How can we create a more peacerful world?
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‘WorkCentres’ can help to build more cohesive communities, reduce radicalisation and extremism, and create a more peaceful world. This WorkCenntre initiative offers the potential to build a strategic network of new and active partnerships across key areas and uniting all those who are opposed to radicalism and extremism. It promotes a fresh and additional approach to building and sharing best practice, creating local successes and putting in place a growing and sustainable infrastructure for promoting peace and our shared values. The approach utilises the innovative and successful WorkCentre methodology which already addresses issues of exclusion, sectarianism, deprivation, hate crime and lack of opportunity. WorkCentres build stronger communities through an integrated bespoke facilitation process which empowers local individuals to build social capital and strengthen social cohesion - and so reduce the climate, context, environment and means for radicalisation and the development of extremism. WorkCentres are currently being operated across the UK and the Republic of Ireland in conjunction with Government Agencies, Local Authorities, Economic development partnerships, Businesses, Charities, Training bodies, Community Groups, Faith based organisations and Prisons. |
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Aims
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This WorkCentre programme will:
· Help to engage, support and promote mainstream voices especially within our faith communities and in civil society. · Build local partnerships at a community level which boost social capital, collective engagement and practical peace-building. · Engage those at risk and those with the potential to impact and support those at risk, in new partnership arrangements. · Actively work to build more cohesive communities through a process of dual responsibility, collaborative engagement and practical empowerment. · Boost opportunity and integration in isolated communities. · Promote our shared values of democracy, free speech, mutual respect and opportunity for all in a more peaceful world. Introduction to WorkCentres
WorkCentre programmes are engaging, positive and forward-looking. They are rooted in individual needs and local community priorities. They offer tangible individual and group benefits. The environment is challenging yet enjoyable. WorkCentres provide individuals with the tools and techniques that enable them to create a better life for themselves and their families within safe and supportive communities. The methodology for WorkCentres is based on Des McCabe’s book ‘Work It Out!’ (Hay House, 2011). From this a new model of empowerment was created - made up of participants working collaboratively, sharing ideas and encouraging each other in order to tackle local challenges, generate opportunities, build projects and develop ‘workpieces’. The WorkCentre approach is currently being used by Community Organisations (to support employment, income generation and inclusion initiatives, by Local Authorities (to support innovation and staff development), by Charities (assisting Young Adult Carers), by Religious Traditions (exploring new models of Community Empowerment) and internationally to support local Peace Building initiatives. The process will include learning on Faith Based Community Development, Practical Peace Skills for All, Working with Religious Diversity, Dual Responsibility (incorporating the Golden Rule and the Ethic of Reciprocity), Local Peace Building and Proactive Nonviolence. |
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The 5 Priority Sectors for WorkCentre (Anti Radicalisation and Counter Extremism pilots)
These priority sectors emerge from a range a documents including the Government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy as well as Diversiton’s practical experience in delivering WorkCentre initiatives across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
1. Programmes for Schools
OFSTED and the Department for Education have identified unacceptable practices in relation to intolerance, inequality and intimidation within some schools.
2. Programmes for Colleges and Universities
The government is aware that some students are and have been influenced by extremist ideologies and that some universities have been the focus of attention by extremist speakers.
3. Programmes for Religious Traditions
Faith Based Community Development can help to build meaningful, strong and sustainable communities - providing an inclusive approach where we look after and help each other irrespective of who they are.
4. Programmes for Communities
The pilot will actively seek to support Local Authorities, Community Groups and Charities most at risk from radicalisation and extremism.
5. Programmes for Prisoners (returning citizens)
WorkCentre programmes will ensure that individuals are encouraged to work towards creating an alternative or better future. This involves skilled facilitation to enable them to look beyond the current (political prisoner or extremist) mind-set.
1. Programmes for Schools
OFSTED and the Department for Education have identified unacceptable practices in relation to intolerance, inequality and intimidation within some schools.
2. Programmes for Colleges and Universities
The government is aware that some students are and have been influenced by extremist ideologies and that some universities have been the focus of attention by extremist speakers.
3. Programmes for Religious Traditions
Faith Based Community Development can help to build meaningful, strong and sustainable communities - providing an inclusive approach where we look after and help each other irrespective of who they are.
4. Programmes for Communities
The pilot will actively seek to support Local Authorities, Community Groups and Charities most at risk from radicalisation and extremism.
5. Programmes for Prisoners (returning citizens)
WorkCentre programmes will ensure that individuals are encouraged to work towards creating an alternative or better future. This involves skilled facilitation to enable them to look beyond the current (political prisoner or extremist) mind-set.
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Impact, Outputs and Evaluation
This is a bottom-up needs driven process and rooted in each local ‘community’.
a) Each WorkCentre programme will facilitate (through local ownership) the development of a series of personal and group responses in order to build more cohesive and successful communities.
b) A wide range of individual, group and community outputs will be realised (and documented) from each WorkCentre which will impact directly upon radicalisation and extremism.
c) Sustainability and growth of the initiative locally beyond the pilot phase will be a key outcome. This is about promoting active and responsible citizenship, building collective effectiveness and boosting social capital.
a) Each WorkCentre programme will facilitate (through local ownership) the development of a series of personal and group responses in order to build more cohesive and successful communities.
b) A wide range of individual, group and community outputs will be realised (and documented) from each WorkCentre which will impact directly upon radicalisation and extremism.
c) Sustainability and growth of the initiative locally beyond the pilot phase will be a key outcome. This is about promoting active and responsible citizenship, building collective effectiveness and boosting social capital.
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