Tackling Sectarianism and its consequences in Scotland: comparisons with approaches to sectarianism in NI
Dr Duncan Morrow (Ulster) Sectarian divisions from both the politics of church and state and mass immigration from Ireland have left their mark on Scottish as well as Irish society. In 2012, the Scottish Government established an Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism to investigate the modern legacy of sectarianism and to advise the government on the steps which could be taken to make changes. Following consultation and extensive quantitative and qualitative research over two and a half years, the Advisory Group reported in 2015. The Group identified roles for government, local government and community leadership in making change. The presentation
Shared Education and collaboration between schools in a contested space setting
Dr Gavin Duffy and Prof Tony Gallagher (QUB) This presentation is based on a three-year study by Duffy and Gallagher (2014) from the Sharing Education Programme at the School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast. The study contextualised shared learning between pupils and collaboration between teachers and leaders within a shared education partnership, comprising of eight schools (5 primary and 3 post-primary), located in a contested space setting. The Foyle Contested Space Education Partnership was part of the first cohort of initiatives funded by the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMdFM) and Atlantic Philanthropies Interface/Contested Spaces Programme between
Dismantling the peace walls by 2023: “rational” or “irrational” policy thinking?
Dr Jonny Byrne, Prof Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Dr Duncan Morrow (Ulster) In May 2013, the Northern Ireland Executive published a new community relations strategy document, ‘Together: Building a United Community’, which set itself the ambitious target of removing ALL interface barriers (peace walls) by 2023. Peace walls and interface barriers designed to secure communities through physical separation have been a feature of the physical, political and psychological landscape of Northern Ireland since 1969. They have long been seen as symbols of division and polarisation with enormous social and economic impact at local, city and regional level. This presentation will draw