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Community Cohesion

The concept of community cohesion emerged after the disturbances in several English towns and cities in 2001. Originally a framework for thinking on race, faith and diversity, it is now commonly used in a wider context to deal with a range of issues, where real or perceived differences cause friction or discord between different sectors of the community.

The recently published report entitled Our Shared Future from the Commission on Integration and Cohesion defines an integrated and cohesive community as one where:

• There is a clearly defined and widely shared sense of the contribution of different individuals and different communities to a future vision for a neighbourhood, city, region or country
• There is a strong sense of an individual's rights and responsibilities when living in a particular place - people know what everyone expects of them, and what they can expect in turn
• Those from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities, access to services and treatment
• There is a strong sense of trust in institutions locally to act fairly in arbitrating between different interests and for their role and justifications to be subject to public scrutiny
• There is a strong recognition of the contribution of both those who have newly arrived and those who already have deep attachments to a particular place, with a focus on what they have in common
• There are strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in schools and other institutions within neighbourhoods.

In March 2007 CSAS held a conference entitled 'Community Cohesion in Your Local Neighbourhood' which drew together a range of practitioners from the voluntary and statutory sectors.

View further details of the conference and download the full conference report here.

Below are some links to information and organisations that can help you in your work around community cohesion.

Links

• Department for Communities and Local Government
  Government department with responsibility for the cohesion agenda
  www.communities.gov.uk
  
  
• Commission On Integration and Cohesion
  The Commission published the Our Shared Future report into cohesion in Britain in 2007.
  www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk

Downloads

• Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
  The Government's Strategy to increase race equality and community cohesion
  www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/
  
  
• Cohesion in the Capital
  Government Office for London Report from 2005
  www.gos.gov.uk/
  
  
• Eastern European Immigration and Community Cohesion
  Report from the Joseph rowntree Foundation examining how recent immigration from five Eastern European counties has impacted on community cohesion in London and Brighton
  www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/
  
  
• Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS - A Practitioner's Toolkit
  A useful guide for all those working on community cohesion
  www.communities.gov.uk/publications/