Who Creates Safe Who Creates Safe Communities?Communities?Government, Civil Society or Business?Government, Civil Society or Business?

Alex Goldberg, Alex Goldberg,

Chief Executive, London Jewish ForumChief Executive, London Jewish Forum

alex.goldberg@londonjewishforum.org.uk

Who am I?Who am I?

Lawyer and Chief Executive of Lawyer and Chief Executive of London Jewish ForumLondon Jewish Forum

Worked for the Government’s Worked for the Government’s Commission for Racial Equality on Commission for Racial Equality on the Safe Communities Initiative for the Safe Communities Initiative for 2 years2 years

Seconded to Met PoliceSeconded to Met Police

Advisor to Surrey Police and Advisor to Surrey Police and CRONEM (Centre for Research on CRONEM (Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism)Multiculturalism)

Lobbied UN for recognition of Lobbied UN for recognition of group rightsgroup rights

Community ConflictCommunity Conflict

Many reasons for community conflict.Many reasons for community conflict.

Two frequent examples that seem to arise Two frequent examples that seem to arise resulting in extreme violence:resulting in extreme violence:

Extremist or organised racist groups come into Extremist or organised racist groups come into area to stir tensions (sometimes after a one-off area to stir tensions (sometimes after a one-off incident)incident)

Mistrust and tensions between two distinct Mistrust and tensions between two distinct communities living side by side i.e. “parallel communities living side by side i.e. “parallel communities”communities”

The PlayersThe Players

Government - includes police and schoolingGovernment - includes police and schooling

NGOsNGOs

Business (and other private institutions)Business (and other private institutions)

GovernmentGovernmentControl over forces of coercion Control over forces of coercion

Duty to promote good race Duty to promote good race relationsrelations

Equalities and Human Rights Equalities and Human Rights CommissionCommission

Public GrantsPublic Grants

Stephen Lawrence InquiryStephen Lawrence Inquiry

Department for Communities - Department for Communities - post 7th July 2005post 7th July 2005

Schools duty to promote Schools duty to promote cohesion cohesion

Civil Society and NGOsCivil Society and NGOsUK has a large NGO sector - UK has a large NGO sector - both faith-based and secularboth faith-based and secular

Race equality NGOs largely Race equality NGOs largely funded by grants under the funded by grants under the RRA (although this is RRA (although this is changing); Religious cohesion changing); Religious cohesion funded by Government (no funded by Government (no First Amendment)First Amendment)

Conflict and mediation Conflict and mediation specialistsspecialists

Intercultural relations: From Intercultural relations: From ‘Bagels and Bhajis’ to conflict ‘Bagels and Bhajis’ to conflict prevention prevention

BusinessBusiness

Business in the Business in the CommunityCommunity

Large CSR programmesLarge CSR programmes

Financial districts of Financial districts of London adjacent to one of London adjacent to one of Western Europe’s poorest Western Europe’s poorest Boroughs - Tower HamletsBoroughs - Tower Hamlets

Risk factor: how far can Risk factor: how far can they go?they go?

CRE’s 5 PrinciplesCRE’s 5 Principles

• Equality – equal rights and opportunities for everyone Equality – equal rights and opportunities for everyone in all areas of activity. in all areas of activity.

• Respect – acceptance of the individual right to identify Respect – acceptance of the individual right to identify with, maintain and develop one’s particular cultural with, maintain and develop one’s particular cultural heritage, and to explore other cultures. heritage, and to explore other cultures.

• Security – a safe environment, free from racism, for all. Security – a safe environment, free from racism, for all.

• Unity – acceptance of belonging to a wider community, Unity – acceptance of belonging to a wider community, and of shared values and responsibilities, rooted in and of shared values and responsibilities, rooted in common citizenship and humanity. common citizenship and humanity.

• Cooperation – interaction by individuals and groups to Cooperation – interaction by individuals and groups to achieve common goals, resolve conflict, and create achieve common goals, resolve conflict, and create community cohesion. community cohesion.

Dealing with ConflictDealing with Conflict

Traditionally the method Traditionally the method of dealing with conflict of dealing with conflict was to utilise legal was to utilise legal powers to stop violence powers to stop violence at sourceat source

Prevention has become Prevention has become more popular within more popular within Councils and police Councils and police forces as a means to forces as a means to reducing levels of reducing levels of tension and the tension and the possibility of serious possibility of serious violence in the first violence in the first place.place.

Fire-fighting – Fire-fighting – Stopping conflict as it Stopping conflict as it happenshappens

The Criminal Code gives Councils the power to The Criminal Code gives Councils the power to prevent the stirring of racial tensions:prevent the stirring of racial tensions:

Incitement to Racial HatredIncitement to Racial Hatred

Racially or religiously aggravated offencesRacially or religiously aggravated offences

ASBOsASBOs

Protection from Eviction Act; Malicious Protection from Eviction Act; Malicious Communications; Telecommunications ActCommunications; Telecommunications Act

Case Study 1: BehztiCase Study 1: Behzti

Play showing violence in Play showing violence in Gurdwara at Birmingham RepGurdwara at Birmingham Rep

Sikh community ‘consulted’Sikh community ‘consulted’

Protests at theatreProtests at theatre

Police use dispersal method Police use dispersal method and violence ensuesand violence ensues

Negotiations result in closure Negotiations result in closure of play causing nation debate of play causing nation debate on freedom of speechon freedom of speech

Where ‘fire-fighting’ does not Where ‘fire-fighting’ does not workwork

Example 1: Race riot occurring in an area that is Example 1: Race riot occurring in an area that is 99% White. Public authorities ignoring tensions 99% White. Public authorities ignoring tensions when asylum seekers were placed on an estate. when asylum seekers were placed on an estate.

Example 2: Gypsy and Traveller community not Example 2: Gypsy and Traveller community not consulted on eviction causing rising tensions on all consulted on eviction causing rising tensions on all sides.sides.

Example 3: Birmingham - Police admitting that they Example 3: Birmingham - Police admitting that they had a lack of intelligence and little communication had a lack of intelligence and little communication with a large ethnic minority community located in a with a large ethnic minority community located in a large central England city. It had claimed that it did large central England city. It had claimed that it did not want to divert resources from ‘fire-fighting’ to not want to divert resources from ‘fire-fighting’ to community liaison.community liaison.

Dispelling myths and Dispelling myths and preventionprevention

• Government can work to build partnerships in Government can work to build partnerships in communitiescommunities

• Safe Neighbourhood policing taken seriouslySafe Neighbourhood policing taken seriously

• Goldstein’s theories now applied in UK policingGoldstein’s theories now applied in UK policing

• Community engagement decreases problemsCommunity engagement decreases problems

Case Study 2: Asylum Case Study 2: Asylum seeker and refugees in seeker and refugees in GlasgowGlasgow

Asylum-seeker and Asylum-seeker and refugees were placed in refugees were placed in an estate. Violence an estate. Violence erupted against the new erupted against the new community. community.

One death and several One death and several other attacks. other attacks.

The police and local The police and local authorities attempted to authorities attempted to come up with a number of come up with a number of projects to calm tensionsprojects to calm tensions

Glasgow continuedGlasgow continued

Mobile Translation Unit: Police went onto the Mobile Translation Unit: Police went onto the estate with a mobile translation unit in order to estate with a mobile translation unit in order to form relations with the new community.form relations with the new community.

From there they established some projects…From there they established some projects…

North Glasgow International North Glasgow International FestivalFestival

Multicultural Festival: Multicultural Festival: Public authorities Public authorities decided to celebrate decided to celebrate the new diversity of the new diversity of this neighbourhood this neighbourhood involving the residents involving the residents in creating an in creating an ‘International Festival’ ‘International Festival’ on the estateon the estate

BusinessBusiness

Business has an interest in influencing the Business has an interest in influencing the neighbourhoodneighbourhood

Some industries want to improve relations with Some industries want to improve relations with the local community as that is their client base or the local community as that is their client base or because it is a potential recruitment base or it because it is a potential recruitment base or it feels that it wants to have a ethical brand e.g. the feels that it wants to have a ethical brand e.g. the banks or because it has fundamentally changed banks or because it has fundamentally changed the local environment and wants a good the local environment and wants a good environment to expand.environment to expand.

Study 3: Leicester Study 3: Leicester MercuryMercury

Leicester will be UK’s first ethnic Leicester will be UK’s first ethnic minority majority cityminority majority city

Leicester Mercury set up a multi-Leicester Mercury set up a multi-cultural advisory group to discuss cultural advisory group to discuss issues of the day made up of local issues of the day made up of local media, the police, local authorities, media, the police, local authorities, faith groups, head teachers, and faith groups, head teachers, and community and youth groups community and youth groups

Gives space to ethnic and religious Gives space to ethnic and religious issues within the newspaperissues within the newspaper

The forum has become a place where The forum has become a place where people from different communities people from different communities can discuss challenging issuescan discuss challenging issues

Study 4: Soccer cohesionStudy 4: Soccer cohesion

5 Olympic Boroughs deprived5 Olympic Boroughs deprived

Parental choice results in schools Parental choice results in schools having single ethnic groupshaving single ethnic groups

Sport and pop music a unifierSport and pop music a unifier

The West Ham project brings The West Ham project brings younger kids together - supported younger kids together - supported by Jewish and Muslim Communitiesby Jewish and Muslim Communities

Supported by local club, Canary Supported by local club, Canary Wharf, community groups and the Wharf, community groups and the policepolice

Soccer Cohesion 2Soccer Cohesion 2

Southampton used Southampton used football as a way of football as a way of bringing youth bringing youth services, police, services, police, schools department, schools department, youth groups and 400 youth groups and 400 children togetherchildren together

This resulted in This resulted in identifying the problem identifying the problem and making changesand making changes

Community InitiativesCommunity Initiatives

Tensions often occurTensions often occur

In communities where there are good lines of In communities where there are good lines of communication conflict has been reduced quicklycommunication conflict has been reduced quickly

And when they don’t they violence can be And when they don’t they violence can be extreme or last for months, years and even extreme or last for months, years and even decades...decades...

Jewish-Muslim ForumJewish-Muslim Forum

East London: Tensions in area East London: Tensions in area with large Hasidic Jewish and with large Hasidic Jewish and Indian Muslim population Indian Muslim population following on from the Middle following on from the Middle East conflictEast conflict

Establish forum which has a Establish forum which has a mechanism for dealing with mechanism for dealing with conflictconflict

Group has evolved and is Group has evolved and is planning Muslim-Jewish planning Muslim-Jewish housing projects togetherhousing projects together

United London StandsUnited London StandsGaza Conflict: Record Gaza Conflict: Record number of attacks on Jews number of attacks on Jews in Londonin London

Starts from grassroots - 7 Starts from grassroots - 7 faiths, politicians and other faiths, politicians and other communities support anti-communities support anti-race hate declarationrace hate declaration

Police give inputPolice give input

Jewish-Muslim forum for Jewish-Muslim forum for London and conflict London and conflict prevention launched in City prevention launched in City HallHall

Green Lanes ProjectGreen Lanes Project

4 Councils have set up a 4 Councils have set up a research project into social research project into social issues.issues.

They utilised 10 associations They utilised 10 associations to carry out the work. All were to carry out the work. All were either Kurdish or Turkish. The either Kurdish or Turkish. The association met to discuss association met to discuss their work through the project.their work through the project.

Better relations resulted in a Better relations resulted in a large reduction in recorded large reduction in recorded tensions between the two tensions between the two communities over three years.communities over three years.

Contingency PlanningContingency Planning

Preparing for the big onePreparing for the big one

Can you stop a single determined individual or set Can you stop a single determined individual or set of individuals carrying out act of violence?of individuals carrying out act of violence?

You can do scenario work and contingency You can do scenario work and contingency planning to have a plan of action when the big planning to have a plan of action when the big incident happensincident happens

7th July 20057th July 2005Creating a database of 1500 community Creating a database of 1500 community organisations helped to circulate information organisations helped to circulate information and acted as an observatory for police and and acted as an observatory for police and GovernmentGovernment

Statements by faith leaders had been part of Statements by faith leaders had been part of contingency plans months before to counter contingency plans months before to counter community tensions (see photo)community tensions (see photo)

Whilst acts of violence did occur as a backlash Whilst acts of violence did occur as a backlash to the bombings the work done beforehand to the bombings the work done beforehand nationally and locally did prevent violence and nationally and locally did prevent violence and gave communities reassurancegave communities reassurance

Helplines provided support for isolated Helplines provided support for isolated individualsindividuals

Far-right monitoredFar-right monitored

ConclusionConclusion

•RRespectespect

• IInteractionnteraction

•CCommunicationommunication

•EEqualityquality