Young people want to break down community barriers, research finds
By Rebecca Black, PA
Young people in Northern Ireland want to break down community barriers but do not expect it to happen for them, according to new research.
The findings from think tank Pivotal suggest that young people believe greater integration is something that will happen “for future generations”.
It also indicates that investing in youth services that allow young people to mix regularly should be a focus for those seeking change, and be part of a new vision for what an integrated future, with the right leadership, could achieve.
Published today, Achieving greater integration in Northern Ireland: young people’s voices, is based on focus group conversations with young people from different parts of the region.
It follows on from a previous Pivotal paper published in March that examined segregation in both schools and housing, and the relationship between the two.
Both reports highlighted the extent of division still experienced in schools and communities, as well as the need for realism about what can be achieved when there are so many other competing priorities facing the Executive and communities themselves.
Overall, participants in this study believe that Northern Ireland’s segregated school system helps perpetuate division, with the mandatory teaching of religious education a particular concern for many of the young people.
However, while there was significant support for integrated education, this was not universal – and it was not seen as a cure all for current social division.
The young people also said that integration is about more than the traditional green/orange divide, and highlighted concern around bullying based on skin colour or cultural differences.
A significant number of the young people said they attend events on both St Patrick’s Day and the Twelfth of July although there were mixed feelings on how inclusive those days actually are.
Ann Watt, director of Pivotal, said the research shows that young people have a “keen sense of our divided society and how that has shaped their own experiences”.
“There is a clear consensus in favour of more integration and building understanding between different communities,” she said.
“This goes beyond the traditional sectarian divisions within local society, with young people very aware of the challenges facing ethnic minorities and newcomer families.
“However, there is a lack of confidence that significant changes will happen soon. The young people we spoke to feel that integration will ultimately be something for future generations.”
She said many of the findings echo the first report.
“This project highlights needs for leadership and a fresh vision of how a more integrated society could be achieved and what more integration, mixing and sharing of resources could offer socially, economically and culturally,” she said.
“In terms of schooling, while there was quite broad support for integrated education, this was not the young people’s top priority for change.
“Instead, they would like to see more investment in raising awareness of different cultures and religions, with a focus on learning together about the differences between communities.
“In the wider community, while many young people say they have taken part in cross-community events, including through schools, they were sceptical about whether these had any real legacy of change.
Instead, they feel that more regular, local opportunities for mixing are what really break down barriers – spending sustained time with people from a different background and building friendships.
“This suggests that greater investment in local youth services as well as the creation of more truly shared spaces – and, in the case of many rural areas, better public transport to access those spaces – could be the best way to make a difference right now.”
Pivotal’s report was based on conversations with 48 young people aged 15-25 years within five focus groups that took place between September and November 2024 in Belfast, Derry, Enniskillen and South Armagh.