DIVERSE LEADERS' EVALUATION PROJECT
2
PEACE III The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU structural funds Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IV designed to enhance cross-border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The Programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland. For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu
Diverse Leaders’ Project LMETB Contents 1.
Summary
5
2.
Introduction
7
3.
Background and Context
4.
Review of the Diverse Leaders’ Project
15
5.
Analysis of the Project
19
6.
Conclusions, Learning and Recommendations
23
11
Evaluation undertaken by Seán McGearty
3
4
1
Summary
The Diverse Leaders’ Project The Diverse Leaders Project has been implemented by the LMETB (formerly known as Louth VEC) and funded under Phase II of the PEACE III Programme (Action 2.1 Building the Capacity of PEACE III Target Groups). The projects vision was to negate any culture of racism and sectarianism in Co. Louth, to build the capacity of minority groups to engage more fully in local society and to enable the emergence of peace building leaders within local minority groups in the county.
Diverse Leader’s Project The project was delivered over an 18 month period from May 2012 to December 2013 and had a total budget of €223,984. The Project had three main strands; nn Capacity building for peace building: to enable the minority groups to communicate their needs to service providers build bridges with the indigenous Irish and in turn enhance local service providers’ capacity to best meet the needs of minority groups. nn Resource allocations to allow for the realisation of groups own peace building projects with a budget of up to €8000 per project. nn The leadership training and mentoring strand promoted the integration of minority groups by enabling and facilitating them to become more familiar with Irish society, values, institutions, public services and peace building practice within a local context.
Set Project Outputs
Actual Outputs Achieved
Notes
Number of participating
10
The Participating groups were all target groups of
groups 10
the PEACE III Programme: Displaced People, exprisoners, ethnic minorities, minority faith groups.
Training programmes
The project delivered two
delivered: 1
courses (one in 2012 and one in 2013)
No of individuals trained: 10
20
Number of resource
Initially 8 resource allocations
The resource allocation strand was a core element
allocations: 8 groups @ €8000
to be funded. This was revised
of the project and involved the provision of grants
upwards to 10.
to minority groups in the county.
5
Set Project Outputs
Actual Outputs Achieved
Notes The grants were delivered in two tranches. Tranche 1: 2012 Muslim Community Dundalk for an Intercultural Day Men’s Shed: Conflict resolution Culture Connect Drogheda: Strategic Planning Louth Traveller Movement: Strategic Plan Church of Ireland Dundalk’s Wellington Hall Project. Tranche 2: 2013 Muirhevnamor Community Council: Displaced Peoples project
6
Islamic Foundation of Drogheda: Intercultural Day Simul Polonia Capacity building project Interfaith Dialogue project between Muslim community and other faiths Drogheda Civic Trust: Intercultural Education Project in Drogheda focusing on St.John’s Homes.
Achievements The Project has been very successful in its outputs, engaging with the target groups of the PEACE III Programme and building better relations at a local level. The Project has subsequently been awarded additional funding for an extension period from January 2014 to September 2014.
2
Introduction
2.1 Background The Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) Diverse Leaders’ Project aimed to build the capacity of minority and excluded groups and communities by equipping them with the skills to organise themselves, to engage with the wider community and to develop their own project ideas and engage in community activities. This evaluation was carried out over a four month period of the project (June – Sep 2013) and aimed to assess the work to date, to collate the participants perspectives and to produce recommendations for the future direction of the project. The evaluation involved a review of project documents, focus groups with members of participating groups and interviews with representatives of the LMETB and other stakeholders. The EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation is a special programme set up to reinforce progress towards a peaceful and stable society and promote reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region. Peace III is the third phase of this programme and it focuses on two strategic objectives 1) Reconciling Communities and 2) Contributing to a Shared Society. Co. Louth Peace and Reconciliation Partnership is responsible for delivering the Peace III Programme in Louth. The overall vision for Louth is to develop a peaceful, inclusive and confident community, where fears and hurts have been reconciled and diverse cultures are appreciated. The Partnership has set out two objectives to achieve this vision; challenging prejudice and appreciating and valuing diversity.
7 2.2 Overview of the Diverse Leaders’ Project The Diverse Leaders Project has been implemented by the LMETB and funded under Phase II of the PEACE III Programme (Action 2.1 Building the Capacity of PEACE III Target Groups). The project’s vision is to negate any culture of racism and sectarianism in Co. Louth, to build the capacity of minority groups to engage more fully in local society and to enable the emergence of peace building leaders within local minority groups in the county. The project involves ongoing communication, mentoring, facilitation and support for the participating groups in order to build the capacity of minority communities, develop leadership and support diversity champions. The Diverse Leaders’ Project aimed to: 1 To increase participants capacity, skills, knowledge and competencies to address issues of racism and sectarianism 2 To increase participants engagement and enhance their working relationships across traditional boundaries 3 To implement groups projects and initiatives through the programmatic strand 4 To increase groups abilities to apply and manage funding.
2.3
Rationale for the Project
The LMETB identified the need for the project through its previous work with minority communities and through a consultation process carried out with the target groups. This identified a number of specific needs among minority groups in the county including: nn The low profile which these groups have within their own communities nn The lack of real integration nn Difficulties in networking and sharing between these groups The LMETB project was designed to address these specific gaps in the county and to develop a programme of activities which would promote the integration of minority groups and facilitate them to become more familiar with Irish society, values, institutions and public services. It was also designed to develop local leaders with the skills to communicate their communities needs and to increase the profile of the groups within local communities.
2.4 Project Details The project was delivered over an 18 month period from May 2012 to December 2013 and had a total budget of €223,984. The Project had three main strands; 1 Capacity building for peace building: to enable the minority groups to communicate their needs to service providers build bridges with the indigenous Irish and in turn enhance local service providers’ capacity to best meet the needs of minority groups. 2 A programmatic budget to allow for the realisation of groups own peace building projects with a budget of up to €8000 per project. 3 The leadership training and mentoring strand promoted the integration of minority groups by enabling and facilitating them to become more familiar with Irish society, values, institutions, public services and peace building practice within a local context. 4
Set Project Outputs
Actual Outputs Achieved
Notes
Number of participating
10
The Participating groups were all target groups of
8 groups 10
the PEACE III Programme: Displaced People, exprisoners, ethnic minorities, minority faith groups.
Training programmes
The project delivered two
delivered: 1
courses (one in 2012 and one in 2013)
No of individuals trained: 10
20
Number of resource
Initially 8 resource allocations
The resource allocation strand was a core element
allocations: 8 groups @ €8000
to be funded. This was revised
of the project and involved the provision of grants
upwards to 10.
to minority groups in the county. The grants were delivered in two tranches. Tranche 1: 2012 Muslim Community Dundalk for an Intercultural Day Men’s Shed: Conflict resolution Culture Connect Drogheda: Strategic Planning Louth Traveller Movement: Strategic Plan Church of Ireland Dundalk’s Wellington Hall Project.
Set Project Outputs
Actual Outputs Achieved
Notes Tranche 2: 2013 Muirhevnamor Community Council: Displaced Peoples project Islamic Foundation of Drogheda: Intercultural Day Simul Polonia Capacity building project Interfaith Dialogue project between Muslim community and other faiths Drogheda Civic Trust: Intercultural Education Project in Drogheda focusing on St.John’s Homes.
2.5 Summary of Project Activities
9
Strand 1: Capacity building for Peace Building: The project delivered two courses (one in 2012 and one in 2013) with a total of 20 participants from the 10 groups who had received a resource allocation under strand 2
Strand 2: Resource Allocation The resource allocation strand was a core element of the project and involved the provision of grants to minority groups in the county. The grants were delivered in two tranches
Tranche 1: 2012
Tranche 2: 2013
1 Muslim Community Dundalk for an Intercultural Day
1 Muirhevnamor Community Council: Displaced Peoples project
2 Men’s Shed: Conflict resolution
2 Islamic Foundation of Drogheda: Intercultural Day
3 Culture Connect Drogheda: Strategic Planning
3 Simul Polonia: Capacity building project
4 Louth Traveler Movement: Strategic Planning
4 Interfaith Dialogue Project between Muslim Community and
5 Church of Ireland Dundalk’s Wellington Hall Project.
other faiths 5 Drogheda Civic Trust: Intercultural Education Project in Drogheda focusing on St. John’s Homes.
Strand 3: Leadership Training and Mentoring The project delivered a Leadership training course in 2013 to participants from the 10 groups who received a resource allocation.
10
3 Background and Context The Diverse Leaders’ Project worked on conflict related issues by promoting peace building and addressing sectarianism and on diversity and inclusion issues by promoting the integration of minority communities in the county. It addressed several significant fault lines in the county, between the minority Protestant community and the majority Catholic community, between the displaced people and the wider community, between travellers and settled people and between the immigrant communities and the indigenous population. The rapid social and economic changes over the last decades, combined with the ongoing work of the peace process has changed the face of the border counties and altered many of the structures and ways of life which had maintained long standing divisions between communities. While there has been a lot of change, separate identities have continued particularly in the areas of church, schooling, marriage and social/cultural activities. The nature and the level of division is different from that experienced in Northern Ireland, particularly in urban areas where clear interfaces occur and there are other more obvious signs of underlying sectarian tensions. While a lot of progress has been made in dealing with conflict related issues, divisions remain in many areas in the border counties including Co. Louth. In Louth the legacy of the conflict is still a dominant theme and there are ongoing divisions and fractures in the social fabric of the county which are linked to events over the last forty years.
11 The concentration of displaced people in Dundalk and the divisions related to this is a key issue. Louth has been characterised as having the highest number of displaced people from the conflict with most of these concentrated in Dundalk. Despite sustained work over the years to address these issues there is recognition that some of the divisions related to displacement are still present and are still influencing development in the town and particularly in the large housing estates of Muirhevnamore and Cox’s Demense where the majority of the displaced people are now living. There is a very small minority Protestant population in the county (estimated at 3%) and located in clusters in the Cooley Peninsula and in Dundalk, Drogheda and Ardee. There is a general acceptance across the border counties, that there are still significant divisions between communities which limit the level of interaction and continue to shape behaviour and attitudes. In rural areas, these divisions often predate the recent conflict, and are a legacy from generations of separation and mistrust. “In the rural setting local historic memories stretch much further into the past, sometimes centering on memories of previous land ownership patterns or on atrocities whose implications remain alive today. Less mobile property relationships and the continuity of family and community memory in rural communities mean that injuries in rural communities have additional depth and length”. (Morrow et al. 2000) The divisions in the border region tend to be more subtle and may not even be obvious to an outsider. However they are present and because they are less obvious and openly acknowledged, they can be more difficult to address. As a result of these divisions minority communities may withdraw from wider community life and become “communities within communities”. To a certain extent some of this exclusion is related to perceptions of how people will be treated as much as actual reality. However perceptions and historic memory are powerful forces and much of the current work in the area of peacebuilding is about changing these perceptions and acknowledging the legitimacy of these histories. The profile of the population in Louth particularly in the two urban areas of Drogheda and Dundalk has changed dramatically over the last decade and Co. Louth now has one of the most diverse communities in the country. While this brings a lot of positives, it also presents challenges especially for the agencies with responsibility for the provision of services and for agencies working to promote integration. A number of statistics highlight the rapid changes in the population profile of the county:
Ethnic and Cultural Background in Louth (2011 census)
12
White Irish
104,674
White Irish Traveller
663
Other White
8,612
Black or Black Irish
3,390
Asian or Asian Irish
1,892
Other
1,047
Not stated
1,807
Total
122,085
Other Statistics
nn Non-Irish nationals accounted for 10.4 per cent of the population of Louth nn 12,826 persons spoke a language other than Irish or English at home and of these 2,412 could not speak English well or at all nn Polish was the most common foreign language spoken at home with 1,862 speakers nn UK nationals (2,018 persons) were the largest group, followed by Polish (1,880 persons) nn 8,882 were adherents of other stated religions (e.g. Church of Ireland, Islam, Presbyterian, Orthodox). A 2012 report by the Integration Centre1 identified the main blocks to integration in Ireland. By and large these issues are also present in Co. Louth and are shaping the lives of the sizable immigrant community in the county. The key challenges identified relate to all aspects of life covering health, education, political representation, employment and public services and include: nn Only a small proportion of eligible migrants are eligible to vote nn Under representations of immigrants in legislative bodies nn Immigrants are not part of the decision making process nn Local immigration is seen as an immigrant problem nn A lack of understanding among migrants of the Irish Health system nn Immigrant parents often have difficulty negotiating the school system nn There is a limited number of schools with multi or non denominational ethos nn Teacher numbers are not reflective of Ireland’s demographics nn Racism and discrimination in schools nn Non EU students face financial barriers in accessing third level education 1
Roadmap to integration; The Integration Centre 2012
nn Some migrants are at increasing risk of poverty and homelessness nn Lack of positive interaction and rising tensions between cultures in some housing estates nn Ad hoc provision of information on cultural, political and civic life as well as public services
“
nn Many highly skilled immigrants work below their skill set or are unemployed.
Travellers, migrants, immigrants, asylum seekers and refugee communities have a key role to play in the development of such a strategy and their participation and voice should be supported and resourced to participate in this development
“
The range of issues impacting on immigrant communities highlights the need for sustained interventions in order to prevent further alienation and increased social polarisation down the road. There is consensus that the migrant communities themselves must be actively involved in their own development and in shaping integration process. The Community Workers Co-op (CWC) has highlighted the critical role of community work in this regard and stresses the need for the active engagement of these communities in shaping
The CWC submission went on to state
their own futures in Ireland2.
that;
“
community work is effective in empowering, supporting participation and creating the conditions for collective action within and between communities to effect systemic change. Communities who are marginalised as a result of racism, inequality, poverty and social exclusion have a central role in achieving that transformation
“
2 CWC’s Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on integration, multi-culturalism and racism
13
14
4 Review of the Diverse Leaders’ Project This section provides an analysis of the main body of work undertaken by the Diverse Leaders’ Project and includes brief case studies on different aspects of the work. The case studies were selected to capture the nature of the work undertaken and to explore more fully the impact of the project. The case studies are: The Wellington Hall, the Inter Faith Dialogue Project and the Dundalk Muslim Community. The main component of the Diverse Leaders’ Project was the Resource Allocation Strand which involved the provision of support to a total of 10 groups in County Louth. This intermediate funding mechanism enabled the LMETB to provide training and mentoring support alongside financial assistance to groups and to facilitate the engagement of the groups in a partnerships initiative with the LMETB. As outlined above, the groups were drawn from different backgrounds and can be grouped into 2 broad categories. 1 Projects dealing with integration and supporting minority communities: The Dundalk Muslim Community, the Islamic Foundation Drogheda, Simul Polonia, Louth Traveller Movement, Culture Connect, Interfaith Dialogue Project between Muslim community and other faiths 2 Projects dealing with conflict related issues: Muirhevnamor Community Council Displaced People’s Project, Church of Ireland/ Wellington Hall Project, Drogheda Civic Trust: Intercultural Education Project, Men’s Sheds. The Resource Allocation Strand comprised of three types of support: capacity building for peace, the provision of a resource allocation and ongoing mentoring and support. The project delivered two courses (one in 2012 and one in 2013) with a total of 20 participants from the 10 groups involved in the resource element of the programme. There were over 700 participants at the groups’ combined events and launches. The training course was a key component of the project and an important part of the overall process of promoting diversity and inclusion. It was designed to promote the integration of minority groups by facilitating them to become more familiar with Irish society, values, institutions, public services and peace building practice within a local context. This course brought together a very diverse group of people from across the different communities (displaced people/political ex-prisoners, immigrants, Travellers and members of the Protestant community) and in many cases this was the first time that these people met and interacted with people from these different backgrounds. This proved to be an important but challenging learning experience for the participants and gave them a good understanding of the issues relating to the conflict and overall purpose of the Diverse Leaders’ Project as well as providing opportunities for the groups to network and learn from each other. The leadership training and mentoring element of the project was critical to the process as some of the groups were new to development work and not familiar with funding agencies and structures or how to develop and plan a project. The main outcomes from the project were: nn The Wellington Hall project developed a communication’s plan including a website which allowed them to progress to secure a capital grant under the Peace III programme to renovate the hall nn Louth Traveller group drew up a strategic plan to provide direction for the organisation in the years ahead and enable them to more effectively support the wider Traveller community nn The Dundalk Muslim group organised the first Muslim Inter-cultural day – called Bridging the Gap (See Appendix 1) the day was designed to open up the Muslim community and to raise awareness of the community. It attracted over 300 people and helped to promote a better understanding of what being a Muslim in Ireland entails nn The Drogheda Muslin Community also organised a similar intercultural day in Drogheda nn The Polish Community organised a family day to consult and celebrate with non Polish people which was attended by over 400 people
15
nn Muirhevnamor Community Council carried out research and produced a report on the current situation regarding displaced people in Dundalk nn Drogheda Civic Trust developed an educational resource focusing on the shared history of the town nn Culture Connect developed a new strategic plan for their work on integration in Drogheda nn All the groups involved have had an opportunity to explore their attitudes and values and to reflect together on key issues relating to diversity, integration and peacebuilding.
Case Study 1: Church of Ireland Dundalk (Wellington Hall) The COI in Louth is a small community representing only 5% of the population and has been quite marginalised over the course of the conflict. Despite ongoing support for reconciliation in the border region this community has remained quite isolated with little engagement in peacebuilding activities. St. Nicholas’ Parish is comprised of five churches in North Louth. A small committee started working around 2010 to try to restore Wellington Hall near the centre of Dundalk.
16
Wellington Hall was built in 1812 as a free interdenominational school for all children in Dundalk and is one of Dundalks’ most significant Heritage buildings. The hall ceased to be a school in 1961, when St. Nicholas National School was relocated to nearby premises in Nicholas Street. The Wellington Hall then became a resource for the Parish of St Nicholas and for the wider community and was used by a range of local groups and organisations. The hall gradually fell into disrepair and was not suitable for use in recent years. The Wellington Hall Project (WHP) was established to raise money to restore the hall and to make it a centre for community activity and serving the needs of all sections of the community. However the group was unsure how to proceed and where to source the necessary funding to undertake a project of this scale. The isolated and dispersed nature of the Church of Ireland (COI) community in the county and the low level of engagement in community and peacebuilding initiatives to date were factors in this. Through contact with the Diverse Leaders’ Project the WHP was able to progress this initiative and to develop a more strategic plan for refurbishment of the Hall. The WHP first engaged in the Resource Allocation Strand of the project and received a grant of €8,000 to develop a new website. The development of the website provided a focus to the group and enabled them to promote the refurbishment project to a wider audience. The Group undertook their own fundraising and raised €60,000 for the first phase of the work – repairing the roof and making the hall more secure. Additionally committee members also participated in the peacebuilding leadership training where they engaged with and built relationships with other groups in the project. This networking has proved to be very important as several of the other groups including the Polish and Muslim communities are now using the hall on a regular basis. The Polish group has assisted with the refurbishment through voluntary labour to clear up the yard at the hall. The hall is now used by a range of groups including the LMETB, Women’s Aid, local schools and community organisations. The engagement with the Diverse Leaders’ Project was a key step for the group as it brought them into contact with the Peace III programme and helped them to secure a capital grant to carry out more substantial refurbishment. As the Hall is a preserved building the WHP worked closely with Louth Co. Council to ensure that the renovation met the requirement for the refurbishment of historic buildings. The overall project and engagement in the Diverse Leaders’ Pzaroject did present some challenges to the COI community. Participation in the training brought the group into contact with political ex-prisoners for the first time and the fact that the hall is now used by immigrant and Muslim groups was also a new departure for the community. However the WHP is committed to making the hall a genuine community resource and has actively welcomed groups from different backgrounds. The hall has the potential to be an important resource for the community and a key element in integrating the different groups which now live in the town.
Case Study 2: The interfaith Dialogue Group To a certain extent the Interfaith Dialogue component represent the culmination of the Diverse Leaders’ Project as it brings together several of the stands of work of the project over the previous 18 months. The process was initiated by the Imam of the Dundalk Muslim community who was concerned about the risk of ethnic division and who recognised the need to establish communications and build relationship between the different communities in the area. A key element in this was the trust which had been established through the Diverse Leaders’ Project and the fact that there was already some contact between the different faith based groups. The Diverse Leaders’ Project initiated a dialogue process based on a similar project in Limerick. This initiative is a first for Dundalk and one of the few interfaith initiatives in the country. It is particularly important given the fact that there are now over 600 members of the Muslim community in Dundalk and a growing youth population and an increasing number of children from a Muslim background attending schools in the county. The project was framed within the overall objectives of the Peace III programme and the central theme of “a good neighbour” was adopted. The dialogue workshops were attended by representatives of the Muslim community, the Church of Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Christian Church of India and the Grace Fellowship Church. An important aspect of the dialogue was the range of background and the wider multicultural experience of the participants. A significant aspect of the project is that it was initiated by the Muslim community and hosted by the Church of Ireland in the Wellington Hall. A key component of any multi-cultural or interdenominational activity is a venue which is considered safe and neutral and Wellington Hall was ideal in this regard as it is becoming recognised as a centre for diverse groups and it provides a comfortable and accessible location. So far the process has gone well and there has been a positive group dynamic and a good level of interaction among the participants. The theme of “a good neighbour” appears to have struck a cord across the different faiths and enabled them to examine key issues related to a multiculturalism is a safe manner. The dialogue group is in the early stage of development and this represents an important first step. Relationships have been formed and the different groups have shared their hopes and aspirations as well as some of their fears and concerns. They have also begun to share information about events and to invite each other to activities and functions suited to wider participation. However there are a number of challenges and a need to build on this first step if the process is to lead to a more sustained interfaith work. There is a need for wider engagement among all the groups but particularly among the Roman Catholic community which has not yet fully committed to the process. A key step in this regard may be the inclusion of lay members of the different faiths and the involvement if schools in the county which are currently at the forefront of integration and inter-community relations.
17
Case Study 3: Intercultural Activities The Muslim community in Louth has experienced a steady growth in recent years particularly in Dundalk and Drogheda and the large youth population indicates that this trend will continue. The education system has coped well with the influx despite ongoing cut backs in services and provides a key platform for integration. However there are limited opportunities for the wider community to engage with the majority community and as a result there are risks that this new community will become isolated and marginalised from the mainstream. The global context, the increasing tension in the UK and the media portrayal of Muslims generally provides a challenging backdrop for these communities and creates huge barriers to real integration. The recession in Ireland and increased levels of poverty and unemployment is also a big factor in shaping how the Irish perceive newcomers. A range of other issues impact on integration processes including, resistance by local communities, a lack of awareness among agencies and support services and internal issues in the Muslim community itself. So far there have been only minor racist incidents and community relations in Louth are stable and relatively positive. However the Muslim community is largely isolated and to a certain extent lives in fear that wider events will impact on their lives here. As a result there has been a tendency to keep to themselves, to “keep their heads down” and to avoid overt
18
celebrations of their culture or religion. Leaders in the Muslim community recognise the importance of building relationships with the indigenous Irish community and the need to have a strong foundation to overcome any community relations problems which may emerge down the road. Through the Diverse Leader Project the two Muslim communities in Drogheda and Dundalk decided to organise intercultural events which would create opportunities increased interaction between Muslims and the wider community. The Islamic Foundation of Drogheda organised an Intercultural Day in the Barbican Drogheda and the Dundalk Muslim Community organised a similar event entitled “Bridging the Gap” in Hagan House, Dundalk. These events had two closely connected objectives. They provided a safe focal point for the Muslim communities to celebrate their culture, to raise awareness of its richness and diversity and to bridge the gap and build relationships between the Muslim and non Muslim communities. The events had a strong focus on culture, food and conversation and on breaking down barriers and dispelling some of the prejudices that exist towards Islam and the Muslim community. Over 500 people attended the two events and this level of interest has reassured the Muslim community that local people are interested and willing to engage with them and gave them the confidence to reach out and interact with other communities.
5
Analysis of the Project
This section reviews the work of the Diverse Leaders project against the main evaluation criteria for peace-building that have been developed by the OECD-DAC1, and that are now internationally applied. Three of these criteria relate directly to the Aid for Peace Framework: the relevance of the work, the effectiveness of the work and the impact. The evaluation also looks at the issue of sustainability.
Relevance This criterion assesses the extent to which the objectives and activities of the intervention respond to the peace-building needs in the area.
The Diverse Leaders’ Project is highly relevant to the context in Louth as it aims to build a more cohesive and peaceful community by addressing several of the divisions which exist in the county at present. It aims to strengthen relationships and to bridge a number of fractures in society - between the minority Protestant Community and the majority community, between immigrants and the indigenous community and between the Travellers and the settled community. Efforts to engage the different immigrant groups and to involve them in the community activities is particularly important given the changing profile of communities in Louth and the need for ongoing work to ensure that racism does not poison relationships. Working to tackle racism is an important component of the project. The inter faith dialogue is highly relevant to the current context in the border region where religion has been a major fault-line in the conflict and where there are still major gaps in understanding between the different religious groups in the area. The project’s efforts to build relationships between different groups and to facilitate dialogue between the different religious communities is highly relevant to the overall objectives of the Peace III programme and the vision of Louth Peace Partnership. The work to develop leadership within the minority communities has been well received and there is recognition that this is needed and that it can play a key role in the overall integration process. The lack of leadership among immigrant groups and minority communities is a key issue and efforts to address this deficit are critical to these communities engaging as equals with other communities. The work carried out by Muirhevnamor Community Council on the current circumstances of displaced people in the county is also very relevant to the context in Louth. The Peace Programme has provided ongoing support to ex-prisoners and displaced people and research was carried out on the needs of displaced people. However it is important to have an accurate and up to date picture of this local community, and to ensure that the needs are addressed in the final phases of the Peace programme.
Effectiveness According to the OECD-DAC ‘effectiveness is used to evaluate whether an intervention has reached its intended objectives, with respect to its immediate peacebuilding environment, in a timely fashion’. The Diverse Leaders’ Project achieved its objectives particularly those relating to the engagement with minority groups in the county. Some of these communities, particularly the Muslim communities are quite isolated and unsure how to engage with the mainstream community and with the many services which people need to interact with, on a daily basis. The Project has been effective in working with and supporting a number of groups who have previously not taken part in peacebuilding work in the county including the Church of Ireland /Wellington Hall, the Muslim community and the Polish community. 1
OECD DAC The Organisation for Economic Corporate & Development: Development Assistance Committee
19
The project has established good working relationships with three immigrant communities which represent the majority of immigrants in the Louth area: the Muslim community in Dundalk and Drogheda and the Polish community. The project provided developmental support to two marginalised groups in the county, Travellers and the Men’s Sheds. It facilitated the Traveller group to develop a strategic plan which will guide the group in the coming years and provided a range of supports for the Louth Community Men’s Shed to facilitate the move towards a self management structure. The focus in both these cases was on supporting the groups to take control of their own development and to also encourage and enable them to play a more active role in policy making in the county. The project also supported Culture Connect in Drogheda to develop a strategic plan for future work on building relations between Irish and immigrant communities. Similarly the research carried out under Muirhevnamor Community Council Displaced People’s Project can provide a platform for future work on the issue affecting displaced people in the county. It provides an up to date picture of this community and explores changes which have taken place in recent years. The issues around displacement is still one of the main legacies of the conflict and a source of ongoing division in the county and this research should be a valuable document in the design of future responses which can facilitate a resolution to these issues and support peacebuilding at local level.
20
The support provided under the Diverse Leaders project has had a number of outcomes: nn It has built confidence among the groups and encouraged them to engage with the wider communities in which the live nn It has opened up lines of communications between these different groups who tend to be isolated from each other nn It has increased their capacity to interact with agencies and to apply for and manage funding. The overall concept of the projects work around integration is to intervene early in order to prevent problems from emerging. This is recognised as the most effective approach in this area and relatively small interventions can be really effective in this regard. The Diverse Leaders’ Project has played a key role in supporting groups to organise events and there has been a good level of engagement in these activities. However the level of awareness and coverage within the wider communities themselves is more difficult to gauge. The project has established good working relationships with the organisations in the Muslim, Polish and Protestant communities. However, future work could focus on widening and deepening this engagement. The process of widening the engagement would involve increasing the number of minority communities that are active in the programmes while the process of deepening would ensure that these engagements were high quality, sustained and addressed key issues in more depth. The fact the project is located within the LMETB and linked into the LMETB programmes and schools has given it credibility and strengthened its effectiveness. As the major education provider in the area the LMETB has been able to build on its existing work and to develop good working relationships with these target groups. There is now a need to build on this and to develop more programmes which promote integration.
Impact Impact refers to the more long-term effects produced by an intervention (positive or negative, intended or unintended)
The Impact of peace-building work is very difficult to assess and to prove, and ideally requires a long-term perspective that is not possible in a short 18 month project. Despite this there is some evidence that the Diverse Leaders’ Project has created some lasting change. At the core of the project is developing leadership within the Minority communities in order to enhance and deepen the engagement of the these communities in both their own development and in peacebuilding and integration processes. In this regard the project has made a significant contribution by supporting the groups to develop and implement initiatives for their own communities. This process combined with the training programme has strengthened the leadership of these groups. The initial work with Wellington Hall has acted as a catalyst for other work and this is likely to continue in the medium term. This has strengthened links between the Church of Ireland community in the county and the majority community and has also developed new relationships between this community and other minority communities. Another significant impact is the shift within the Muslim community in Dundalk. This community had only limited interaction with community structures or with local agencies and there was a general tendency for the community to keep a low profile. There had been some racist incidents and some a certain level of fear among the community. Engagement in this project will not address all these issue but it has made an important first step and members of the Muslim community report that there is a bit less fear and an increased openness and willingness to engage. New relationships have been established between the LMETB and the target groups and among the target groups themselves. The work to engage with these communities and build their confidence and capacity is likely to have a more long term effect and to have spin off benefits in other areas. The fact that the interfaith dialogue was initiated by the Muslim community demonstrates the approach is effective and that it can enable other things to happen. The evaluator recognises the importance of the project taking small steps to build relationships with different stakeholders through participation in the various project activities, but there are concerns about the one-off nature of some of the events that the project has facilitated and supported. While these are useful in raising awareness and getting initial buy in by the groups, evidence from peace-building work highlights the need for sustained engagement to build meaningful relationships and contribute to peacebuilding, However this is also an issue that needs to be addressed by the SEUPB to develop longer more sustained Peace Programmes.
21
Sustainability Sustainability is defined as the continuation of benefits from an intervention after funding has been completed. Sustainability also includes “ownership� of peacebuilding processes.
One of the objectives of the project was to leave some legacy to the peace programme by enabling groups to develop their own projects on themes of anti-sectarianism and anti-racism. Given that this was a relatively short term programme there are challenges in creating sustainable results in this time frame. However there are a few elements of the project which have the potential to be sustained. Building confidence is key to long term sustainability and this project has built confidence among these groups. It is clear that some of the immigrant groups and the Wellington hall project have developed the capacity and confidence to carry out
22
further work in the years to come. The project has also built the profile of some groups within the immigrant communities which will be important for future work on these issues. The project has created a network and a support structure and minority groups now know who to contact and more importantly how they can support each other. The initial support to the Wellington Hall committee enabled this group to develop a strategy which has resulted in the refurbishment of the hall and the creation of a shared space in the centre of Dundalk. This venue can be a focal point for a lot of work on peacebuilding and diversity in the years ahead. In Drogheda the Drogheda Civic Trust (DCT) developed a Cross Culture Education Programme based on the history of St. Johns Homes focusing on the unique history of the catholic and protestant communities in Drogheda for the past 400 years. This programme can be used with schools across the county to highlight the historical diversity which existed in the town and to learn from the history of the community.
Other issues relate to how this invaluable Peace-Building work will be integrated as a core body of work into the newly amalgamated Louth and Meath Education and Training Board. There is also cocern about the stop/start nature of Peace funding.
6 Conclusions, Learning and Recommendations This evaluation highlights a number of positives results from the work carried out under the Diverse Leaders project, identifies a number of issues to be addressed and provides some pointers for future work on these issues. The Diverse Leaders’ Project has made a valuable contribution to peacebuilding in the Louth region and has demonstrated the central role which the education system can and should play in this area. It has built on the initial work carried out by the LMETB in Phase 1 of the project and has widened and deepened the work by engaging with more groups and by investing time and resources to work more intensively with each group on a specific project. The project has achieved all its targets within the timeframe and created a good foundation for more work by the LMETB and other agencies. There is clear evidence that the minority groups want to engage in programmes which are relevant to them and where they feel a sense of ownership. The methodology employed by the Diverse Leaders was effective in this regard as it allowed the groups to take on a project which they considered to be relevant to their wider membership and it gave them a sense of ownership of the activity. The process provided sufficient scope for the groups to design something which could engage their wider constituency and achieve the overall aim of promoting peacebuilding and diversity. It is important that the momentum is maintained and that the LMETB works with other stakeholders to ensure that as much as possible of this work is sustained. There are a number of key areas where this is particularly important as there does not appear to be other structures or mechanisms in place. The interfaith dialogue is a new departure and still relatively small but should be sustained either by the LMETB or by other peacebuilding structures. The work to build relationships with the immigrant communities is critical to the future cohesion of Louth and needs to developed in the years ahead. LMETB has a central role in this regard as the main provider of education in the county and should continue to provide programme to support integration as well as working closely with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach to these issues. A key legacy of the project is the restoration of Wellington Hall and the development of a genuine shared space in the Centre of Dundalk. While the building itself is important the work of the committee to open the hall and to welcome groups from all background is a positive step in peacebuilding and integration in the region. A second important legacy is the strengthening of support structures within the Muslin community in the county (in both Dundalk and Drogheda) and an increased sense of confidence and willingness to engage among this community. The global political context and the increasing alienation of Muslim in the UK and Europe points to the need for preventative measures and work to build confidence and trust among these communities and to build relationships and promote integration before there is a breakdown and potential conflict. The Diverse Leaders’ Project has opened the door to work with this community in a more sustained way and every effort should be made to follow up on this and make Louth a model of integration. There is a concern that peacebuilding work in Louth and the border region is still somewhat fragmented with different projects operating in isolation and limited opportunity for reflection, sharing and learning. The Diverse Leaders’ Project worked on reconciliation and cross community relations through several of the projects it supported (the Church of Ireland/ Wellington Hall, Muirhavnamor Community Council and the Mens Sheds). However there does not appear to be an effective mechanism for this to be connected with other work in these areas - both Peace III initiatives and the IFIs Peace Impact programme which is being rolled out in Dundalk. Issues related to the impact of the conflict and reconciliation are not confined within the border of County Louth and may benefit from being viewed on a wider regional and cross border basis. Increased effort should be made to strengthen the cross border element of the project. Likewise the issues related to immigration need to be viewed in a wider regional and national context and future work should be linked into other wider strategies. Overall most stakeholders are positive about the project and recognise that good work has been done over the last 18 month. There is a clear commitment from both the staff and LMETB to develop a high quality project capable of having a meaningful impact on how the education system addresses two of the key issues in the Louth area – issues related to the conflict and the growing issues around minorities and diversity.
23
The immigrant communities are clear that they want to promote and encourage integration and recognise the need to firstly engage their own communities, raise the profile of the groups and build confidence among their members. While there is support for broader integration processes and for new additional projects there does not appear to be real support for these communities to take these important first steps. The communities feel that the agenda is set by others, that there is a lack of trust and that their priorities are not fully recognised and taken on board. The communities are not homogenous and there are risks in assuming that one approach can be effective for all sections of a community. This points to the need for more work to support these groups to undertake projects which are relevant, which start from where they are at and which recognises the diversity within the groups. The Diverse Leaders was useful in this regard as it provided financial and other support to the groups to do something which they felt would be appropriate and relevant to their communities. The is reflected in the huge attendance at some of the project events. e.g. at the ‘Dundalk Muslim Intercultural Day’ and at the ‘Polish Intercultural Day’. Initiatives which are centred on the needs of the communities and which promote ownerships by the groups themselves are more likely to be sustainable and effective. Efforts should be made to continue to support these communities in their own process of development and the LMETB can play a central role in this.
24
A programme which is seeking to work with minority groups needs to be able to respond to the real needs and to take on board new issues which emerge. This points to the needs for both flexibly and a reasonable timeframe for implementation. However the Peace III Programme tends to be implemented in very restrictive timeframes and with a strong focus on pre-determined outputs. This limits the capacity of projects to be creative and to respond flexibly to the issues on the ground. There is a risk that it excludes some communities, results in missed opportunities and in the long run reduces the effectiveness of the Peace programme itself. It also limits the opportunity for reflection and learning among those involved in the programmes. The LMETB project did address some of these obstacles as it acted as an intermediary funding body to get resources to the 10 groups involved in the project. However the timeframe of 16 months was too tight for a programme of this nature and the need to meet targets did not allow for a more organic and responsive process with the groups themselves taking on a greater leadership role. The fact that the budgets for each project was fixed did not encourage creativity and a more flexible approach to the disbursement of funds would increased efficiency and possible led to more ambitious follow up projects. The focus on minority communities is important and there is value in developing links and networks between some of these minority groups. However peacebuilding and integration are not just the concerns of the minority groups and needs to involve the majority community. Working with the minority groups and building their confidence and capacity is an important first step but must be followed up with programmes to facilitate links with the mainstream community and state agencies. There are also risks in assuming that these communities are homogenous and in attempting to create links when there is a miss-match between the groups. For example some of the immigrant communities are highly educated and will struggle to develop commonality with groups coming from a disadvantaged background. Care must be taken to encourage communications and sharing without forcing all minority groups into artificial networks. There is a need for initiatives which engage with the wider constituencies, bring in new people and facilitate them to become leaders in their community. The work with the immigrant communities has widened engagement in these communities and opened up opportunities for further work. However this now needs to be built on to ensure that the initial impetus is not lost. The interfaith dialogue group has started out as a small group of leaders from the different faith groups in the Dundalk area. This has gone well and demonstrates the need for more work in this area. The challenges of getting all the religious leaders to engage has also highlighted the need to bring in new people including the laity from the different faith groups.
The education system has been at the forefront of integration in Louth and is recognised as playing a central role in this process. This is particularly true in some of the schools in Dundalk and Drogheda where there are sizable numbers of students from immigrant communities. Schools have had to adapt and develop approaches to facilitate the diversity of students coming through their doors. The LMETB schools have the largest proportion of newcomer students in the county and a sizeable proportion of the adult education community and community outreach education programmes is offered to newcomer students. However there are challenges with regard parents of these children, particularly the men, and how they can more effectively interact with the education system. The LMETB has an important role to play in this area and needs to build links with immigrant communities and the parents. Programmes like the Diverse Leaders’ initiative provide opportunities for this to happen outside the formal school structures and can help build trust and communications between the education system and the immigrant communities. This can have long term benefits for all stakeholders as it build relationships with one of the key services providers and these communities. Overall the LMETB has made a valuable contribution to both peacebuilding and integration both in the work they supported and by demonstrating the central role that the education system can play in these two areas. It recognised that agencies need to reach out to minority communities and has adopted a proactive approach by targeting these communities. This work complements and is a welcome addition to the overall education programme within the county and the LMETB should now look to consolidate the work undertaken through the PEACE Programmes. The stop start nature of Peace funding and the fact that the Peace programme is coming to an end points to the need for a more long term strategy by the LMETB to sustain and develop the work on both peacebuilding and integration
Recommendations 1 The SEUPB need to sustain projects like Diverse Leaders to build on the invaluable work that has been undertaken to date. This entails funding of longer bduration to deepen the engagement & interation. 2 The Peace III framework is heavily focused on pre determined outputs and reporting procedures and risks limiting the innovation and creativity which is essential to both peacebuilding and integration efforts. There should more flexibility in the delivery mechanisms, with more scope for projects to respond to the situation on the ground and the real needs and issues of the target groups. 3 The initial work of the interfaith dialogue group should be sustained and expanded by engaging the laity in the different communities and by extending the scope of the programme to involve a cross border dimension. 4 Future work with immigrant communities should continue to build the profile of these groups both within their own communities and in the wider community and should develop internal leadership capacity. There should also be more emphasis on initiatives which give ownership to these communities and enable them to engage on their own terms. 5 The Louth and Meath Education and Training Board should continue to work on both fronts – to support peacebuilding in the county and on a cross border basis and to support integration efforts in the region. 6 The Louth and Meath Education and Training Board should put increased emphasis on the change it is seeking to bring about through these programmes and should clearly articulate a theory of change – setting out how it expects this change to occur and the expected contribution of the project to this change. 7 The Louth and Meath Education and Training Board should examine how it can use its unique position and to build on its current efforts to support integration processes by developing further programmes which engage the wider immigrant communities.
25
In the
name
of Alla
DunD al CoMM k MusliM unity h, the
Entirely
Mercif
ul, the
Especia
lly Merc
iful
1
BriDg the g ing ap The pro
ject is sup
26
ported
by the Europea The Pro ject is ma n Union’s PEAC E III Pro naged by Co. gramm Dund alk Louth VE e as Comm Muslim C’s PEAC awarded by unity Lo E III fun ded Div uth Peace an d Re erse Lea ders’ Pro conciliation Partners ject. hip.