Northern Ireland spent millions on government-funded intergroup contact initiatives
Evidence
Because the problem of segregation and its relevance for the Northern Ireland conflict has been recognized for quite some time, policies and methods to reduce the extent of segregation and to increase opportunities for intergroup contact have been introduced. The importance of these initiatives can be gauged by the fact that in 1995/96, government departments in Northern Ireland spent £5.3 million on improving community relations (Knox & Hughes, 1996). These funds went to a range of projects from “Cultural Traditions” workshops that focus on cultural awareness, to reconciliation groups, and groups set up in response to some particular act of political violence (Knox & Hughes, 1997). In addition, the educational authorities in Northern Ireland have funded peace education (see Dunn & Morgan, 1999) through projects encouraging contact between Catholic and Protestant schools, and more recently through the development of planned integrated schools. — Miles Hewstone and Ed Cairns and Alberto Voci and Juergen Hamberger and Ulrike Niens, Intergroup Contact, Forgiveness, and…, 17
Categorization
- ADDENDUM: Supports the ‘Grafting & Growth’ article’s theme of repair-based social infrastructure by documenting a state-run, contact-based reconciliation program with a concrete budget.