Together: News on Community Relations from Fr Tony

A few weeks ago, when we were remembering the terrible events of 7^th July 2005, news came of the death of a British Muslim soldier in Afghanistan. We heard that he had signed up to help build bridges between “east and west”. It’s time for us all to be ambassadors of goodwill, but on our own doorsteps and in our own communities. No longer can the promotion of community relations be a special interest for people who think it’s important. As in the second world war people had to lookout for enemy infiltration and report unusual behaviour, so today we all need to be playing our part to identify and stop extremism and look out for the wellbeing of other people around us, as neighbours next door, out in the street, at the shops, on the bus or on the road.

 

Last month two formative events took place in Dudley. The Community Partnership drew together a multi-ethnic and multi-faith group in consultation. The purpose was to strengthen cooperation and cohesion  by people listening to and learning from one another. To create a positive social environment over a year on from the London bombings, no group should feel under siege or at a disadvantage. For the aim of “building a fair and tolerant borough” to succeed, everyone is needed. The second occasion saw the beginning of the transformation of the Dudley Race Equality Council into the new Centre for Equality and Diversity. The launch of the new body will promote a similar range of concerns and actions to the organisation which began in 1974 as the Community Relations Council.

 

What’s new is that the Centre for Equality and Diversity will address six strands of social engagement together : gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and religion, as well as race. The Community Relations work can be seen as a forerunner for this wider role and with many examples of good practice to encourage people’s well-being and involvement. The role of the Church at that formative time was recognised, especially that of Bishops Tony Dumper and Rupert Hoare. Now we can all support and encourage the firm intention that fairness and tolerance be at the heart of our community life;  these values being enjoyed by everyone because we all work at achieving them together. Time may show these two events to be as important as the moves  taken in the 60’s and 70’s to overcome the unpleasant misunderstanding and antagonism on Dudley’s streets, now two generations back. People working together will safeguard and protect 40 years of community building from today’s extremists, whether they are groups operating at the level of international conflict or other elements closer to home and in different parts of our locality. People can tackle extremism together.