Busy Going Nowhere?

19.10.2009

'A Shared Future' was a policy developed by the former 'Direct Rule' administration in Northern Ireland - which looked at the options of continuing division in Northern Ireland or working to create shared institutions and building understanding between the main traditions here.  The thinking was that not only is it financially costly to have separate schools, housing, facilities like leisure centres and so on - but also that continuing to organise our society this way, prevents us from moving away from the divisions that gave rise to conflict here in the first place. 

The 'Northern Ireland Office' even went so far as to study the costs of divisions in Northern Ireland - and the result was that we spend - or waste - £1.5 billion on separation every year in Northern Ireland - through the cost of separate schools system, protestant and catholic communities and separate facilities such as leisure centres that are used almost entirely by one community.

When the new Executive was established at the Northern Ireland Assembly in May 2007, this policy was effectively shelved - with the new Ministers saying that they would come up with an alternative policy.  More than two and a half years later - there is still no sign of an agreed policy emerging.

The Executive has repeateldy promised a new policy, and the working title for it is 'Cohesion, Sharing and Integration' - but apparently the Executive can't agree on its content.    Indeed Sinn Feín recently released its own draft of the policy during an arguement with the Democratic Unionists.

What do you think?  Is it important to have a long-term plan for creating a more shared society?  Would you like to see an integrated school system and more mixed communities?  Or maybe you feel that it is important to keep things separate to keep the peace?  Please tell us your thoughts in the forum.