Fortnight Publications Ltd.

Integrate and FacilitateAuthor(s): Deirdre RiceSource: Fortnight, No. 301, Supplement: Proceedings of a Conference Organised by theFortnight Educational Trust, Benburb, Co Armagh (Dec., 1991), pp. 7-8Published by: Fortnight Publications Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25553205 .

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side, it was feared that the small farmer would fade into extinction. However, on the positive

side, the way was now open for diversification

from, for example, farming to forestry. Also,

there was now the possibility that more funding would be freed from agriculture and made available for social development.

In the local context, the establishment of

the Rural Development Council was welcomed

and it was hoped it would assist in developing a rural community network. It was proposed that whilst developments outside the island

would suggest that agriculture should play a

lesser role, this should not be the case in our

environment. Alternatively, we should now

concentrate on producing wholesome food

for the home market as well as for export. To

succeed, all groups, big or small, must be

involved in the debating of policy and we

must overcome the problem of getting information from the providers to those in

need of advice.

Community development was defined as a

broad term which embraces community

action, service and work, with an emphasis towards the powerless and disadvantaged

within society. The essential element appeared to be the devolving of power to those who will

take action.

This willingness to take action was found

to vary between the rural and urban

community. In the former, few role models

exist upon which new groups can base

themselves or from which ideas can be

generated. Comments were also made as to

the lack of innovative/enterprising ideas in

the rural community. Generally, groups are

drawn from the local area servicing individuals

within the area. This servicing does not always

represent business enterprise but may take

the form of, for example, better transport facilities for the elderly. As a result of this

localised aspect, it may be difficult for the group to service both sections of the

community. Yet do we have the right to impose upon the group that their 'ticket must be

stamped anti-sectarian before they can get on

the community development train?'.

Perhaps what is needed is a better education

of the group's self-acceptance and identity.

Groups should not allow themselves to fall

into the trap of being all things to all people. There must also be a refinement of the

Community Development Review Group's definition to incorporate issues which affect

the rural community. In particular, the

economy of scale of resources must be borne

in mind as quite often, whilst groups may not

be innovative in an enterprise sense, they may be overcoming the scale of isolation for those

within deprived pockets, in otherwise

prosperous rural areas.

In terms of encouragement, training and

education a number of needs were highlighted. In the first instance, people may not even be

aware that they are deprived. A process of

idea generation needs to be put into action to

help identify feasible projects within a given area. The group must have an achievable goal and utilise systems which already exist such

as schools and the church. Practical help in

the form of how to prepare marketing and

business plans and 'how to speak the language ofthe funder', were among the greatest needs.

The major difficulty appeared to be that while many agencies do exist which provide the

above assistance, community groups are not

aware of their existence. Alongside this,

support agencies quite often tried to push the

group along at their pace rather than at the

group's pace.

Support groups must also be aware of the

difficulties in providing, for example, adult

education, in rural areas as opposed to urban

areas. Greater responsibility to be more

flexible in terms of justified numbers for courses, neutral venues, accessible venues,

transport facilities must be taken on board by

the providers. Ideally, JPl^BlP^k a community worker fl flr^Vtjfl, should be attached to fl fl ^^L^Hfl

with the groups and fl fl flfl/ai informing them of the fl

'"flBRK'l regional resources

'A|^^^bbmb1'I available in terms of ^^^^^5P^

'" education, training (//^mffd^M and funding. It was / / ' fl ? RURAIPERSPECTIVE8 BH

recently established Rural Development Council could assist in resourcing training for

self-evaluation for community groups. One means of overcoming some of these

problems of isolation is through networking.

Although rural groups tend to want to develop their own patch it was agreed that they must

have a wider dimension to work within.

Working in isolation the group can achieve

little. Models of networking exist whereby

groups with similar needs but at different

levels can service each other.

Unfortunately, within the Northern Ireland

context, the problem with networking is in

overcoming sectarian divisions. Rural projects exist in deprived areas, both Catholic and

Protestant; however, for one to learn from the

other there may be a need to travel to areas

which might otherwise be 'out of bounds'.

This consciousness of the sectarian divide

has severe consequences for the future of

community relations. There must be a centre

established where 'both traditions' can avail of

the services without feeling uneasy. Importance must be attached to ensuring that the correct

leadership, with no personal affiliation to one

group or the other, is in place. In addition to

this, equality of support must be given to both

traditions.

Report compiled by AILISH LAVERTY, Irish World, Dungannon

Integrate

and facilitate

DEIRDRE RICE appeals for a new approach

to rural regeneration

WITHIN THE PAST DECADE, we have witnessed a wide range of initiatives concerned

with local economic regeneration in Northern

Ireland. Funding for these initiatives has come

from a variety of sources (DED, DOE, trust

funds) and since Northern Ireland has, up until

now, been awarded category I status from the

EEC, it has received significant financial

support from the International Fund for Ireland and the European Social Fund.

It is quite evident that Northern Ireland

does indeed suffer acute economic

deprivation. Unemployment has now reached

99,000 (May, 1991) and doubtless we will see this figure rise as industry in the province,

especially heavy engineering, continues to

suffer ongoing setbacks. Alongside the

economic problems which the province

experiences, there are also the problems of

national identity and sectarianism. The

political situation has highlighted Northern Ireland as an economic blackspot and has

deepened major cultural divisions both within

and between communities, especially working class communities. There IS also the myriad of

social problems which accompany any

community, in any society, at any point in

time.

Within this framework it is extremely important that issues which are relevant to the

province are not isolated and analysed as

distinct entities, unrelated to each other. The

political situation affects the economic

situation which in turn gives rise to a whole

range of social and cultural complexities. The

problems contained within the province are

of an integrated nature, and consequently

require an integrated problem-solving approach. Therefore, it is necessary for a whole

range of organisations, both statutory and non

statutory, to realise their involvement in this

respect. In short, Northern Ireland urgently requires development programmes which

integrate innovative learning into social,

political, cultural and economic dimensions.

There is strong evidence to support the

idea that huge amounts of funding towards an

area will not work unless ample consideration

is given to the infrastructure and the many

complex issues which underlie its problematic situation. This consideration can be better achieved by involving the community itself in the establishment and the management of

7

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^BBHBflMfc, a given project. Such

I jf^^^^M a Process squires the

I 9 H development

((Wti\^fuU\ from establishing a

/ j I fl project, to

participation, to promoting economic

regeneration is, to say the least tenuous, even

critical. To facilitate this transition, an

integrated approach becomes all the more

important. The roles of education and training must play a major part in this process.

With the current level of unemployment in Northern Ireland, it has become imperative to arrive at a realistic approach to this

increasing problem. The introduction of

education and training as a method of tackling the problem of unemployment is not without

many accompanying difficulties. It is well

known that the long-term unemployed prefer

jobs to education or training, and the problems ofthe long-term unemployed cannot be solved

through education alone. Accordingly, there

must be a positive motivation to bring the

unemployed back into the labour market to

acquire new and improved skills.

It is possible to identify any number of

labour market training programmes which

are not designed to cope with the special needs ofthe long term unemployed. Many are

orientated towards quick results and gives educational priority to effectiveness rather

than establishing social networks. A

development programme should attempt to

provide the social network from which a

training and development officer can integrate

aspects of community education, development and regeneration. What is needed is a whole

new approach to the concept of learning.

Training and formal education in well

established institutions might not be the answer. Informal learning, life experiences and social activities must be integrated in a

learning environment where priorities are

given to social interaction and establishing the social network which can give confidence

to the participants and where they can support each other.

A training and development officer, in

light of these needs, must encourage as wide

a participation as possible within the

community. Without targeting a particular

group in the first instance, it would seem

necessary to implement programmes which

concentrate on fairly uncontentious but

relevant issues before progressing to more

focused, task-orientated work. Any

development project should involve the

mobilisation of human resources. The element

of education and training should be centred

upon the concept of continuous self-learning.

Any development project should concentrate

on being a project wherein education and

training is geared to, or relevant to, the overall

development of the community and which

integrates innovative learning into social,

cultural and economic progress. A physical base is a natural location, both

for the mobilisation of human resources, and

for the integrated approach towards education

fl|^^^^^^^^^^^^B^B|^^^^^^^^i^,^,v..,JJ::^ssi^.ioLm ^"-^^^H wm; '^^^^^^^Wi^mm, -

.^^^^^Pfl

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uC' "^]m%>f%*, ' ^l^3j^^^^^BM?telil2Bfl

^flifeWl^^^^^^^^^^^^tek. "

.,,' ^^9^BBHH^ ^^l^^b^hbsb^b^b^b^b^b^b^b^b^bh

Integrating the issues, maximising the chances

and training, as already outlined. Through

programmes of community-based learning, an

enterprise and development centre can provide the easier point of access to training and

employment which people need.

Using an integrated approach will widen the participation within the community. This

will ensure that a project will not rely on key

figures which has traditionally been the case.

The prominent, well-established and more

vocal members of the community have often

been the focus for training, responsibility and

leadership. By including education and

training into an economic regeneration

process, which should be broadly-based and

interdisciplinary, local people will be

encouraged to think and participate in the

establishment of community businesses and

co-operatives. The role of education and

training will also address the needs and

increase the efficiency of existing community workers and will widen the remit of their

work to incorporate the areas of community business and economic development.

However, this does not mean that training should not be provided for people to take

advantage of existing jobs. A physical base for co-ordinating and

integrating the above would also facilitate the

transition through the following aims more

effectively: education and training to

encourage participation within the

community; an increase in the efficiency of

present community workers; the introduction

of the concept of community business and

economic development and how it relates to

the remit of community workers; the supply of training for the management of community

business; the provision of training in order to

take advantage of existing jobs; the provision of training for jobs which may occur through the establishment of community business.

Throughout Europe, most governments have increased their funding of education and

training, especially that related to the labour

market. Experiences over the last 10 years,

however, demonstrate that this particular

political response to the problems of both

unemployment and long-term unemployment, does not have the planned effects. It is

increasingly apparent that policies and

strategies which deal separately with a whole

range of inter-related issues are carving out a

wholly unbalanced provision. Consequently, sectors become isolated from each other on the

very issues which should, in fact, be motivating them to work together.

In this respect, integrating a whole range of relevant issues?from job skills training to

health care?in the form of education and

training, will maximise the chances of a wide

reaching community participation.

Furthermore, once engaged in some form

of education and training, whether it be training for the establishment of a co-operative or a

community business, or learning about the

environment, or personal development

programmes, there is a real possibility that the

project will become more cohesive and that the

individuals participation be long enough for

them to become more effective; certainly more

effective than those members of the community who simply dip in and out of a development

programme.

Integrating education and training in this

manner increases the opportunities for

participation which begins with stimulating a

basic interest in the project, right up to job creation through community businesses. An

integrated approach recognises that people don't all have a common purpose, any more

than a common interest.

Communities?just like societies?are

riven by contradictions, contrasts and conflicts,

which are the result of the unequal distribution

of power and resources. However, there is

evidence to show that once people are engaged in an educational process, no matter how

apparently uncontroversial the concern, they can more readily progress to task orientated

and even slightly threatening areas eg co

operative businesses.

Through integrating education and training on a series of levels, a development

programme is better equipped to deal with the

problems associated with a declining

economy. It is also better prepared to meet the

challenges in cultural, social and working life

coming from a new technology and the new

balance in the European market.

DEIRDRE RICE is north-eastern

tutor-organiser of the Workers'

Educational Association

8

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