Cultural diversity – who needs it? Community relations – you must be joking. Some people are opposed to mixing and most of us experience some fear, annoyance or hesitation when it comes to change or something different.
Meat and two veg, no beans with my fry, traditional routs, ‘no’ to bike and bus routes, who is sitting in my seat?, how come they don’t celebrate Christmas and what do you mean we’re not going to my mother’s for Christmas? ‘Speak English!’, she says in her Ullans/Ulster-Scots infused accent as he repeats the same thing in his broad Hiberno/Gaeilge lilt.
This issue of CultureHUB magazine is a special edition centred around Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week. The theme for 2015 is ‘One Place, Many People’, and the magazine is infused with the many and varied activities and events that feature in this, the thirteenth year of it. With over 170 events from which to choose throughout the North, the Province, Northern Ireland, Ulster, our wee country, we selected and connected with a number that resonated with us and integrate with our mission and ethos. In addition to many of our regular features and writers, we take a particular focus on some people and activities that contribute to CR week with an emphasis on creative expressions.
Our culture is in part made up of the accumulation of actions of the people who live here. The way we relate to ‘them’, the fact that we talk of the ‘two communities’ and ‘the other side’ betrays the underlying facets of our culture created by levels of fear, suspicion, lack of trust, hurt, ignorance nad misguided assumptions. Learning about ‘the other’ is a way to be better informed but probably is not the best way to improve community relations.
“In conflict, before we even hear what the other side has said, we assume we know what they mean. We have already attached motives to their messages. Often, even before they have finished, we are developing our response.” (John Paul Lederach).
Relationship is the key; there needs to be connection and people need to meet. Community Relations and Cultural Awareness Week is not going to make a huge difference this year or any other year, but it will remind us and in many ways show us what needs to be done, what works and, for a few people, it will open new ways of seeing ‘the other’ and may lead to further connections, even friendship.
In this way, it can and always make a huge difference in some people’s lives and therefore in some locality and hence in our society. Such a transformation opens up new possibilities, gives other permission to step out, inspires people to stand by their principles, to cross boundaries and to change the culture. This is the paradox of being limited (one week, certain places, sometimes the same people) but significant.
As far as we are aware, a week set aside to focus on community relations is unique in the world and it happens here. As much as some of us may not like to recognise it, the recent history of Northern Ireland is viewed by many, especially those not living here, as an inspiration, an achievement, even a beacon of hope for other societies struggling to emerge from violent conflict. Community Relations Week is another positive and healthy consequence that has resulted from the vision for something better in the face of an often ugly past.
We are proud to present this special community relations edition of CultureHUB and hope it too will contribute to together building a united community.
By Scott Boldt.
Originally published by CultureHUB, October 2015.