Research Email Briefing 47

Research Events

The NCVO and VSSN Research Conference

Recent Research

Punishing Disorder: Sentencing of Public Order Offences in Northern Ireland

Working at the Interface: Good Practice in Reducing Tension and Violence

Changing Patterns and Future Planning: Migration and Northern Ireland

Publish your own research online

Would you like to make your research more accessible? Have you got a research publication to plug or some research news to share? Now is the time to publish your research online. Publish it on www.communityni.org free of charge.

Research Events

The NCVO and VSSN Research Conference

Every year, in August or September, NCVO and VSSN (Voluntary Sector Studies Network) hold their Researching the Voluntary Sector conference. Not only is the two-day event a great opportunity to meet others with an interest in voluntary sector research, it is also a forum for discussing a whole range of voluntary sector themes, including philanthropy and giving, public service delivery, civil renewal, active citizenship, public policy, ICT, funding and infrastructure. Delegates have the opportunity to share their thoughts about methodologies, work in progress and the need for further research.

The conference takes place over two days, and is held at a university, with overnight accommodation arranged. Recent venues have included the University of Warwick, Sheffield Hallam and Birmingham University. The first day begins with an opening plenary session addressing current issues facing researchers in the voluntary sector. This is followed by a series of seminars, with four or five running in parallel throughout the day, where delegates who have submitted a paper or an idea for a session can present their research in front of a small, informal audience.

On the evening of the first day, delegates are invited to a prize giving dinner, during which the author of the best paper is awarded a cheque for £500. Day-two includes more parallel sessions and finishes with a plenary.

The conference also includes a special session for 'new' researchers. This session is run in conjunction with our colleagues at the Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR). The session is aimed at those relatively new to the field of voluntary sector research, and is an opportunity to meet other new researchers, discuss research and share ideas.

The next conference will be held on 13-14 September 2006, also at the University of Warwick.We are now accepting bookings online. If you would like us tosend youa booking form, then please email us.

If you would like to learn more about VSSN (Voluntary Sector Studies Network) please visit their website or send them an email.

Booking a place: Book by 16th June to take advantage of an early bird discount!

To book a place online follow this link:

http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/events/latest/index.asp?id=2706

Or, email us (research@ncvo-vol.org.uk) and we'll send you a booking form which you can print out, fill in and send back to us in the post or by fax.

Recent Research

Punishing Disorder Sentencing of Public Order Offences in Northern Ireland

Through the spring and summer of 2005 there were numerous outbreaks of public disorder in Northern Ireland, including:

·clashes between supporters of Glentoran and Linfield football supporters at the Oval football ground in April,

·clashes between Loyalists and Nationalists in North Belfast following the final games of the Scottish football season in May,

·an attack on marchers and supporters at a Tour of the North parade in June,

·attacks on the police by Nationalist youths at the Ardoyneon the Twelfth of July,

·attacks by Loyalists on the police following searches of the Shankill area in August and severe rioting in West Belfast following the re-routed Whiterock Orange Order parade in September.

On each of these occasions the press reported the violence, but also acknowledged any cases where people were arrested and charged with public order offences. The media also frequently reported subsequent appearances in court by those charged in the days following the disorder. However, in general such reports only notes that an individual had been charged with a particular offence and, depending on the seriousness of the charge, is due to appear incourt, is bailed to appear at a later date or is remanded in custody for a subsequent court appearance. Only rarely do the media report on the eventual outcomes of such cases. In fact attention is rarely paid to the sentences that are handed down by the courts for those convicted of public order offences.

This is in stark contrast to the attention that was paid to the sentences handed down to those convicted of involvement in the disturbances in Bradford in July 2001, when the courts appear to have been determined to express their condemnation of the violence and set a standard for punishing involvement in similar outbreaks of disorder in England and Wales. The level of the sentences had two significant responses. In Bradford members of the families of those convicted launched the ‘Fair Justice for All’ campaign in protest at what they perceived to be the harsh sentences given to their sons and husbands (Allen 2003; Carling et al 2004). Second, in September 2002 John Reid, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced he would be reviewing the public order law because of the considerably shorter sentences that were being handed down to rioters in Northern Ireland compared with those given to those in Bradford (BBC News Online 16.9.2002).

This paper considers a neglected area of public order management, the sentencing of those convicted of serious public order offences and offers some suggestions as to why sentencing levels for such offences are substantially lower in Northern Ireland than they are in England and Wales. The paper is in four sections. The first provides some background on public disorder in Northern Ireland and on legal frameworks for prosecuting offenders. The second section analyses the levels of sentences handed down to people convicted of serious public order offences in Northern Ireland between 1995 and 2003. The third section offers a comparative element by reviewing the sentences imposed on people convicted of involvement in two recent outbreaks of serious public disorder in England and Wales, the disturbances in Bradford in July 2001 and in Wrexham in June 2003, and compares them with the prosecutions for disorder at Drumcree in July 2002 and in North Belfast between 2002 and 2003. The final section of the paper addresses some issues related to the different responses by the courts in England and Wales and those in Northern Ireland.

For further information contact:

Neil Jarman

Institute for Conflict Research

2 Duncairn Gardens

Belfast BT15 2GG

028 9074 2682

028 9035 6654

info@conflictresearch.org.uk

www.conflictresearch.org.uk

Working at the Interface: Good Practice in Reducing Tension and Violence

Violence and disorder have been recurrent problems in many interface areas of Belfast for many years, but these problems have also led to the development of a range of responses by people living and working near interfaces. This brief document highlights some of the current best practice and key learnings of interface workers about how they can respond to violence and reduce future disorder.

The report highlights the importance of a small number of events (such as parades, football matches, Halloween), activities (drinking alcohol, flying flags) and categories of person (young people, outsiders) as key triggers that raise tensions and spark violence in interface areas. It also outlines the growing awareness of links between disorder in interface areas and anti-social behaviour more generally.

Many interface workers identified the importance of ‘fire-fighting activities’, forms of intervention that are designed to stop or reduce interface violence. The report highlights a variety of other types of activities that have been developed by interface workers, these include:

• preparatory activities, such as sharing information;
• diversionary work, with young people;
• preventative work, including environmental and regeneration activities;
• relationship building activities among neighbouring communities; and
• strategic planning work among local networks to develop longer term responses to reduce tensions.

Much of this work has been based on a growing number of cross-community networks in many areas of Belfast. Interface work involves a variety of street level activities, such as monitoring potential flashpoints, recording incidents, reducing tensions and maintaining contact withneighbouringcommunities through the many mobile phone networks. Although the focus on interface tensions often occurs during the summer months, problems can arise throughout the year.

Increasingly, however, interface work involves working in a variety of single identity and cross community networks, which enable interface workers to build and develop relationships with similar workers from other communities. Many people highlighted the importance of such relationships in helping to develop trust and confidence among workers, in building an understanding of each other’s issues, enabling people to share information and to develop local strategic plans.

It was also noted that interface work can often be dangerous, unrewarding, time consuming and stressful. People acknowledged the importance of maintaining support and understanding within their own communities as a necessary factor in successful interface intervention.

They also noted that sometimes the levels of tension and pressures meant that cross community contacts had to be scaled down at least in the short term. Interface workers noted the importance of building connections and relationships with other sectors and highlighted the important role of the statutory sector and the private business sector. They also noted the problems that can be exacerbated at times by some politicians and by the media and the ongoing problems of securing funding to develop and expand interface work.

The final section looks at some of the new areas of activity being developed, at the role of interface workers in developing local strategic plans, at the potential for engaging young people as a positive force in interface work, the opportunities for engaging in environmental activities, and regeneration work to improve the quality of the physical aspect of interface areas.

The report thus provides a brief overview of the scale and variety of activities developed in response to interface violence in Belfast in recent years, confirming the value and importance of such work in reducing tensions, preventing conflict and improving inter-communal relationships.

For further information please contact:

Neil Jarman

Institute for Conflict Research

2 Duncairn Gardens

Belfast BT15 2GG

028 9074 2682

028 9035 6654

info@conflictresearch.org.uk

www.conflictresearch.org.uk

Changing Patterns and Future Planning Migration and Northern Ireland

In June 2004 the Institute for Conflict Research published a report entitled Migrant Workers in Northern Ireland, the result of a research study commissioned for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Since that time there has been greater awareness about the growing numbers of migrant workers coming to Northern Ireland, of the changing dynamics of patterns of migration, of the local demand that is attracting migrants and of the need to improve information, advice, support and services for people moving to Northern Ireland to take up employment.

In recent years the patterns of migration to Northern Ireland by non-British or Irish nationals has changed considerably. Since 2001 a substantial number of Portuguese nationals have taken up employment, primarily in the food processing industry, many hospital trusts have been recruiting nursing staff from South Asia and the Philippines and many sectors have increasingly turned abroad to fill vacancies. More recently, large numbers of nationals from the eight East European states that joined the European Union in May 2004 have moved to Britain and Ireland to take up employment.

Much of the focus of attention towards these new migrants has been in responding to issues of harassment and discrimination, improving the quality of information, advice and services to migrants and raising awareness of many of these issues among employers and statutory agencies. Prominent in this work have been NGOs such as STEP, strategic projects such as Animate, statutory bodies such as the Equality Commission, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and local networks in places such as Ballymena, Banbridge and Craigavon. A number of hospital trusts and some private businesses have also been developing innovative practices.

The processes of migration to Northern Ireland, of recruitment of migrants by employers in Northern Ireland and the provisions of services and resources to migrants are currently in a state of flux. The recently published Racial Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland (OFMDFM 2005) noted in this regard:

The speed and extent of the increase in the numbers of migrant workers in Northern Ireland – and the sheer diversity of people involved – pose complex challenges for Government and society alike (paragraph 3.15)

While this is undoubtedly true it is also evident that considerable work needs to be done in integrating issues related to immigration and migrant workers into strategic planning and policy. The changing patterns of recruitment and immigration have made much of the information in the previous report out of date. This brief review therefore aims to provide an update on some key issues related to the process of immigration into Northern Ireland and to the migrant worker population. It is not a comprehensive review nor is it based on primary research, rather it aims to draw together some fragments of data and information that has been published by other organisations and agencies to highlight some emergent trends and issues worthy of greater consideration or analysis. The intention is to identify some of the changing patterns, to identify some recent initiatives by Government and NGOs and to highlight areas where there is a need to focus more attention. In particular I would argue that to date much of the attention has focused on migrants as members of ethnic and/or national minorities and has considered issues of service provision, information and support. However, whilst this work is important and undoubtedly needs to continue there is also a need to give greater consideration to the economic factors underpinning current migration and to integrate thinking about immigration into a wider process of economic strategy and planning.

The report looks at

• Migrant Populations
• National Insurance Numbers
• A8 Worker Registration Scheme
• UK Comparisons on A8 Migrants
• Areas of Employment
• Undocumented Workers
• Legislative Control
• Policy Development

In Conclusion

Migration patterns to Northern Ireland have changed considerably over recent years and this is leading to significant changes both to the size and the ethnic/national background of the overall minority population. The currently available evidence suggests that the patterns of migration are distinctive in relation to the UK as a whole, with larger numbers of Eastern European migrants moving to Northern Ireland and a larger than expected numbers of migrants in the manufacturing, food processing and construction sectors.

The current focus of attention has been on issues of discrimination, service provision, information and advice for migrants. There has been little overall policy development to address the prominence of migration as a factor in the current and future economic development of Northern Ireland, while most current responses and initiatives appear to be being developed in isolation and with no sense of a coherent or joined up approach. This is an issue that will need to be addressed if migration is to continue to be an opportunity for Northern Ireland rather than a problem.

For further information please contact:

Neil Jarman

Institute for Conflict Research

2 Duncairn Gardens

Belfast BT15 2GG

028 9074 2682

028 9035 6654

info@conflictresearch.org.uk

www.conflictresearch.org.uk

Publish your own research

Would you like to make research more accessible? Have you got a research publication to plug or some research news to share? Now is the time to publish your research online. Publish it on Community NI, free of charge. Follow the simple online form at:

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm

What is Community NI?

Community NI has been developed by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) to promote the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. The website was officially launched in April 2005.

Publish your information

The principle behind the site is that every voluntary and community organisation will be signposted and will have the opportunity to publish information, whether that be a newsletter, press release, job advertisement or event. Community NI aims to be the first central online source of information about the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. It gives voluntary and community organisations the chance to promote themselves on the internet and to share their resources and expertise.

Thanks to everyone who sent information that has been included in NICVA Research Update 47. Please remember to send information about research that you have undertaken and requests for information that you would like included in the next update. Also remember to let others know about NICVA Research Updates. To register send an email entitled ‘NICVA Research Updates’ to andrea.burke@nicva.org

Andrea Burke

Research Assistant

NICVA

61 Duncairn Gardens

BELFAST BT15 2GB

028 9087 7777

028 9087 7799

andrea.burke@nicva.org

www.nicva.org andwww.communityni.org