Charlie Fisher, Programme Manager at Development Trusts NI, a member-led network of over 80 community organisations, is calling for the introduction of a Community Rights Act.

‘Community rights’ is the emergence of a shared understanding amongst people and place that system changes are needed to enable community action for social change, and greater citizen participation in decision-shaping and decision-making. Through a range of provisions, they provide the means by which community organisations, operating outside of civic society, can hold local public authorities to account.

We in Northern Ireland are well versed in the vocabulary of rights. Unfortunately, the notion of rights in NI is viewed through a green and an orange prism and we have missed the emerging opportunities elsewhere – the passing of the 2003 Land Reform Act in Scotland (updated in 2016); in 2011 came the Localism Act in England; and 2015 saw the introduction of the Community Empowerment Act in Scotland.

We are behind the curve and in danger of letting the zeitgeist for new forms of social action pass us by.

To advance community development practice in Northern Ireland, it is imperative that we move to introduce a Community Rights Act.

 

A Community Rights Act should:
• Help communities shape the places in which they live through neighbourhood and community planning.
• Provide communities with the tools to buy, build and own assets – including both public and private assets
• Enable communities to participate in commissioning, to improve the delivery of local services.
• Move communities to a participative and ownership-based approach to economic & environmental development
• Provide public authorities with clear guidelines to enact and promote community rights
• Apply equally to and benefit all communities and not benefit one group of citizens to the disadvantage of another

 

It is not enough to leave change to politicians alone. It is not enough to allow our civil service to interpret the will of communities for system change when they are part of the very system that needs changing. There is a need for all stakeholders to come together to understand the problems from each other’s perspective and to prepare a bill for approval by the NI Assembly and Executive. It in turn must facilitate a process of community dialogue that will enable community representatives to consider in detail the provisions to be included within a Community Rights Act without political interference or favour.

SUPPORT THE DTNI CAMPAIGN FOR A COMMUNITY RIGHTS ACT.

For further information follow us on Twitter @devtrustsni and at the campaign page @NICommRights and use the hashtag #CRACT.