and for these 3 years I’ve four years ago and the girls in my year group just been receiving too much aggression. As a result I have been forced to helped me. Helped me with my English, and anything move more than five times. Some people have given me advice to report I didn’t understand, they would help me. I think that these matters to the police but this I feel does not solve my problem. I the teachers were very supportive as well, they helped believe that people choose to be racist. As a teenager myself I know that me a lot. I think that it’s quite a friendly school; I’m teenagers only to this as a way of exciting their life. They don’t one of the lucky ones that has friends and supportive understand what impact this has on the person. Racism can be stopped teachers but I think there are a lot of people who especially between young people if they could only be taught to aren’t as lucky as me.’ understand other cultures. If you could help by offering youth councils I would really appreciate. Student Letters: Dear… students voted convincingly to defeat the motion. My English isn’t very good. I often don’t understand Morning and afternoon workshop sessions, what people say because they speak quickly. I have designed to explore the different objectives set by the been here just for three month. In the school many Race Equality Strategy, took up the rest of the day. students who are national laugh at my English. I Two rounds of workshops, all related to the aims think they racism me. I’m older than them so they of the Race Equality Strategy, began with a set of three think I’m stupid. I just don’t good at English but the that dealt with elimination of racial inequality, equal subjects I learn I can understand very much. I study Jessica Sims protection, and equality of service provision.The in China very good. I think they are not good. who prepared afternoon workshops focused on what the young this report is a people thought was required in the way of Dear Teacher, Runnymede participation, dialogue and capacity building. In each This letter is mostly about RE in school. In my intern case, the students were given the opportunity to opinion RE should be changed in the way as mixed supporting the meet other young people, discuss their personal RE.What I mean by that is everyone should learn ‘Working experiences and their hopes for the future, and different religion and culture. Not just a specific one Together’ develop skills and an understanding of how to deal but with everything.This will bring more knowledge project and with complex issues such as discrimination and conflict to pupils about different culture and religion. Even other resolution. though I am a Catholic I like to learn about different Runnymede Workshops ended with each participant writing a religions. initiatives, letter to a person of their choice about issues that I think you will be noting my point. including had come up during the day. Letters covering topics Make everything equal to everyone ‘Parental from school bullying to racist harassment were Involvement in directed to family members at home, or addressed to Multi-ethnic friends, bullies, head teachers, the prime minister, and Schools’. so on.

4 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Grounding Community Cohesion in Democratic Values

As part of our ‘Working Together’ project in Northern ideals or values, not just because Ireland, we have meetings and seminars planned throughout they often seem in conflict, but COMMUNITY 2006 in Belfast, as described by Rob Berkeley on page 2 of also because they sometimes COHESION appear to have little to say this Bulletin. Omar Khan, who participated in the May about pressing real-world seminar, uses the experience to reflect on the situation in problems. Of course, we might say, liberty or equality is ‘... in some Northern Ireland as it relates to the rest of the United important, but what really cases we are inclined to Kingdom and to issues in community relations more broadly. matters is how to deal with those who harm others or how think that to help those who live horrible firm lives because of poverty or convictions discrimination. Indeed, in some can get in Representatives of the suggests that in Northern cases we are inclined to think the way of Protestant and Catholic Ireland, as perhaps elsewhere, that firm convictions can get in effective communities experience changing attitudes is as action’ continuing difficulty about necessary as designing well- the way of effective action, as sharing political power in crafted institutions. when people with different Northern Ireland, and this has beliefs refuse to compromise on tended to overshadow other what they find important. Such, Changing attitudes concerns in the region. However, perhaps, is what makes talk of It is obviously difficult for there is now growing awareness the centre ground so popular in government to change attitudes that black and minority ethnic current politics. It may also on their own, but it is important residents in Northern Ireland explain why many would prefer to emphasise that effective face discrimination and prejudice to discuss the inefficiency of the democratic governance requires that too often leads to violence. consequences of racism rather Even if media reports that that citizens participate as equals than its wrongness. Belfast has become the ‘race in the public sphere. Where hate capital of Europe’ are individuals recognise obligations, sensationalised, the experience duties or rights only to their Citizenship of black and minority ethnic ‘own’, democracies cannot and common values people in Northern Ireland is function. For black and minority Northern Ireland seems a often more difficult than ethnic residents in Northern perfect case study for how elsewhere in the UK. Ireland, the fact that people are political ideals are predominant Recently the government has typically seen in terms of group while pragmatic judgements focused attention on the affiliation prevents them not only about how to get along are problem of racist discrimination, from participating as equals, but underemphasized. Residents of publishing a 5-year race equality further enhances the possibility the region usually have a clearly strategy in Northern Ireland, for widespread discrimination. If defined sense not only of who building on the relatively strong lack of shared obligations creates they are, but also about their provisions made in the 1998 a divided society in the rest of political worldview and sense of Northern Ireland Act (Good Northern Ireland, it is perhaps historical memory. Here, it might Friday Agreement).1 The not surprising that a minority of be argued, is a good example of 1 Community document provides an admirably less than 2% is under serious the political leadership being so Relations Unit clear commitment to racial pressure, particularly when the committed to their values that (2005) A Shared equality and further underlines category black and minority they are incapable of making the Future: Policy and the importance of existing ethnic encompasses many pragmatic compromises that Strategic statutory provisions and different groups. make political action possible. Framework for institutions such as the Equality If it is difficult to talk of It is, however, hard to sustain Good Relations in Commission. But in their changing attitudes, it may seem the argument that the situation Northern Ireland. document charting a ‘shared more difficult still to elaborate in Northern Ireland Belfast: Office of future’ for Northern Ireland, the how equal participation and the demonstrates the importance of the First Minister government recognised that a rights of all might be recognised practical compromise over and Deputy First ‘culture of intolerance’ is the in Northern Ireland.These committed belief.This is because Minister biggest barrier to creating a sound like lofty ideals; and many an effective democracy requires [www.ashared decent society in the region.This of us find it difficult to discuss not only that political institutions futureni.gov.uk].

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 5 are well crafted and efficiently have equal rights, including the good will, it is hard to imagine a administered, but also that right to participate in public life. shared and effective democracy citizens believe in basic While there are relatively well- if individuals are not committed minimum values, namely the crafted institutions and regular to basic democratic values. As equal rights and participation of elections in Northern Ireland, the case of Northern Ireland all. Since the Good Friday the stalemate that exists there demonstrates, democracy Agreement of 1998, Northern must be at least partially linked requires more than elections COMMUNITY Ireland has held a number of to the lack of a full commitment and efficient bureaucracy. COHESION elections at the local and to important democratic values. Recently it has been popular regional level, but it has not yet to talk of ‘democratic deficits’ or proved possible to forge a ‘democratic deepening’, and this working alliance. Values held discussion has hopefully One of the main reasons, as and rights applied indicated why these are not most observers realise, is that All this discussion of ‘values’ can mere fantasies. Whatever too many in Northern Ireland seem confusing.There are at success democratic institutions are unwilling to admit that all least two interpretations for have had over the years, at least individuals should be able to understanding the situation in part of it must be due to the participate as equals in public Northern Ireland. commitment of voters to institutions. While it may be The first is that democratic important principles like equal difficult to allow those who have values and the values rights. If some of us now feel direct or indirect links to violent underpinning the various less connected to our politicians, organisations to participate, too communities are in conflict. Put or as others vote on the basis often this appears as a claim more directly, at least some of their own narrow interests, at that those of one community people have the wrong values – least part of the basis for our are not owed any obligations by they don’t believe in equal democratic institutions is the other community.The respect and equal rights and undermined.This is obvious government is well aware of this instead think that their own enough where the result is the difficulty, with the recently community is valuable in its own election of sectarian, racist or published Shared Future right. Unfortunately, such views xenophobic parties, but we document pointing out that in have been relatively common in need to be more cognisant of Northern Ireland individuals are human history, but rarely have how important key values like too often seen as mere ‘ciphers’ they been compatible with equality and rights are in a for their community. democratic success. democracy. What exactly does this mean? A second interpretation is Although many find it The idea of being a ‘mere that people in Northern Ireland hopelessly naïve or idealistic to cipher’ is essentially that generally have some think that voters will believe in individuals are not taken commitment to democratic equal rights or hold similarly seriously as independent moral values, but for whatever reason lofty ideals, these are the only or political actors. Once an many do not apply them ground in which something like individual is perceived to belong consistently. Here the idea is community cohesion can take to a certain community, he or that people affirm the value of root. In the case of Northern she is not only pigeonholed in equality or rights, but apply it Ireland, it is hopefully more likely terms of their likely attitudes only to their own group. So that many individuals are and behaviour, but further seen rather than having the wrong inconsistent in their application Omar Khan as someone to whom basic values, this implies that people of these values, due to the fact has been a obligations do not apply. A less are simply inconsistent in that the value of community has researcher extreme sentiment might be realising that values such as come to trump all else. with that we only owe members of equality and rights must apply to If we wish to ensure that Runnymede our own community particular all in order to have any democracy is successful there, since 2000. His duties and obligations. coherence. and that it deepens in the rest current Talk of obligations and duties This discussion may be read of the UK, it is important that research topic, may sound abstract, but it is a as a pessimistic or even people consistently apply the at the prerequisite of effective antagonistic evaluation of the values of equality and rights to University of democratic government that situation in Northern Ireland. In all of us. It may be easier to talk Oxford, people in the same polity feel fact, circumstances there are of community cohesion or to concerns the some sense of commitment to a neither unique nor without design good bureaucracies and Justifiability of common good.This may or may relevance to the situation in the institutions, but the value of Preferential not require a very strong sense UK, Europe or indeed the rest individual rights is not merely Treatment in of national identity, but it does of the world. For example, while philosophical but a real-world Indian require a minimal acceptance institutions in Iraq may have consideration for effective and Democracy. that all individuals in society been designed with the greatest good democratic governance. ❑

6 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Responding to the Extracts from a Selection of Responses to Equalities Review the Equalities Review Interim Report Interim Report At the time of putting this Bulletin The Interim Report for Consultation of the Equalities Review, chaired by together, not all the organisations Trevor Phillips, is for the many organisations that have been campaigning and arguing, with passion, for greater ‘equality at the heart of their democracy’ (to responding to the Interim Report of reference de Tocqueville, as this report does) a matter of ‘Forty Years On’ from the Equalities Review had produced the days of their inception in the 1960s. It’s a 30-year period from the official foundation of commissions that began (EOC 1975) or merged (RRB+CRC = their responses in full, or put them on CRE in 1976) in the 1970s, and are about to change structure again.With not their websites. Consequently, not every just a new Commission (the CEHR) in the pipeline but a single equality act in strand is represented.The Equality prospect, the need for this interim report to have been meticulous in catering for each equality strand whose interests have been identified and advocated in and Diversity Forum is hosting many that 40-year timeframe was paramount.To quote the report itself: of the responses and will keep

Failure to capture the potential contribution of all these groups of individuals could updating its site accordingly. Some of in itself emerge as a significant obstacle to growth and competitiveness over the the responses to the Interim Report medium and long term. are substantial documents in their own Something of that failure is already to be found in the pages of the Interim right and we recommend reading them Report of this independent review. Our own response, recorded below, reflects in full. the disappointment experienced as a consequence, and we hope that active participation in the Consultation Process (which ran from 20 March to 5 June 2006) will have contributed to a more satisfactory outcome when the full BHA report is published in autumn 2006. The British Humanist Association states that the Alongside the abbreviated text of our response runs a selection of comments interim report focuses almost exclusively on from other agencies and organisations reflective of the various strands to be employment and education, ignoring such issues as represented in the future CEHR, some of whom are members of the service provision, both access to services and the Reference Group for the Equalities Review, others of whom may on this appropriateness of services, and this is particularly occasion be commenting from the sidelines but are absolutely at the heart of important in light of the crucial role of the state in the matter. the provision of services. … BHA maintain that access to services, and the quality of services accessed, are in many cases determined by attributes that fall Runnymede’s Response into one or other of the equality strands, and so must Runnymede’s response to the interim report of the Equalities Review be relevant areas for exploration by the Review. recognises that it is an interim report and focuses on seven key areas. Similarly the ‘capabilities’ approach precludes the Our comments reflect the misgivings we have about the approach taken crucial issue of equal dignity.The concept of equal thus far.They are made in a spirit of support for the ambitious plans set dignity is essential to developing a culture of equality out for Part II, with a view to constructive engagement in the ongoing within a wider culture of human rights. In the case Equalities Review process.1 of the non-religious, this is of vital importance and is something BHA addressed at length in its original General comments submission. … BHA worries that the approach taken towards both the nature of equality (ie ‘capabilities’) The process by which the review has been undertaken thus far has not and to the measurement of equality means that issues been particularly transparent or accessible to smaller community of discrimination and inequality affecting the non- organisations.The report is written in language that is likely to be religious, and indeed also members of the minority difficult for those without particular expertise in social policy or political religions and other individuals, have effectively been theory to get to grips with. Indeed, writing a response to such a broad- excluded. ranging report is challenging even for those who do! BHA recognises that the interim report is explicit that the focus on educational attainment and labour • In publishing Part II of their Report, the Review team should market participation ‘should not be taken to imply be mindful of ways to include those with learning disabilities, that these are the most significant or that penalties not included here are unimportant or children and those with English as a Second Language in their inconsequential’, and hopes that the sorts of consultation methods. inequalities where the non-religious are disadvantaged will be given more attention in the 1 This response supplements the joint response already submitted by the final report of the Review. [http://www.humanism.org.uk] Equality and Diversity Forum of which Runnymede is a member.

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 7 The Review coincides with a number of other equality policy initiatives BIHR being undertaken by government.This may be contributing to an unease The British Institute for Human Rights, about so much change taking place at once.There is also a limit in terms addressing the lived experience of inequality, has of the capacity of organisations, however concerned with the issues, to commented that a human rights-based approach to respond in detail to such a number of consultations – especially when equality is largely missing from the Interim Report the relationship of the Equalities Review to the future of government and there are other important gaps that follow from policy, the transition to the CEHR, influence over the Discrimination Law this omission. BIHR knows from its experience on the ground that lack of access to services is a Review, the Gender Equality duty, or new regulations on Sexual profound contributor to persistent inequality. Orientation, Age, and Religion and Belief remain unclear. The role of social and health care and support services is particularly important for vulnerable • In Part II of the Report, the Review Team should take groups facing exclusion or discrimination on the account of the other pressures on smaller community and basis of more than one strand. In the next phase of its voluntary sector organisations, and seek ways of making work, the Equalities Review needs to expand its consultation more accessible to them. focus to encompass these issues or the Final Report will be incomplete. Capabilities approach Being treated poorly is a key issue for many people experiencing inequality.The human rights We agree that trying to find an approach that allows an accessible vision of equality extends significantly beyond discussion of the aim of equality and which moves beyond ‘equality of discrimination, to encompass fairness of treatment, opportunity’ approaches is valuable.We are concerned, however that dignity, respect and access to the fundamental rights the way in which the approach is presented here does not lead to which enable participation in a democratic society.As much greater clarity. As the crucial point in the report, it could benefit a result, human rights goes some way to filling the from greater explanation. vacuum in anti-discrimination law (with its The criticism may go further than one of presentation, however, since traditional focus on the hard edge of employment a capabilities approach is bound into political debate and contemporary and provision of services such as education) to understandings. Beyond a basic human rights agenda, all other encompass the experiential, qualitative side of discrimination – what can be termed the lived additions to a desired set of capabilities are subject to constant experience of inequality. debate – similar to ongoing debates about the definition/measurement [http://www.bihr.org] of poverty.The mechanisms for deciding which capabilities are the most important does not lead to the greater clarity that the Review set out to bring – it merely moves the debate to another contested location. CRAE The proposed opinion survey is unlikely to yield clarity as it falls foul The Children’s Rights Alliance for England of the Review’s wish to move beyond the ‘most popular cause, rather believes that the case for equality for children – as than what is most urgent’(p.9).The DRC have raised concerns about young people – is still not accepted. Unless the final how a capabilities approach that relies on ‘intrinsic capabilities’ as Review report is considerably different from the interim one, CRAE does not expect this Review to prerequisites of successful participation excludes many people with make any significant contribution to improving the disabilities. Reliance on GCSE results and understanding of citizenship as social status and lives of children, as children. capability markers excludes many people and suggests that the 50% of CRAE agrees that the ‘strand approach’ is children this year without 5A*–C passes at GCSEs are somehow less incoherent and incomplete.That is why it would deserving of equality in employment. advocate strongly a human rights approach to Further, the statement ‘often people make choices that are constrained equality.This is not dependent on pressure groups and by cultural and other pressures’ (p.73) is too broad a ‘get out clause’. It self-advocacy organisations: all human beings (including may be interpreted in such a way that the persistent inequalities that babies and children) enjoy equal status and non- operate are a function of choice/preference, rather than a product of discrimination. It is ultimately the state’s responsibility to ensure human rights are upheld though, of course, systemic discrimination. Should we then, in keeping with the report’s any public education or communication strategy would emphasis on education and employment, excuse the disproportionate need to stress that ‘ordinary people’ (individuals and rates of exclusion from school for boys on the basis that the excluded communities) have the capacity and responsibility to boys themselves have some agency in the exclusion – they chose to grow a human rights culture. behave in such a way as to lead to them being excluded. For Black boys, [http://www.edf.org.uk/news/CRAEresponse.doc] some commentators have given a cultural explanation for such behaviour (cf.Tony Sewell – Black Masculinities and Schooling).The under-representation of Bangladeshi women in the workforce is not CRE simply a factor of cultural preference; we should look to systemic A Commission for Racial Equality spokesperson said that ‘the report addresses some of the barriers to discrimination. integration, but further research and discussion is The choices which people make are, rather, always constrained by needed. It’s important that everybody contributes their cultural and other pressures – and these pressures may be racisms, fear ideas about how to tackle the causes of inequality and of racism, homophobia, disabilism, sexism, inter alia. Choosing not to join takes advantage of this opportunity to find new ways to the police force, enter certain Higher Education institutions, work in address old problems.’ certain industries or visit the GP are all factors that impact on race [http://www.cre.gov.uk/Default.aspx.LocID- equality as currently understood. A capabilities approach as framed here 0hgnew0fp.RefLocID-0hg00900c002.Lang-EN.htm] would not address the changes that these institutions need to make to address this inequality. If the choice can be made but is not, due to

8 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 constraints that are not well understood by those within the institution, this could lead to blaming the victim for their own ‘fecklessness’. Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Scope.The Review must widen its scope by taking Another worry is in the recourse to culture and how this is often account of a broader evidence base, engaging in understood in public discourse; characteristically as belonging solely to particular the most marginalised stakeholders and by minority ethnic groups.Thus fixed views of culture are used to add to meeting its own terms of reference and exploring, in the constraints placed on marginalised communities, about what partnership with the Discrimination Law Review the choices are culturally authentic, and also in reticence from those outside role and effectiveness of equality law. This will mean and within communities to challenge ‘cultural practices’ that further loosening the grip of the analytical framework proposed as this appears to be where the restriction stems from. marginalise groups within communities, e.g. people with disabilities, Conclusions drawn.The DRC is pleased that the people of no faith, homosexuals, and women. report highlights disabled people’s educational and employment disadvantage, but disappointed at the Vulnerability and trigger episodes severely restricted field of interest.Achieving change The analysis of trigger factors and vulnerability is problematic. Firstly will require a combination of law, social policy and vulnerability as a concept individualises the inequality by locating it in culture change, and the DRC would add a fourth key the identity of the individual.Vulnerability becomes a function of a lever of change: the engagement and recognised participation of marginalised groups as citizens and particular sexual orientation, ethnic origin, gender etc. Rather than a consumers and their interaction with ‘mainstream’ function of a society that operates in ways that are homophobic, racist, society. Social welfare policy has been dominated by an sexist etc.This is more than splitting hairs and is a factor in our current approach to disability which has presumed compensation equality discourse which sees members of certain groups as a problem to be more appropriate than supporting people to fully rather than wider society’s/an institution’s relationship with them as the participate.This has institutionalised low expectations in problem.This has led to discrimination in employment, policing, housing society concerning the role disabled people can play. Independent living will be critical to any agenda etc. seeking to promote equality and human rights for The analysis of trigger episodes represents a wider problem with the disabled people. report and the way it accepts current data without contextualising it, in Next steps. The DRC does not believe that the that very few of those that are identified are in fact trigger episodes – interim report provides a sound basis for progressing to they are merely moments at which some measure is made.Without the next phase ... The DRC proposes that the Review KS1 tests, would moving from infant to junior school be a trigger invest resources in speaking directly with marginalised groups and would be happy to facilitate discussions episode? These ‘episodes’ have little causal power. Birth of a child or with members of its Learning Disability, Mental Health, divorce can lead to widely differing outcomes.The identification of life BME disabled and neuro-diversity advisory groups. events that could be measured in terms of their impact is helpful – the [http://www.edf.org.uk/news/DRCresponse.doc] attempt to impose causal links between them is beyond the scope of the data that is available. EDF Whilst the Equality and Diversity Forum welcomes Beyond education and employment the Review and is committed to contributing to it, On p. 23 (para 4), the report shows how it has constrained itself in such believing that it can help set an ambitious agenda for a way that it fails to achieve its goals. The focus on education and the next few years, Forum members feel there are employment is unnecessarily restrictive.Granted, we have the best major areas of the Interim Report which will need to data on these two areas but that is largely a function of prior be developed if the Final Report is to have widespread government activity and preoccupations. It is unsurprising that support and influence.We believe the Review presents a valuable opportunity for communicating the case for respondents to the call for evidence pointed to education and equality and achieving political and public support.We employment as areas in which there was existing data.We look forward would therefore warmly welcome a wider focus and to Part II of the review when other areas can be taken into broader analysis of equality, incorporating the structural consideration – the failure of the NHS to undertake successful ethnic causes of inequality, in the next stages of the Review. monitoring is hardly a reason to ignore health and well-being issues. [http://www.edf.org.uk/news.php] Research into civic attitudes and volunteering, the media, housing and segregation, the criminal justice system, immigration, political Greater London Authority (GLA) representation, all exist. Further, any review of equalities must take into Mayor Livingstone says:‘the Interim Report fails account the prevalence of hate crime and fear of violence – constraints the remit set for the Equalities Review because it which still impact on the lives of many from marginalised groups and does not indicate an understanding of the causes of communities. By focusing only on employment and education the report disadvantage and it makes no practical feels constrained and restricted to a narrower view of equalities than is recommendations to help inform proposals for a Single Equality Act. helpful in moving forward. Inequality is not random. It will not gradually disappear. It is the result of institutional imbalances in Multiple identities power, prejudice and discrimination. It is bizarre that The focus on equality penalties is also unhelpful for similar reasons to a report meant to examine the causes of inequality those given above regarding vulnerability. It is also a concern that whilst barely mentions discrimination and comes close to attempting to move beyond a strand approach, these penalties would implying people choose to be unequal or that their culture somehow holds them back.The negative entrench an approach of this nature. There is also a missed attitude of the report to equality movements is also a opportunity to discuss multiple discrimination and identities.These real cause for concern.’ become especially important to the proposed model in terms of [http://www.London.gov.uk/view_press_release. measuring inequalities, given the range of indices that may have to be jsp?releaseid=8208]

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 9 adopted, especially if the desire to go beyond the six strands is realised. 1990 Trust What is the equality penalty when multiple discriminations collide, are 1.Whilst the concept of an Equalities Review offers there multiplier effects? The reduction of identity to a mathematical the promise of some much needed consideration, it remains our view that a focussed year-long research formula is unlikely to reap the rewards that the report’s authors hope for. and review was needed on Race Equality.To attempt to do this ER in all equalities areas simultaneously Costs to society and look at innovative models, with an We welcome the attempt to make a stronger modern case for equality. unrepresentative Panel, insufficient quantitative data It is a disappointment that all the arguments in the case are expressed and insufficient qualitative research with the affected in economic terms. Even then, they are expressed in the most narrow communities, was, we contest, a recipe for failure and of economic terms – to include additions to the workforce – but not disappointment. about fewer people in the criminal justice system, more productive 2.We would propose that in-depth studies are commissioned for each domain as a starting point, employment, less civil unrest, or cuts in welfare benefits. There is also a followed by an analytical overview and conclusions moral case to be made for equality that is surprisingly absent. Such for example on common causal factors, convergent instrumentalist cases for equality have been shown in the past to be /divergent possibilities for change across domains, etc. weak. Indeed they struggle to counter instrumentalist arguments in This could still utilise features of the ER, such as the favour of greater inequality. life stages mapping or economic analyses, but in more developed form. Lobbyists and democratic deficit 3.These in-depth studies should ensure a sustained We appreciate the attempt to encourage a debate about equalities with engagement of the affected communities with UK- a wider section of society and beyond the usual organisations. However, wide consultations to set the parameters, design methodology of the research, discuss initial findings the accusation that those who have been involved in working towards and inform a final report. equality are merely lobbyists, fighting for special interests, is unfair.The 4. In essence we are proposing that the review should role of the voluntary sector in campaigning for change has been start again and be led by the affected communities immense over the past 60 years, and is likely to remain so for the next themselves with the Black Manifesto 40 at least. Further, whilst we agree that ‘it cannot be right that public [www.blink.org.uk/bm/] as a starting point to inform policy is determined largely by the best organised, often most well-funded the research on race equality.The 1990 Trust is and ultimately most popular cause, rather than what is most urgent’ – we currently compiling a race audit and this when also want to reassert the role of political debate and democracy in finished will also provide useful data for consideration. defining public policy. It is also unacceptable for public policy to be [http://www.blink.org.uk/docs/equalities_review_ determined by unelected quangos and technocrats. It is important that response.htm; and via the edf website] our political structures also reflect and embody the principles of equality set out in the review.

Stonewall welcomes the Equalities Review Interim Novel measures and future proofing Report as a potentially useful step towards achieving the Government’s stated commitment of building a • The choice of issues to focus on in terms of the future of society where every person has an equal chance to achieve their potential not limited by prejudice or equalities was rather restricted. discrimination. However, we have concerns about the limited issues raised by the document, the lack While both issues identified are relevant, the possibilities of further of recognition of the wider range of issues inhibiting developments in telecommunications, the changing shape of the LGB people from full participation in society and the workforce, the speed and scope of international travel, longevity and rather academic nature of the report. improving health outcomes, among many others could also have been We regret that the Review panel did not considered.There were a number of instances in which some of the include any member who is either lesbian or gay, or predictions made for the future were based on conjecture but were disabled, or any member with specific policy knowledge of the lived experience of lesbian or presented as if there were no other options – especially with regard to gay or disabled people … [which]… might have future labour demands and migration.Where some conclusions were enhanced the report. Professional knowledge of made, it appeared that the equalities mechanisms suggested were still policy issues affecting gay people might have caused stuck in the present, for example, categories such as ‘White European’ the Review to set a different date for responses to its may be of less use if the predicted movement of workers from across interim report; many lesbian and gay organisations Europe comes to pass. Our current structures do not recognise the with limited capacity have been responding to the existing (super)diversity of our society.The review needs to find some detailed government consultation on new goods and way of addressing this. services protections with exactly the same date for submission. We call on the final report to address the issues Ongoing work of the Equalities Review outlined above and to offer practical We hope that this is a useful contribution to the ongoing work that the recommendations to meet the challenges of achieving Equalities Review will undertake.We hope that by sharing our criticisms an equal society.As an output-oriented organisation at this interim stage we can support the production of a final report ourselves, Stonewall would like to see the Equalities that comes closer to reaching the laudable aims of the Review. In its Review team offering practical outcomes, rather current form, however, it is lacking in several areas and in order to make than theorised models of discrimination. a fruitful contribution to the work of the new CEHR, and new [http://www.stonewall.org.uk] legislation on discrimination, should be revised. ❑

10 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Island Life and Modern Lives Roots and Shoots of the RGS

The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers were hosts for a Seminar on Identity, Ethnic Diversity and Community Cohesion in September 2005. IDENTITIES The seminar was contributing to the ESRC’s Identities and Social Action Programme, and a collection of given Papers and commissioned Responses will be published as a book later in 1 Holding up the 2006 – see the list of contributors on p.13. Meanwhile Steve Brace, Head of Education and Mirror: Addressing Cultural Diversity in Outdoor Learning for the RGS with IBG, introduces his organisation’s work to a wider audience. London’s Museums (October, 2003), Heritage and identity London Museums The Royal Geographical Society’s building at the end of … many museums were born out of the pain of conquest Agency. Exhibition Road is located in the midst of one of the … museums that present the culture of the world need to world’s greatest concentrations of museums – the Victoria acknowledge the story by which those collections were 2 Quoted in & Albert Museum, the Science Museum, and the Natural acquired.2 ‘Delivering Shared History Museum.The area adjacent to the RGS building Heritage:The is the site of the Great Exhibition of 1852, which was With diverse narratives embedded in the collection Mayor’s perhaps one of the most iconic representations of how materials, and institutions now able to tell more diverse Commission on Victorian Britain saw its place in, i.e. at the top of, the stories about themselves, what can be done in the 21st African and Asian known world. It gave physical expression to what was then century to bring these narratives to the fore? Heritage’ (2005), an Empire so widespread it demonstrated the global nature Henry Tam, of the Home Office’s Civil Renewal Unit, London: GLA, of British ambition. Echoes of the Great Exhibition can in his contribution to the forthcoming Identities book, p. 23. still be sensed today in the collections held by the describes his prescriptions for building diverse identities in museums and institutions located in South Kensington, cohesive communities on three levels – the personal, the most of which have associations with Britain’s 18th- and national and that of ‘empowerment’. Many may feel that 19th-century imperial reach. the heritage sector naturally lends itself to the personal or But what relevance does the heritage sector have for identity, diversity and cohesion in 21st-century multicultural Britain? Despite a number of examples of About the RGS good practice across the sector, taken as a whole, the use Established in 1830 as the Learned Society to promote an made of the sector’s facilities by Black and Minority understanding of Geography, the Royal Geographical Society is Ethnic visitors is persistently low. Many interrelated issues rooted firmly in the Victorian period of British exploration and underpin this – not least the perceived relevance of the encounter in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.These roots are of materials our institutions hold, how they have been continuing relevance to today’s discussions about identity, diversity interpreted for visitors, and how the institutions ‘present’ and cohesion, but nowadays the Society works across much more themselves to the outside world.As the London Museums varied terrain – with the Higher Education sector, with schools, Agency noted in 2003: with policymakers and the general public. On an academic level, there is new research into the presence All too often the approach has been mono-cultural and of ‘ethnic enclaves’ in some of Britain’s cities.The Society works with defined by the white establishment … we believe it is time schools to raise standards of geographical teaching in the belief that for museums to engage anew with their current and the geography curriculum has great potential for helping young potential audiences … if museums do not address this new people explore their sense of identity and begin to comprehend agenda they will cease to have relevance to a large number the diverse nature of British society.The RGS also supports field of Londoners.1 research and outdoor activities for the benefit of its 15,000 members (and a new scheme now encourages open membership Put more succinctly by one of a group of Asian teenagers as well as the old style of nomination) and the general public. in a recent focus group: The Society’s new Heritage Lottery-funded facilities have provided them with a new environment in which to showcase their ‘Why would I want to go to one of those dark and dingy collections and make them accessible to the public through a range places?’ of new educational programmes. Its building on Exhibition Road houses an important collection of two million geographical To change this kind of perception we could look at materials – maps, documents, photographs and published works repositioning the nature of the collections, the reaching back over 500 years – and much of its new work with the understandings that we hold about them and how their collection is to rediscover the many different stories told by these materials were collected.As Professor Jack Lohman, materials and to connect them with new communities of interest. Director of the Museum of London, states:

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 11 ‘friendly’ solution, and with a bit of tinkering – essentially finding the diversity materials – it can do more. Something more meaningful and embedded could be achieved by creating opportunities for BME groups to become partners alongside the heritage sector – rather than simply another audience group to be monitored and IDENTITIES box ticked. Here a valuable route, both into the past and into our future, has been outlined by the London Mayoral Commission on African and Asian Heritage (2005)3, 3 ‘Delivering chaired by Dame Jocelyn Barrow, who wants to ‘open up Shared Heritage’, the heritage sector to allow in a fresh breeze of new ideas op cit note 2. and new audiences’. Its findings highlight five key areas which would help London institutions better connect 4 Photos and with BME audiences: Phantasms – • Embed representation and accountability Harry Johnston’s • Champion workforce diversity Photographs of the • Empower community-based heritage Caribbean • Build equitable partnerships (London: British •Foster inclusive education Council, 1998). The RGS’s exhibition Unseen Island Life – Rediscovering Caribbean Histories (which was running at the time of the Port au Prince photographed by Harry Johnston in the late 1800s. Royal Geographical Society Open University Seminar) was responsive to these findings and the Society used its new facilities to attract a new It is through the British explorers and geographers audience – see below. who created the materials of the RGS collections that much of Britain’s knowledge of other societies has been Materials in the RGS collections mediated.A lot of this work was in the nature of codifying Initiatives to foster inclusive education involving the RGS the world into areas and thematic classifications – a rather would have a plethora of materials to work with. In broad British obsession perhaps. terms the RGS collections comprise one million maps, Yet it is within such empirical (and imperial) 500,000 photographs, a kilometre’s worth of documents collections that we can see photographs and texts that and over 250,000 printed volumes.The earliest items date record the lives of James Chuma and Abdullah Susi.A back to the 1480s (see below for example), and the bulk freed slave and a woodcutter, respectively, they were both of the collection was created and collected during the members of David Livingstone’s African expeditions.What Victorian and Edwardian periods. Materials include: the archives can tell of the relationships between these • some of the first recorded photographs of Mecca, men of very different backgrounds is material ripe for • early descriptions of encounters between Europeans rediscovery, reinterpretation and reconnection with a William Morris and the people of Africa,Asia and the Caribbean that wider range of new audiences. atlas image: The document their cultures and societies, Recently the Society has been successful in opening up Limit of European • narratives about Africans and Asians who were key some of its Caribbean materials through the exhibition Knowledge of the World 1482. Royal members of British expeditions, and Unseen Island Life – Rediscovering Caribbean Histories.The Geographical • examples of how British society viewed itself in basis of this work is a photographic collection produced Society relation to other cultures. by Sir Harry Johnston, a British administrator in East Africa and a Fellow of the RGS, who was active in the late 1800s. He compiled a photographic record of his work in East Africa and was then invited by Theodore Roosevelt to document the lives of people in the American South and Caribbean.The Society now holds over 300 glass plate negatives of Johnston’s work in Africa and the Caribbean,4 and this collection was donated to the Society by Johnston’s family in 1933. Johnston was a self-declared Social Darwinian, and today we dismiss his views as deeply flawed. However, it was because he wanted to prove his racial theories that he went to great pains to take detailed photographs of the people of Africa and the Caribbean, and we now have his photographic record to consult. In this respect his photographs contrast with a number of other colonial records in that his images focus on the people themselves rather than the work and workers of the colonial administration. Johnston himself does not appear in them

12 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 – other than as the ‘photographer’s shadow’ encroaching into the foreground of one image – and these photographs remain a remarkable record of people in the fields, travelling to and selling materials at market, schools and street scenes alongside images of Maroon settlements – autonomous settlements in which escaped slaves had established their own societies. IDENTITIES Dr Petrine Archer-Straw, a Jamaican expert on colonial art history, commented when reviewing the Johnston materials that perceptions of the Caribbean’s past were often based on stereotypes in literature. Harry Johnston’s photographs, however, helped overcome these stereotypes by showing a Caribbean of ‘development and modernity’, of ‘markets teeming with energy’ and of ‘the camaraderie between islanders who work alongside each other’. However,Archer-Straw also notes that to properly ‘see’ these photographs requires an exploration of Johnston’s A Johnston photograph of a county school, from the Unseen Island Life exhibition in 2005. Royal Geographical Society attitudes to race, which can prove uncomfortable viewing or reading. materials can be reconsidered in a contemporary context, and how a sense of entitlement can be encouraged among BME visitors – who made up 30% of the audience for this exhibition. In the 19th century British explorers may have gone out from the Society to ‘discover’ the world for themselves.Today there are new and rewarding discoveries to be made in revisiting our collections, connecting them with a contemporary reappraisal and developing partnerships so that everyone can have access to the histories they reveal. ❑

Acknowledgements Our thanks go to the Royal Geographical Society for permission to reproduce the images shown in this article from their historical collections, in particular the Johnston images from their Unseen Island Life – Rediscovering Caribbean Histories exhibition.

Notice of Publication Identity, Ethnic Diversity and

A market of fish in Port au Prince, as photographed by Harry Community Cohesion Johnston. Royal Geographical Society An ESRC/Runnymede publication to be published in autumn 2006 A Kensington elderly African-Caribbean community organisation – the Pepper Pot Centre – brought its Edited by M.Wetherell, M. Laflèche and R. Berkeley members to the Society and used the Johnston photographs as the basis for reminiscence workshops.A It features a mix of opinion, research and commentary photograph of a Jamaican school prompted discussions contributed by prominent academics and policymakers about what you would take with you for your packed active in the fields of identity and diversity meal; boys carrying firewood brought forth memories of cooking over wood fires; breadfruit having been mistaken Claire Alexander, Rob Berkeley, Christophe Bertossi,Avtar for jackfruit in the photographic captions got corrected, Brah,Gabriel Channan, Simon Clarke, Steve Garner, Kate Gavron, and so on.The scenes in Johnston’s photographs now lie Rosie Gilmour, Dilwar Hussain, Miles Hewstone, Nick Johnson, beyond living memory, but his photographs continue to Bhikhu Parekh, Coretta Phillips, Ben Rogaly, Henry Tam, Becky have the power to provoke comment, debate and Taylor, Margie Wetherell discussion about life here and in the Caribbean today. This pilot project, though it portrayed only 60 images Full details will appear in the September Bulletin and was shown for just two months, showed how historic

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 13 Implications for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities of the Pensions Reform Proposals PENSIONS On 27 April Friends Provident Foundation Michelynn Laflèche, Runnymede’s Director, is

1 Friends sponsored a seminar at which representatives of coordinating the process by which a full report Provident 20+ organisations gathered to discuss pensions is being submitted to government in June. Foundation with specific reference to black and minority Shorter, individual papers will be circulated supported the 1 work that led up ethnic populations in the UK. The seminar was electronically between interested groups to the April chaired by Danielle Walker-Palmour, Director of throughout the consultation period, and seminar, and is also the Friends Provident Foundation, and the draft concrete illustrations of the scenarios involved in the follow-up work paper prepared for the occasion was presented anticipated during the seminar will be worked that will go on by Dr Helen Barnes,Head of Qualitative up by financial analysts for submission to during the Research at the Policy Studies Institute. government as part of the consultation process. consultation period with Helen Barnes had been working with A short extract from the working paper government. Runnymede to prepare a discussion paper for follows. It includes a sample pension scenario of this seminar, taking the proposals of the Turner the kind being expanded into a full financial 2 Department of Work and Commission as a baseline and looking ahead to picture.Those wanting to get involved in joint Pensions (2006) what government might support or sideline. lobbying of government, in support of improving Security in Now that the government’s response has been the pension prospects for those whose lives are Retirement:Towards 2 a New Pensions published, and a brief period of three months going to be shaped by circumstances affected by System. London: for consultation set to run through the ‘empty’ racial disadvantage, should contact Runnymede The Stationery summer months, we will be involving ourselves [[email protected]] and get Office (May). Available online in lobbies to support some of the key themselves added to the circulation lists for [www.tso.co.uk/ observations made by members of the group that individual papers now. Consultation with bookshop]. ISBN: got together in April. government ends on 11 September. 0-10-168412-6 Extracts from the Key Issues Considered 1. What do we know about the present differences in Runnymede/PSI Pensions Working Paper life circumstances between white and BME people Pensions, the Welfare there has been a reduction in the gap of, or approaching, state pension age? State and Ethnic Diversity between white and non-white 2. To what extent can we expect these differences to Britain is a multi-ethnic society: 9% poverty rates over the past decade, persist or change over time? of its population are from BME the risk of poverty for ethnic 3. To what extent can current and future migrant communities. Britain is also an minority households remains groups expect to experience patterns of socio- unequal society; the final income of between twice and three times what economic disadvantage similar to or different from the top fifth of households in the UK it is for white households (HBAI those of BME people currently approaching or is four times that of the bottom fifth. statistics, 2006). Non-white These facts pose many challenges for households are almost twice as likely experiencing retirement? policymakers, especially given the as other households to have no 4. It is those currently aged under 50 who will be established links between where savings, and there is a strong affected by the Pensions Commission proposals – ethnicity and inequality coalesce. correlation between pension savings what do we know about differences between white In 2004/5 after housing costs, and other forms of saving (Babb et and BME groups in these age groups, and what 18% of White households had a low al., 2004). Efforts to address pensioner implications do they have? income (defined as 60% of median poverty in the UK therefore 5. Illustrative examples, with fully worked-out income); in comparison, 52% of needmust alsoto take into account financial scenarios, will show where government Pakistani/Bangladeshi households and the fact that poverty affects different attention needs to be directed 34% of Black Caribbean households communities disproportionately. were on a low income.Although Pension provision is a significant

14 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 element of Britain’s welfare state, and change over time.The full seminar proposals and recommendations for a key tool in alleviating poverty both paper reviews and discusses a range reform of the state pension system in the present and the future. of published research resources on and encouragement of savings. Changes to government policy on the current situation of ethnic pensions need to take note of the minority groups in the UK, and Section 3 examines what the ethnic diversity of the UK and work offers indications of future trends. Pensions Commission’s proposals to promote equality rather than allow It begins (Section 1) with a look imply for ethnic minority PENSIONS inequality to continue or even at the current income situation of communities, with particular worsen. It would be a mark of failure minority ethnic pensioners, and the reference to: for any pension policy if existing implications for the future if there is • Interrupted work records References inequalities between disadvantaged no change in pension provision, with • Longer working lives Babb, P.,Martin, minority ethnic groups and white particular reference to: • Means testing J. and communities were not addressed and • Labour market disadvantage •Potential impact of the National Haezewindt, P. were allowed to widen. •Poverty and low income Pension Savings Scheme (NPSS) (2004) Focus on • Health Social Ethnicity and the findings of the • Issues of language and culture Section 4 summarises the position Inequalities, Pensions Commission thus far, and includes proposals that London: The issue of ethnicity is barely Section 2 follows up with a summary would specifically benefit the BME Stationery mentioned in the Pensions Commission of the Pension Commission’s pensioners of the future. ❑ Office. report or its appendices, which is a surprising omission, given that 9% of Case Studies the UK population is from an ethnic minority, a proportion which will Scenario 1 – a moderate-income large family continue to grow over time (Census S was born and brought up in the UK. She sat her A-level exams and worked in retail jobs until 2001), and that non-white ethnicity the age of 22, when she married. She worked until the birth of the first of her four children, at has consistently been associated with 24. She did not do paid work until the youngest of her children went to secondary school, by socio-economic disadvantage. which time she was 41. She then did a part-time job in a local community centre. She enjoyed Some of the key issues, which this but it was not well paid, and she did not join the pension scheme, as she did not think it may cause the proposals in the would be worthwhile. By her mid-50s, S had some health problems. She was starting to take Pensions Commission report to have a differential impact on white and more and more sick leave, and agreed to leave her job on the grounds of ill-health at 57. She non-white groups, are primarily now gets Invalidity Benefit. concerned with the incidence and causes of low income among minority S’s husband is older than she is. He has a full state pension, but no occupational pension. ethnic groups, and the consequent potential for inequitable pension outcomes. A fully developed case study will cover: There is limited data on ethnicity Outcomes forecast under the current system and pension provision, and it is also Outcomes forecast under the proposed new system difficult to predict how the situation Questions to address, covering typicality of this profile of ethnic minority groups may

Latest data on ethnic inequalities in health released

The Health Survey for England 2004 analysis of • After adjusting for age, doctor-diagnosed population (36% of boys and 29% of girls). It the health of minority ethnic communities has diabetes was almost four times as prevalent was less prevalent among children in other been made available for download on the in Bangladeshi men and almost three times as minority ethnic groups. In 1999, the Department for Health website.The focus of the prevalent in Pakistani and Indian men as in prevalence of wheezing/ whistling ranged 2004 report is on the health of minority ethnic men in the general population. from 18% of Bangladeshi boys, to 41% of groups with an emphasis on cardiovascular Black Caribbean boys; and from 11% of disease (CVD).The report also covers the • Doctor-diagnosed diabetes was more than Bangladeshi girls to 34% of Irish girls. behavioural risk factors associated with CVD five times as likely among Pakistani women, at such as drinking, smoking and eating habits and least three times as likely in Bangladeshi and • Black African boys were more likely to be health status risk factors such as diabetes, blood Black Caribbean women, and two-and-a-half obese than boys in the general population pressure, and cholesterol. For children the times as likely in Indian women compared (31% and 16% respectively). Otherwise the emphasis is on respiratory health. with women in the general population.This prevalence of obesity was similar among all was also true in 1999. groups.The prevalence of obesity among The authors highlight the findings below: Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi boys • The prevalence of having experienced increased between 1999 and 2004 from 16% • Prevalence of cardiovascular disease respiratory symptoms (wheezing or whistling) to 28%, and 12% to 22% respectively. increased significantly between 1999 to 2004 among Black Caribbean, Irish and Chinese in Pakistani men (from 4.8% to 9.1%) and boys and Black Caribbean and Irish girls was The Survey report is available at Indian women (from 2.3% to 4.2%). similar to the prevalence within the general www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 15 Public Opinion toward Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities in Europe

In 2005 Te r r i Givens published her book on immigrant and minority communities today. POLITICS OF voting strategies adopted by the radical Policymakers are also concerned with negative IMMIGRATION attitudes and discrimination in the broader right in Western Europe. Here, from the communities. Immigrants tend to face higher levels of viewpoint of an American political scientist, unemployment than the general population, as well as exclusion from many aspects of society, she asks the question ‘is there a politics of particularly political processes. Discrimination and race in Europe?’ issues of racism, including the rise of anti-immigrant radical right parties, have become important issues, Immigration has become one of the most as evidenced in part by the passage of the European salient political issues in Europe over the last Union’s Racial Equality Directive in 2000.The RED two decades. Large flows of immigrants and was largely driven by calls for greater ‘social cohesion asylum seekers from former colonies and and solidarity’ but its passage was also a political developing countries have challenged response to the Austrian Freedom Party’s entry into European approaches to immigrant government in 2000.The RED addresses racial integration. Events such as the riots around discrimination in the areas of social protection, Paris in the autumn of 2005, the Madrid and housing, education, and associations, as well as in London bombings and the murder of Theo employment. Van Gogh in the Netherlands have placed an That the European Union was willing to take on emphasis on the issues of immigrant the issue of racial discrimination was a major step, integration and discrimination towards ethnic particularly for a country like France that does not minorities in Europe. acknowledge the existence of racial bias.The nature These events, which are related to of race relations in Europe is inextricably bound up Terri E. Givens is an Associate issues of immigration and race in Europe, have had a with immigration.The growth of ethnic minority Professor in the certain resonance for me as an African-American groups in the last 50 years in Europe is directly Department of political scientist.The 9/11 terror attacks highlighted related to immigration flows.These flows are shaped Government at our own issues related to immigration and by colonial histories, and the nature of the the University of integration; however, more recently the focus has workforces recruited in the post-war economic Texas at Austin. turned to illegal immigration as Congress works on boom.These flows are also related to economic She has immigration legislation. I have been studying the factors and asylum policies.What is consistent across previously written on radical politics of immigration and radical right parties in all of these countries, however, is the fact that they right parties and Europe (particularly France, Germany and Austria) are or have become multi-ethnic, and European Union for the last 13 years. More recently, I have focused multiculturalism has become a catchword for immigration on the politics of race in Europe. However, this line attempting to integrate these groups into societies policy. She is of research begs the question: is there a politics of that may be resistant to their inclusion. currently working race in Europe? It is important to note that new arrivals are not on a book about This could seem like a strange question to the only targets of discrimination. Many ethnic groups the politics of race, immigration Americans (and even British) who may take the have lived in these countries for generations; and religion in politics of race for granted.We expect minorities to however, they too can face discrimination and are Britain, France vote on the basis of their group identity, for often lumped together with more recent immigrants and Germany, politicians to use the issue of race to appeal to when policy is considered. which will particular groups, and for policies to be designed to compare public deal with issues of discrimination (e.g. affirmative Currently, Union law assimilates the non-national opinion, party action). But this is not a straightforward issue in the who passes through a state on a purely politics and the implementation European context.That rather large question will be temporary basis with a non-national who has of the European the focus of my next book, but for the purposes of been continually resident in the state all their life. Union’s Racial this article I take a look at issues related to variations It is this latter category of persons, long-term Equality in public opinion across Europe and comparisons residents, into which the majority of the EU’s Directive. She is with the situation in the United States. ethnic minorities fall, and it is in respect of these also working on persons that the denial of legal equality is difficult an edited volume EU Directives and Social Resistance to justify. (Bell 2002: 83) comparing immigration Many European countries are examining and revising policy in the their policies related to immigrant integration, US/Europe Comparisons United States considering how they might change those policies to From an American perspective, it would appear that and Europe. avoid some of the problems experienced in there are many similarities between the US and

16 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Europe in the area of race relations. However, the finding to the type of encounters the average Italian issue in the US, at least until more recently, has has with the average member of each immigrant focused on black/white relations. Black Europeans group.The authors argue that Italians see Central have certainly had to deal with issues of racial African street merchants as quiet and respectful as discrimination, but religion and culture also play an compared to North African and Eastern Europeans, important role in public attitudes toward ethnic who are seen as more likely to be involved in minorities.The growth in the Muslim population in criminal behavior. POLITICS OF Europe has become particularly salient after 9/11 IMMIGRATION and 7/7. However, it is often difficult to differentiate Interaction effects between religious and racial discrimination. As Tables 1 and 2 exemplify the complexities that face a 1 Cited in Janoski Solomos (1995) has noted,‘racism may be defined political scientist in trying to understand and/or and Wang (2005: by ethnic, cultural or religious attributes that are explain the politics of race in a comparative context. 639). attacked from both the political Right and the The reality is that the question of immigration and 2 See Zolberg mainstream’.1 race has always been complex, even in the American (1999) ‘Why Islam In fact, the more relevant comparison between context. It has generally been overshadowed by the is Like Spanish’. the US and Europe may be the US of the early 1900s and the Europe of today. Religion (i.e. Catholicism) was clearly a factor in discrimination Ta b le 1. Eurobarometer Responses ‘Do you find the presence of against immigrants in the US at that time, and these people of another race disturbing?’ (% that responds ‘disturbing’) attitudes clearly influenced the development of the racist policies which would dominate US immigration Country EB 39 EB 48 EB 53 Avg. % Foreign Rank Rank policy until the 1960s.These policies targeted Asians 1993 1997 2000 20001 as well as Southern and Eastern Europeans, giving Austria n/a 22.2 13.8 18.0 9.3 4 1 preference to Northern and Western Europeans. This is not to say that Europe will implement similar France 23.4 13.0 23.1 19.8 5.6 3 4 policies as a result, but merely to point out that Belgium 21.6 22.3 26.7 23.5 8.4 1 3 attitudes toward immigrants are affected by several Netherlands 7.9 11.8 9.7 9.8 4.2 10 7 dimensions, with race being only one of them. One Germany 15.2 13.7 16.8 15.2 8.9 5 2 could also make the argument that language (i.e. Italy 12.8 13.9 14.2 13.6 2.4 6 10 Spanish) is a relevant factor as a perceived hindrance Denmark 19.3 24.0 23.1 22.1 4.8 2 6 to integration in the US on a level that compares with antipathy toward Islam in Europe. 2 Ireland 8.6 8.6 19.0 12.1 3.3 8 9 Great Britain 13.6 12.0 13.5 13.0 4.0 7 8 One Europe Many Attitudes Spain 10.7 6.4 5.6 7.6 2.2 13 11 Racism is clearly an issue in Europe, but there are Portugal 8.3 5.4 11.5 8.4 2.1 12 12 differences across Europe in terms of people’s Finland 11 7.2 10.2 9.5 1.8 11 13 attitudes towards ethnic minorities.Table 1 displays Sweden n/a 8.8 11.7 10.3 5.4 9 5 the results of Eurobarometer surveys in which the question was asked: ‘Do you personally find the Correlation between avg. rank and % foreign rank = 0.75 presence of people of another race disturbing in 1 Source: OECD Stocks of foreign population. your daily life?’The average responses over the However, the other dimension that affects attitudes to Europe’s immigrants, one that doesn’t play course of the three surveys vary from a low of as much of a role in current US integration debates, is religion.Table 2 displays the degree of sympathy shown toward various religious groups in France, for example. As the table indicates, 7.6% in Spain to a high of 23.5% in Belgium. It is Muslims gain the least amount of sympathy. interesting to note that Austria, France and Denmark have some of the highest average scores on this question, and each of these countries has Ta b le 2. Sympathy toward Various Groups in France hosted relatively strong parties of the radical right. Question:‘Towards each of the following categories of people, Although a direct causal link cannot be made, it is say whether you are somewhat sympathetic’ possible that attitudes toward race may be fueling Group % ‘somewhat sympathetic’ or are fueled by radical right party support (for more on the radical right, see Givens 2005). I have Catholic 50.0 also ranked the countries based on the percentage Blacks of South Africa 34.7 of foreigners and the average numbers of people Antillean 33.0 who find the presence of foreigners disturbing, and Protestant 32.3 the correlation between these rankings is 0.75. Jew 32.0 Other factors can play a role in public opinion Asian 28.7 formation – for example, Sniderman et al. (2002) found that Italians had more negative attitudes Muslim 22.3 toward North Africans and Eastern Europeans than Arab 21.0 they did toward Central Africans.They attribute this Source: Fetzer (2000: 111).

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 17 black/white divide, but that does not mean that theories and hypotheses that would guide a cross- issues related to religion and culture, as well as race, national analysis of the politics of race. ❑ have not played an important role in politics. In comparing Europe and the United States, it is References important to take a historical and institutional Bell, Mark (2002) Anti-Discrimination Law and the European approach in order to find similarities and differences. Union. New York: Oxford University Press. It is my argument that when comparing public Fetzer, Joel S. (2000) Public Attitudes toward Immigration in POLITICS OF the United States, France, and Germany. Cambridge: opinion and the politics of race in these countries, IMMIGRATION Cambridge University Press. we must understand the underlying institutional and Givens,Terri E. (2005) Voting Radical Right in Western historical biases that drive current policies.There are Europe. New York: Cambridge University Press. interaction effects which are influencing people’s Janoski,Thomas and Wang, Fengjuan (2005) ‘The Politics of attitudes to particular groups. Researchers must take Immigration and National Integration’, in Thomas Janoski, into account who is more likely to be discriminated Robert Alford, Alexander Hicks and Mildred Schwartz against and why.These are not easy questions, but it (eds), A Handbook of Political Sociology: States, Civil Societies and Globalization, pp. 630–54. New York: is not enough to examine survey data with the Cambridge University Press. expectation that it will be able to explain cross- Solomos, John (1995) ‘The Politics of Citizenship and national differences. Nationality in a European Perspective’, in Martin On the other hand, surveys can be useful when Martiniello (ed.), Migration, Citizenship and Ethno-National properly and carefully implemented. It is my plan to Identities in the European Union, pp. 40–52. Brookfield,VT: work with researchers in Europe and the United Ashgate. States to develop new survey instruments which can Sniderman, Paul et al. (2002) The Outsiders: Prejudice and Politics in Italy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. address many of the issues that can be compared Zolberg, Aristide and Long Litt Woon (1999) ‘Why Islam Is cross-nationally. In the short term, careful qualitative Like Spanish: Cultural Incorporation in Europe and the analysis can go a long way towards developing the United States’, Politics & Society, 27(1) March: 5–38.

examining these variables in relation to votes for the Book Note extreme right. She also develops and analyses theoretical bases for strategic voting, and then extends her model by Voting Radical Right in Western Europe using it to examine Denmark’s recent voting patterns. Terri E. Givens Denmark proves to be a strong case in support of her Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 argument, as immigration from developing countries is a Pp. viii + 178; ISBN-10 0-521-85134-3 more recent phenomenon there, and the socioeconomic (hardback only) conditions that others emphasise are not as strong. Givens argues that the level of support for radical right Te rri Givens’s book on voting for the radical parties is only a puzzle if it can be shown that a party’s right in western Europe examines why such a support is higher than the percentage of the vote it small percentage of voters choose the radical actually receives. By examining surveys and European right in Germany compared to the voters in Parliament election returns, Givens shows that each Austria and France, and develops an analysis country has a set of voters who would be willing to that can be used to forecast the behaviour of parties and support the radical right if it had a substantial chance of voters in their support for a hard-right line. winning an election. One of the main points of the study Her main argument is that radical right parties will is that institutions ‘determine the rules of the game’ and have difficulty attracting voters and winning seats in need to be taken into account when comparing party electoral systems that encourage strategic voting and/or systems and levels of success in different countries. strategic coordination by the mainstream parties. This is Professor Givens makes her case by using data, because strategic voting is a major determinant of a radical modelling and theoretical comparisons, and she expresses right party’s vote and seat totals in elections – and she the certainty that future research can benefit from the type compares strategic voting and coordination as they have of analyses advanced in this book.Within the framework been practised during national legislative elections in of institutional structures testable hypotheses about the France, Germany,Austria and Denmark. behaviour of parties and voters can be developed, and used Givens analysis demonstrates that electoral systems and to compare outcomes across countries.As she states in party strategy play a key role in the success of the radical conclusion: right. By systematically comparing the institutional structures in which parties of the right compete, she can elaborate The radical right parties have presented the mainstream on her central theme that ‘widely divergent electoral parties with a challenge.The particular ways in which fortunes show that socioeconomic conditions alone cannot this challenge is met will continue to be shaped by the explain differences in the success of radical right parties’. institutions in each country, despite the social similarities Regional variation can be an important factor in of those who follow radical right appeals and the electoral success, and Givens devotes a chapter to ideological similarities of those appeals themselves. ❑

18 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Burning Cities: Lessons from the French Uprisings for Europe and Britain Today

A UKREN seminar held on EUROPE 19 January 2006 at UKREN’s Secretariat is The Commission for Racial Equality coordinated at Runnymede by Sarah Isal. Her In January, with its objective of keeping black and race equality communities in touch work is currently with European developments in the field of race equality and anti-discrimination firmly in supported by mind, UKREN convened a seminar on the disturbances in France at the CRE. intern Sofia Hamaz.

There are lessons to be learnt between integration and security meeting. UKREN extends its from these events and European, agendas, disappointment has been warmest thanks to the national and local reactions to expressed by anti-racist Commission for Racial Equality them.Though the French uprisings organisations over the British for hosting the seminar, and to all and the upheavals in Lozells have presidency’s failure to push speakers for their invaluable receded from British headlines, forward with the anti-racism contributions to the seminar. issues heatedly debated at the agenda. As Anna Visser described time and immediately after – it, this is part of a trend whereby The four speakers were: community leadership,‘self anti-racism is slipping off not just • Professor Tariq Ramadan,Visiting Fellow, St Antony’s segregation’, models of integration the British presidency agenda. College Oxford, talked about the issues facing Muslim and islamophobia, to name a few European-wide NGO pressure young people across Europe today, particularly reflecting – continue to affect communities on forthcoming presidencies is on the recent situation in France; • Sarah Spencer, Associate Director at the Centre on across Europe and are more than required. Migration Policy & Society, Oxford University and Chair of ever relevant to the UK. It is therefore crucial to the Equality & Diversity Forum, introduced recent At a European level, the examine the factors underlying European developments in migration and integration and provided an overview of the way in which UK-based introduction of the Common recent developments in ‘race organisations can make use of the EU in matters of Basic Principles on Integration, relations’ and to look at the role migration and integration; and other European initiatives that organisations such as UKREN • Anna Visser, Policy Officer at the European Network Against Racism, talked about various EU programmes show that there is a slow but can play to address and engage relevant to race equality work, in particular the upcoming definite shift towards a greater with these on a local, national and 3 European Years and their implications for UK focus on integration, a European level. organisations; •Joy Warmington, Chief Executive of Birmingham Race development important to Action Partnership (b:RAP) reflected on the recent organisations in the UK and other The main objectives of the disturbances in Birmingham and how these were tackled Member States. Four guest 19 January meeting were to: at local level. speakers – Tariq Ramadan, Sarah • hear a wide-angled view of Their contributions feature in Section 1 of the full report of Spencer, Anna Visser and Joy recent uprisings in Britain and the proceedings, which is available at online at: www.runnymedetrust.org/projects/europe/UKRENpublication Warmington – shared their in France; s.html. current thinking and experiences •discuss the factors underlying Section 2 of the report focuses on the questions and with a responsive audience. As and the contexts surrounding discussion held during the seminar between speakers and participants.These were wide-ranging and can be divided into they argued, though the EU these uprisings; and the following broad themes: integration agenda has its • examine how civil society in • Victim mentality,‘blame culture’ and self-segregation of limitations, and a fear of general and UK race equality Muslims in Europe ‘radicalisation’ of BME youth and NGOs in particular can engage • The role of integration in the uprisings and its definition terrorism partly driving its focus with European agendas • The French republican model • Islamophobia may not be optimal for anti-racist impacting on ‘race equality’ in •How can local organisations get involved on a European work, it is nonetheless an Britain. level opportunity that NGOs can take Here we are reproducing Tariq • Single Equality Agenda • Community Leadership advantage of. Ramadan’s opening speech as a • The relationship between security and integration agendas Particularly in the light of taster for the full report of what • Ethnic groups competing for funding recent events and the relationship was a lively and well-attended • Ethnic monitoring

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 19 Race, Faith and Class Tariq Ramadan on the subtleties of an integrated approach to tackling discrimination

What I want to share with you today are my Right-wing thought in mainstream society thoughts on the new situation that Muslims are My third point is something of an increasing worry: it EUROPE facing, but also to think about how we can tackle is the fact that although, in reality, we may not have racism and discrimination and how national discourse an increasing representation of far-right parties in the is built around these issues. West, nevertheless we are seeing far-right views creep into mainstream discourse. For example, a Connecting interpretations recent survey in France found that 68% of the related to socioeconomics and French population support the far-right discourse faith when the Front National is not mentioned. However, I shall begin by raising three main points. when it is mentioned that these arguments are First, when it comes to issues and coming from the Front National, less than 25% discussions around racism, discrimination, actually agree with these arguments. So whilst the Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, we need extreme-right party is not accepted as such, its to have a comprehensive and complex political discourse now is, and you will find that in the approach to what is going on, and toward mainstream – or the so called ‘classical parties’ on what needs to be done to deal with both left and right of the political spectrum – there these issues.This brings me back to the is increased acceptance and normalisation of this situation in France that we experienced discourse, as it relates to immigrants and Muslims, over the last few months.What is and as it relates to who they are and what they sometimes missing in discussions around want. racism is this comprehensive approach: we tend to This reality is not only a French one; it can be focus on socio-economic problems only, or racial seen here in Britain as well as in other parts of problems only, and the connections between both Europe. If you think about and read or listen to what are not clear in our minds. was said just after Theo van Gogh’s murder in Holland, you find a similar situation: very old thoughts A deconstructive approach which were conveyed yesterday by the far-right So we need – and this is my second point – to have parties are now in the mainstream political a deconstructive approach whilst at the same time discourse, and to me this is worrying.This situation being careful not to disconnect the fields.We do can be seen in various European countries, such as need to identify what the main factor is in a Denmark of course, or Belgium, and I think that our particular situation, but at the same time, we need to strategy should be to resist this tendency to identify how different problems and factors might be oversimplify and confuse matters. As I said, we have connected to one another.When talking about to deconstruct the discourse on racism and racism and discrimination, we must also talk about discrimination in order to distinguish between what socio-economic problems, and about education. I is racism, and what is mainly coming from socio- think that among Muslim communities throughout economic problems.What far right parties are doing Europe, the perception is that Islamophobia is a is to confuse everything and say:“These social reality – that there is a new kind of racism. But we problems are present in our society solely because tend to put Islam or Islamophobia at the centre of these people are Muslims, solely because they are everything, and label everything as being ‘against immigrants, and solely because they are not genuine Muslims’.This reaction is not always accompanied by citizens.’ an ability to deconstruct the whole thing and to Let me here come back to the recent situation differentiate between what are socio-economic or we had in France, which exemplifies that confusion. social problems, for instance, and what might be real The riots took place in the suburbs, and we said religious problems. On the other hand, we see a straight away that it had nothing to do with Islam; it tendency in mainstream society, when talking about is a socio-economic reality: you put people in the social problems, of putting everything in the same suburbs and the common point between all these box and saying,‘we have problems with the Muslim people is that they are experiencing the reality of a ‘… we have community today, and Islam is a problem per se,’ socio-economic fracture in society.To say this is right; to counteract without mentioning or without considering that what however, to disconnect it and to say that there is no these claims the Muslims are facing today is very old and not relationship between the fact that these people are with a specific to their community but was faced by other facing this socio-economic reality and the fact that discourse immigrant communities in the past.This discourse they are coming from a North African background which is very also fails to acknowledge that the religious aspect is or that they are Muslims would also be simplistic. So, deep and not not the main one, that it is maybe the third or fourth the connection is really important, but it must not be simplistic’ element in the whole process. the wrong connection. Islam has nothing to do with

20 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 these problems, but we have to ask ourselves why our city we need all these people to protect the the majority of the people facing these problems are university, so per se he might not be a threat, but to Muslims, or Arabs. So we have to disconnect the protect him we need the police, we need a security problem to avoid ‘Islamising’ social problems, and to policy. He is therefore putting our society in danger avoid an exclusively ethnic reading of the reality, but and posing a security risk.’ And these images are we also have to keep in mind the complexity of the enough to spread the idea that my presence was relationship between racism and the reality of people dangerous per se. EUROPE living here. Again, this is done not just by far-right parties, and all the parties within the political spectrum should The need to make nuanced connections take a stand on that. As long as we have this reality ‘We must In the majority of European countries today, in of fear it is very difficult to envisage how one can make sure we Britain, Denmark, Holland, as well as now in Spain build a complex political discourse on racism, social do not and in Italy, we are seeing examples of what is purely problems, and which way the two might be ‘islamise’ the institutionalised racism and accepted normalised connected or not in order to have a strong analysis social racist discourse on ‘these people who are not really about our living together. problems …’ citizens or not really the immigrants we want’. More This is what I want to share with you today: my and more, Islam is connected to terrorism or perceptions, as a European Muslim travelling violence and used by some mainstream parties to throughout this continent, that there is a great deal create an atmosphere of fear amongst voters and to of fear, that this fear is used as a political weapon, claim that Western Europe needs to protect itself and that consequently, we are facing both from the new threat that the Muslim presence in our institutionalised racism and discrimination, in addition society represents. So if you add all these elements to the reality of social problems. So, as I said earlier, together, you have a picture that is complex and that we must make sure we do not ‘islamise’ the social is sometimes used in a confused way, and we have to problems, but we must also connect to the reality of counteract these claims with a discourse which is why, today, the great majority of the people facing very deep and not simplistic.The problem I have this discrimination come from the same background, with some of the anti-racist movements’ and why this discourse of ‘islamising’ the situation is interpretations today in Europe is that they could gaining ground, both in terms of voters and in terms benefit from making these nuanced connections. of people who want to hear the situation analysed in Some, for instance, only see the social element of the this way. I think that if we are serious about acting problem – we were talking about this earlier. against discrimination and racism, we cannot achieve Let’s ask ourselves firstly why these social this by taking a simplistic approach that does not problems affect some people and not others. connect all these different fields. ❑ Secondly, let’s ask ourselves how, within our community itself, we address these issues of citizenship and social exclusion, and why we sometimes have a self-segregation approach to these ENAR launches leaflets on racism issues as they affect our community. I think that this is what Muslim communities are facing today in EU member states throughout Europe. On 6 June the European Network Against Engaging in a complex Racism (ENAR) published 24 national information leaflets on racism in 24 European discourse on racism and social problems Union (EU) countries.These leaflets are the The last point I would like to make in my very quick result of a collaborative effort between the presentation is that we are seeing the ENAR Secretariat, based in Brussels, and the instrumentalisation on a very large scale of what I National Coordinating Offices of ENAR in call the ‘reality of fear’ in Europe today. Violence is each EU Member State. there; what happened in this country is a Each leaflet, produced in English and the reality…but, it is also used as a political weapon. national language of the country, provides an Let me just tell you a story to highlight this: I was overview of the main issues around racism in in Italy last week where I was to give a lecture at the country concerned, as well as a brief Padua University.The far-right party took the outline of the national legislation available to counter racism and following public position:‘This person was prevented existing services to support victims of racial discrimination.A section on the ‘EU and anti-racism’ highlights the emergence of an anti-racism from going to the United States, so he is coming infrastructure at EU level as well as key developments in this area. here and it is very dangerous.’What they wanted Finally, the leaflets include links to sources of information at national was media coverage. As a result of the party’s outcry and European levels. and media coverage, we had the police at the Paper copies of the leaflet can be obtained from Runnymede. university, and the day after the lecture they had Electronic versions are available from: http://www.enar-eu.org/en/ what they wanted.Why? Because they then turned publication/national_leaflets/index.shtml the argument around and said:‘For him to speak in

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 21 its physical location). Progress on Our School The broad spread of these views, many of which Choice Project are not reflected in those parental concerns deemed to have influenced the development of the current The School Choice and Ethnic Segregation project is Education Bill, will further illustrate how little is progressing well and is due to report interim findings known about the views and choices of specifically later this month – June.These findings will BME parents. A recently conducted online survey of parents and EDUCATION encapsulate some of the views expressed by BME parents from various parts of the country about the teachers across the country revealed that many did secondary school choices available to them and their not think the Education Bill would benefit parents and children in the authorities in which they live. children from BME communities. Indeed the focus From interviews and survey material received so within the Bill on enabling more popular schools to far it is already becoming clear that the findings will expand was seen by some survey respondents as demonstrate a wide variety of parental views about encouraging ‘ghettoisation’, an occurrence that will the choice agenda, and that, depending on ethnic disadvantage all. background and where families live within each local For further information about the preliminary authority area, choice can be based on quite local findings and the research project itself, please contact concerns (safety, security, familiarity) as well reflecting Debbie Weekes-Bernard by email ‘middle-class’ aspirations (how successful a school is, [[email protected]].

monkey.com/s.asp?u=420022213523], and we’d like Parents and Their as many parents and teachers as possible to take part. Children’s Education We will, at the end of the project, produce accessible fact sheets to help parents fully understand – a Survey the education system and enable them to engage actively and confidently with their children’s schools, Runnymede is also conducting research into how teachers and relevant community organisations in best to help black and minority ethnic parents and order to improve their children’s educational those from refugee and traveller communities to achievement.There will also be supplementary become more effectively involved in their children’s guidance and suggestions for teachers and schools. education.We are also looking for creative ways in If you’d like any further information about the which schools can support parents. As part of our project or would like to contribute your views, research, we have a brief survey that will take only please contact Vastiana Belfon or Jessica Sims [at 5–10 minutes to complete [at http://www.survey [email protected]].

Islamophobia Archive goes to Middlesex

The Archive of the Commission on home for this important collection of order to make access easier. British Muslims and Islamophobia has papers.We believe that Middlesex Access to the archive is by been donated to Learning Resources at University is a natural home for the appointment only. Contact the archivist Middlesex University by the Stone collection due to its long interest in this Judy Vaknin, [[email protected], tel: 020 Ashdown Trust.The Commission ran from area of research and study.’ 8411 6686] for further information or an 1996 to 2004 with a remit to research The archive contains material relating appointment. British anti-Muslim prejudice, British Muslim to policies and attitudes towards Muslims communities and concerns, the role of in government departments, unions, CBMI Commission Revived the media and violence against Muslims. political parties and local authorities. The archive comprises valuable research There are papers on health issues, At the House of Commons on 7 June material that illustrates the shifts in religious discrimination in employment the Commission on British Muslims and attitudes before and after the 9/11 attacks. and housing, and Muslims in prisons. Islamophobia relaunched itself with a ‘The Archive is crucial to enhancing The acquisition of this archive ‘Preventing Extremism Together’ our knowledge of the British experience complements other collections relating to monitoring initiative. A National of being a Muslim.This is a vitally minority communities held at Middlesex. Commission of 22 leading figures from important area of scholarship in these The Commission was established by Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds has current times, when more than ever we Runnymede in 1996 and these papers will been established, alongside 6 Regional need to understand multiculturalism in find a natural home with the existing Commissioner groups to ensure that the general, but Islam in particular’, said Runnymede Collection at Middlesex views of the UK’s Muslim communities Professor Heidi Safia Mirza,Visiting University.The archive will be held at the are brought to the fore. For more Professor Racial Equality Studies archive store of Learning Resources at information, contact the Commission’s Dominic Fox, Chief Executive of the the Cat Hill campus.The collection has Chair, Dr Richard Stone at the Stone Stone Ashdown Trust, said ‘Stone yet to be catalogued and external funding Ashdown Trust Ashdown is very pleased to have found a will be sought to get this work done in [[email protected]].

22 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 and more frank recognition of Racism in the simple practical obstacles to effective support of isolated Rural Areas individuals. A chapter about Norfolk, Rural Racism mapping people’s experiences Edited by Neil Chakroborti and Jon Garland there, provides some useful BOOK Cullompton: Willan Publishing, 2004 accounts of the range and variety £30.00 (hbk only); ISBN: 1-84392-056-5 REVIEWS of what is encountered. It was also one of the few places in the book This book sets out its aims as to ‘address the lack of critical where Travellers are mentioned. Reviewed by academic inquiry into rural racism by highlighting key De Lima’s chapter is characteristically good, identifying Chris Gaine issues, concerns and preventative strategies that are central some key elements in rural racism and responses to it. She to contemporary debates …’. In principle it is much to be pinpoints the important detail that one is often not welcomed since there is too little material analysing the dealing with ‘communities’ – one of the most common way racism operates and may be countered in rural areas. misperceptions of Londonocentric experts presuming to Something of a mixture, however, the book is not advise anti-racists in white areas (though she herself refers always of consistent quality. Much, though not all, of the to the needs of communities a few pages later).There is a existing work in the field is covered – most notably (in my link to the Suffolk-based work in her point that minorities view) the pioneering work of de Lima in Scotland.At are more prone to attacks in rural areas than urban ones. times, though, one suspects the editors of inviting She notes some effect from the Race Relations colleagues to contribute rather than searching out more Amendment Act (RRAA) and the continuing importance qualified authors. of reliable statistics, and I would say from my own work The opening chapters contextualise ‘race’ in images of that this has much improved since before the 2001 census. the rural via insights gained from geography and sociology. One minor quibble – despite the quality of this chapter, I The introduction points up the paradox of this field: the was surprised to find a reference to ‘ethnic businesses’ a invisibility of black and minority ethnic people to services few pages after the point was made that everyone has and agencies, coupled with their visibility to neighbours ethnicity. and potential harassers. The final chapter makes useful and informed The first chapter, more focused upon analytical and suggestions about institutionalised change, addressing the symbolic aspects of rurality than any of the others, stresses gaps in the opening chapters. Its key argument is that how rural imagery has come to symbolise Britishness, or principles common to effective service delivery need to be more particularly Englishness.Their references are mobilised to make rural services more responsive to black curiously old, however, making no mention of the largest and minority people’s needs. study undertaken into rural racism, or Henderson and One significant missing element is anything on the role Kaur, or Dhalech, and despite ‘the major explorations of of the media (except for a brief discussion the Norfolk racialised otherness’ claim, mentions only three studies shooting by a farmer of a Traveller burglar). Even if fresh done in 1992 and 1994. It covers some theoretical matters, work on the rural impact of national media coverage of 1 In September but uses only extreme examples and doesn’t explore ‘race’ was not available to the editors, nor more specific 2005 the Citizens’ subtleties enough. It also doesn’t cover institutions, which work on local coverage, it stands out as an important Advice Bureau are key. unexamined aspect of the construction and maintenance produced a report The education chapter is the least useful, with the of rural racism.Another issue not discussed, though it was titled: Supporting authors seemingly ignorant of some significant current and developing during the time the book was in production, is Migrant Workers in past work. Since education is relevant to rural racism the rise in migrant rural workers. For the first time on any Rural Areas: A irrespective of BME people’s presence – schools can scale in 60 years, migrants are present in rural areas in Guide to Citizens address racist ideas without needing to have minority large numbers.They are usually white, but end up Advice Bureaux pupils.The topic merits better treatment.The statement racialised nonetheless, and this will increasingly be a Initiatives, which that urban models have much to teach rural schools is preoccupation of social policy.1 was researched contradicted (rightly) in the book’s last chapter. Despite its gaps and shortcomings, there is certainly a and written by A chapter written largely about extremist organisations need for more work like this. It can give support, for Brian McLaughlin in the US looks like a ‘filler’ – its relevance to the UK is instance, to workers on projects to sustain those [www.adviceguide. seldom drawn out. On the other hand, work derived from experiencing harassment, and can raise useful questions org.uk]. It also a PhD about rural Wales is excellent, providing original about how much progress has been made in rural areas to launched a report and detailed data that is not widely known.A different, implement the RRAA. ❑ in 2006 – Home though potentially useful, chapter appraises a dedicated (in from Home? – on both senses) project in Suffolk to counter racist References changing trends in Dhalech, M. (1999) Challenging Racism in the Rural Idyll. Exeter: harassment.The chapter contains much descriptive detail, National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux West Region. the use of migrant though from my own involvement in such work in Gaine, C. and Lamley, K. (2003) Racism and the Dorset Idyll. workers in rural Dorset, Herefordshire and Sussex (e.g. Gaine & Lamley, Bournemouth: Dorset Race Equality Council. areas and the 2003) I found myself wanting less of a victory narrative Henderson, P.and Kaur, R. (1999) Rural Racism in the UK. London: issues they face. Community Development Foundation.

RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 23 CONTENTS Runnymede’s Research

Race Equality: Programme Northern Ireland’s Young People Speak Out 1 Rob Berkeley We are currently undertaking a range of research projects and community engagement programmes.These activities further our understanding of the Working Together – at the Northern dynamics of race equality and support our commitment to influencing civil Ireland Race Equality Youth Summit 3 RESEARCH Jessica Sims society towards a successful multi-ethnicity. Six priority areas in which we will be developing work in the medium term are: Grounding Community Cohesion in Runnymede Democratic Values 5 Omar Khan Team: • Race and the equalities agenda: How does racial justice relate to other Michelynn CEHR: equally significant identities – both theoretically and practically – to Responding to the Equalities Review Laflèche cope with fluid and multiple identities and discriminations? This is likely Interim Report 7 Director to become even more salient with regard to faith and belief where Identities: Robert there is little real understanding of the relationship, and where Island Life and Modern LIfe legislation runs ahead of understanding. – Roots and Shoots of the RGS 11 Berkeley Steve Brace Deputy Director • Choice in the public services: All the major parties are signed up to Pensions: Sarah Isal delivering greater choice in the public services. How can an Implications for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities of the Pensions Senior Research unfavourable race equality impact be minimised? If school choice is Commision’s Proposals 14 and Policy Analyst anything to go by, people from certain minority ethnic communities are Michelynn Laflèche Omar Khan likely to find that choice reinforces current patterns of disadvantage Politics of Immigration: Research rather than opening up new avenues and new options. Public Opinion toward Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities in Europe 16 Associate Te r ri Givens • Multiculturalism/integration/segregation/cohesion: This debate will not Book Note – Voting Radical Right in Debbie go away and is likely to remain unresolved in the face of global change, Western Europe 18 Weekes- shifting patterns of immigration, European expansion and integration, Europe: Bernard and the persistence of racisms and xenophobia. UKREN: Burning Cities Seminar Report 19 Research Sofia Hamaz Associate Race, Faith and Class 20 • Hyper-diversity: Changing patterns of immigration will present a Tariq Ramadan Vastiana challenge to the structures of race relations organisations as the Education: Belfon monolithic minority ethnic categories become increasingly irrelevant to Progress on Our School Choice Project 22 Real Histories explain people’s experiences, and challenges come from groups who Parents and Their Children’s Education 22 – a Survey Directory suffer racisms but are currently left out of the debate. Islamophobia Archive 22 Ros Spry Reviews: Publications • Mixed heritage: Appropriate policy responses, language and Racism in Rural Areas 23 Editor community-building are still lacking for people of mixed heritage.This Chris Gaine question poses challenges similar to those of hyper-diversity and Research: Jeannine multiple identities, and needs consideration, despite its capacity to elude Runnymede’s Research Programme 24 Shillingford research categorisation by virtue of the breadth of experience involved. Projects Officer (temp.) • Human rights and race: There is a growing need for race relations Bulletin No. 346, June 2006 Kings Mill organisations to move beyond platitudes on human rights and engage ISSN 1476-363X Partnership at a theoretical and practical level to embed a human rights culture in Accountancy race relations, and become more articulate in using the language of Services human rights. In 2006,The Bulletin, Runnymede’s Quarterly newsletter,will be In June we have been recruiting additional research and policy staff to fill vacancies related to published in the months of March, aspects of this programme. One senior position is to manage and develop our new education June, September and December by: programme:Transitions. Also in Education, a part-time research associate is being sought to The Runnymede Trust run the one-year Faith Schools and Community Cohesion project.Two junior research posts The London Fruit & Wool Exchange will support and extend the programmes of existing senior staff – on Europe and on Social Suite 106, Brushfield Street, Policy in general – part of their remit also being to undertake two community studies per London E1 6EP Tel: 020 7377 9222 Fax: 020 7377 6622 year. And last, but not least, a new PA/Administrative Officer to run all the organisational Email: [email protected] support systems – a lot more than just IT skills are required. Url: www.runnymedetrust.org These job vacancies will have closed on 23 June 2006, but new vacancies will be posted on our website from time to time, as well as advertised in the national press. Annual subscription in 2006 is £30.00 Runnymede will be moving in August. Our office closes for business on 7 August and we reopen on the 21st. New contact details will be on our Typeset and printed by: website soon and in the September Bulletin – which may be published later St Richards Press Ltd. than usual as a consequence of the move. Leigh Road, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 2TU. 24 RUNNYMEDE’S QUARTERLY BULLETIN JUNE 2006 Tel: 01243 782988 Copyright © 2006 Runnymede Trust and individual authors. The opinions expressed by individual authors do not necessarily represent the views of the Runnymede Trust.