Ongoing Good Relations and Reconciliation research
Ongoing Good Relations and Reconciliation Research
Flags and emblems
OFMDFM commissioned the Institute of Irish Studies in Queen’s University Belfast to conduct a census of the display of flags and other symbols in July and September 2006 and this was repeated in 2007 and 2008. Displays of flags, murals, graffiti, bunting, memorials and arches along the main arterial routes across Northern Ireland were noted during two separate time periods in each year in order to assess perseverance or discontinuity in symbol display. The information collected is very useful in terms of monitoring good relations policy and the ‘Joint Flags Protocol’. In addition to surveys in July and September, the 2008 research incorporated additional monitoring periods to cover the St Patrick’s commemorative period in March and the marching period around Easter time. The intention is to repeat these mapping exercises on an annual basis to support continued monitoring of territorial markers and report on the findings each year. In addition, an electronic database containing details of the flags and symbols displayed during the various survey periods will be maintained.
Contact: Carol Murphy on 02890523248 or carol.murphy@ofmdfmni.gov.uk
Good Relations Indicators
OFMDFM Research Branch has the responsibility of annually updating the ‘Good Relations Indicators’ and ensuring they are refined and developed on an ongoing basis. The indicators illustrate the state of good relations and facilitate monitoring over time. They were developed under a set of high level priority outcomes and offer a means to measure the progress being made towards achieving each of these outcomes. At present, the indicators rely on data that are currently available and are measured using a range of qualitative and quantitative data sources. The indicators cover a wide range of aspects of community/race relations including numbers of hate crimes; attitudinal data on Protestant/Catholic relations; parades statistics and levels of prejudice towards ethnic minorities.
Contact: Carol Murphy on 02890523248 or carol.murphy@ofmdfmni.gov.uk
Database of research relating to children in Northern Ireland
The Children’s Research Database contains concise and lay-friendly summaries of research on all aspects of children’s lives in Northern Ireland and is a result of a collaborative project between CCRF (Childcare Research Forum) and the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
The purpose of the database is to provide a central point for the collation of all research on children and young people in NI. The database is intended to be a dissemination mechanism for those conducting research and a source of information for those wishing to access research. Through the establishment of the database we also aim to prevent potential duplication in future research in this area. The framework for the research database is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. (UNCRC).
The database was launched in October 2005 and OFMDFM Research Branch continues to fund the maintenance and further development of this database. The database can be found at:
Contact: Carol Murphy on 02890523248 or carol.murphy@ofmdfmni.gov.uk
Exploring the attitudes of young people in Northern Ireland to people from different ethnic groups
OFMDFM agreedtofund the National Children's Bureau and ARK to complete this research project whichseeks to investigate, in some depth, the attitudes and experiences of 11-18 year old students to people from different ethnic groups in Northern Ireland. The research will comprise a number of elements including a quantitative school survey, interactive discussions with pupils aged 16-17 years and one-to-one interviews with young people from minority ethnic groups. It is expected that the research will aid our understanding of community and race relations in Northern Ireland from the young person’s perspective and generate ideas for policy and practice change.
Contact: Carol Murphy on 02890523248 or carol.murphy@ofmdfmni.gov.uk
