Community cohesion in Newcastle

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Community cohesion in Newcastle

• David Faulkner
• Deputy Leader
• Newcastle City Council

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Contents

• What is community cohesion?
• The Newcastle context
• Key challenges
• Newcastle City Councils approach
• Examples of current practice

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What is community cohesion?

• Newcastles Social Inclusion Strategy says that
  community cohesion is about
• creating and sustaining communities in which
  people of all kinds can live together safely,
  happily and with a sense of belonging

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What is community cohesion?

• The Commission on Integration and Cohesions
  definition of a cohesive community recognises the
  importance of
• A shared vision which recognises the contribution
  of all
• Individual rights and responsibilities
• Equality
• Trust in local institutions
• Integration
• Meaningful interaction between all sections of
  the community

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Questions to consider

• Is community cohesion desirable?
• If so, why?
• Is it possible?
• Is it natural, or can it be created?
• If so, how?

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Is community cohesion desirable?

• The moral reasons
• Achieving equality
• Stopping discrimination and oppression
• Giving everyone a chance to participate
• The social reasons
• Avoiding conflict
• Citizens happy with their city and comfortable
  with each other
• The economic reasons
• Promoting economic inclusion for all
• Increasing prosperity
• A city where people want to live, work and visit

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Is community cohesion desirable?

• Thursday, 12 July, 2001, 1501 GMT 1601 UK
• Summer of discontent
• Some of the worst rioting the UK has seen in 20
  years erupted in the summer months in Oldham,
  Burnley and Bradford in the north of England.
  Here, BBC News Online brings you some of the key
  reports of the violence and findings of the
  subsequent inquiries.

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Newcastle context

• Changing economy
• Changing demographics
• Deprivation
• Fear of difference and prejudice

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Other challenges

• Understanding of cohesion
• Sign-up across and beyond the Council
• Trust in institutions
• Managing tensions and threats to cohesion

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Is community cohesion possible?

• Newcastles response Community Cohesion Strategy
• corporate, whole-council approach
• 4 objectives/strands of work
• Agencies
• Communities
• Safety
• Communication

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Cohesion in action

• International Students Day

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Cohesion in action

• culture10 Look East

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Cohesion in action

• ARCH 24-hour racist and homophobic incident
  reporting system

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Cohesion in action

• Your Turn