Equality now
A seminar on equality called in response to the British
government white paper ``Partnership for Equality'' was held in the
Fall Community Council on 4 June.
The joint seminar by the FCC and the West Belfast Economic Forum
was hosted by Ciaran Kearney and Dara O'Hagan with Caitriona
Ruane as the guest speaker. It was attended by community and
social activists from all over the area.
Dara O'Hagan spoke specifically on the elements of the white
paper itself.
She began by pointing out that the Good Friday document in many
ways superseded the white paper and mentioned the meagre positive
aspects within it.
There is to be a review of IDB policy to focus its resources more
effectively, recruitment of the unemployed is to be encouraged
and the paper acknowledges the socio-economic disparity suffered
by the Catholic community.
Against these measures O'Hagan reminded the audience that after
22 years of equality legislation by the British the disparity
between the Catholic and Protestant communities remained
relatively unchanged; Catholics are still twice as likely to be
unemployed than Protestants.
The biggest disparity being among the young which she described
as ``a scandal'' and that ``discrimination is due to the sectarian
nature of the state not lack of ability or large families. We
need to keep pointing this out.'' She condemned the consultation
process for the white paper as inadequate ``only seven paragraphs
out of the 49 pages are open to comment. This shows that
decisions have already been taken'' and that the ``consultation
process is just a cosmetic exercise.''
In announcing this as the first in a series of seminars to raise
awareness of the equality agenda Kearney said that it had been
marginalised to some extent to the domain of the `expert' ``even
though it was ordinary people who had raised the issue thirty
years ago'' with the civil rights movement.
Caitriona Ruane spoke on the broader topic of equality, citing
Sinn Fein as being the most progressive party, ``in terms of women
rights''. But reminded everyone that much work had still to be
done in ``challenging ourselves'' in areas like Gay rights and
equality for the ethnic and disabled communities. She also
praised the work already done in the cultural field saying we
have a ``good language and cultural lobby here.''
She went on to speak of the huge opportunities which now exist to
challenge the institutions of the state but warn of those within
the system, particularly the civil service, who would resist
change. Especially those who had shifted from overt
discriminatory policies to most insidious methods. However, she
did acknowledge that there were those civil servants within the
system who would `scapegoat' their colleagues in other
departments to avoid criticism themselves. And that there were
also those who were afraid of those fighting for equality ``they
are afraid of our strength and of our anger. They know we've been
discriminated against in the past.''
In highlighting the equality agenda Ms Ruane affirmed that
certain principles of policy had to be adhered to; which issues
are negotiable and which are not, who our allies are both within
the system and outside it, and grasping our opportunities when
they present themselves.
O'Hagan pointed up the British government's lack of real
commitment to equality by the fact that out of the 160
recommendations made by The Standard Advisory Commission on Human
Rights , who were asked by the government to conduct a two year
review of the current legislation, only a handful were accepted
in the paper. The paper also dismisses the call for legislation
in a number of areas with the excuses that it may put an
``excessive burden on employers'', that employers should still be
allowed to subvert the equality agenda using the excuse of
`security' considerations and that the target for resolving the
inequality in the North is the year 2011. Some thirty five years
after the first fair employment bill.
The Department of Economic Development are praised in the paper
despite the fact that its Targeting Social Need policy has failed
to meet its own targets.
O'Hagan stressed the need for the whole community to come
together to campaign against this process which is ``fundamentally
flawed. We need legislation which is owned by us.'' And added that
it is the Nationalist community who are the ``real experts'' on
discrimination as it is we who have suffered it first hand.
In a related development Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams,
speaking at the West Belfast Economic Regeneration conference
organised by Ordus on Monday, June 1, said, ``The people of West
Belfast, whether loyalist, or republican, or those of no
politics, have had to deal with a set of very special problems.
We have one of the highest levels of unemployment in the north,
we have the highest levels of youth unemployment, we have
exceptional levels of poor health and disability, we have the
highest infant mortality rate, and we have levels of poverty and
deprivation unmatched anywhere else.''
He went on to call for real investment in the area but not of the
type seen recently were $5 million was spent building a new crown
forces barracks on the Springfield road. He also emphasised the
need for the 26 counties government to work closely with the
party to ensure that the Good Friday document delivered an
economic strategy on an all Ireland basis which would have clear
objectives and time-frames. He added that ``The Good Friday
document is a beginning. It has great potential if we can harness
the energy, imagination, creativity of the people this area, as
well as the international goodwill which exists.''
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