Transforming Divided Societies into Welcoming Communities
Dr Drew Mikhael outlines the 'Welcoming Communities' project on ways to include 'newcomers' in post-conflict societies such as Northern Ireland.
The inclusion of newcomers in societies in ‘normal times’ is challenging. This is even more so in those that are deeply divided. In Northern Ireland, the economic challenges that are expected to follow the COVID crisis are likely to worsen exclusion in the short term, at the very least; inhibiting the ability of newcomers to participate in NI society, and potentially worsening relations between newcomers and the established communities. Previous research, particular the QUB-based Exclusion Amid Inclusion (EAI) project, identified areas of marginalisation that we now seek to address.
In the “Welcoming Communities” project we seek to assess whether equality can be achieved through enhancement of the participation of newcomers in the economy, in society and the political arena. This may in turn address the lost opportunities for NI, as newcomer participation will help create a more plural society by acting as a potential bridge between the divided ethnic groups to promote non-sectarian political interactions.
Our past research identified that state subsidies/ grants/ vouchers help amortise the lack of economic participation of newcomers in the short and medium term, but they do not help newcomers identify sustainable pathways to integration. Furthermore, the lack of effective longer-term inclusion maintains the limitations to opportunities for societal participation, which particularly impacts more vulnerable newcomers. These intersecting on ethnic bases, including:
- Economic opportunities for asylum seekers are limited compared to newcomers from the EU;
- Opportunities for accessing further and higher education are particularly constrained for individuals of migrant background;
- Women are the most severely affected by a lack of social mobility and have often been pushed into unwaged labour to provide family care/ support and home education.
To read more about this, and related, projects, please visit the site of the Centre for The Study of Ethnic Conflict here.