Speaking at North Wales Association for Multicultural Integration’s (NWAMI) second International Panel Meeting today in Cardiff University Students Union, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood, who is NWAMI’s Honorary President, spoke of the need to build a cohesive community and integrated society in Wales in the 21st century.
NWAMI, now renamed as ‘Networking for World Awareness of Multicultural Integration’, is a non-profit making community interest group based in Colwyn Bay.
Speaking at today’s event, Mr Isherwood said the organisation’s Chair and Founder, Dr Sibani Roy, states, NWAMI is “dedicated to building up a cohesive community and integrated society in Wales in the 21st century, and to achieving this by promoting an understanding and respect of this country’s diverse cultures through cultural engagement and interaction, education and training – organizing cultural performances in music, dance and other art forms, as well as activities including speaker sessions and workshops”.
Mr Isherwood said:
“2009 saw a new set of guidance and initiatives from DCLG (the UK Communities and Local Government Department) which aimed to take forward the Cohesion agenda.
“Jumping forward to 2018, the UK Government launched a major new initiative to build a more integrated and cohesive society, ‘the Integrated Communities Strategy’.
“The UK Government also launched a £7 Million Innovation Fund to encourage new ideas and develop good practice, and set up a new ‘Cohesion and Integration Network’ to act as a resources hub for policy makers and practitioners.
“AND The Integrated Communities Action Plan 2019 takes the UK Government’s 2018 strategy forward by providing practical details of the schemes it is developing and supporting.”
“We must recognise the vital work being carried out by frontline community and third sector organisations to promote multicultural integration in Wales.
“I spoke in last month’s Assembly Debate on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
“The Convention covers the rights of all people to enjoy civil, political, economic and social rights, without discrimination on grounds of race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin, which the UK ratified in 1969.
“I quoted Dr Sibani Roy, as follows: "Some of the people think that when you talk about integration, you mean assimilation. We have to explain to people that integration is not assimilation”.
“We have to respect the law and culture of the land. What we need to do is educate people and say we are all human beings, we're friendly and we should try to understand each other's culture. When they learn about other cultures, then they will possibly become friendly.”
“In stating this, Sibani summarised what lies at the core of cultural engagement, integration and cohesion.”
Mr Isherwood went on to speak about Brexit, stating that he remains convinced that most of the people who voted to leave the EU were voting for control, not extremism.
“Some extremists have sought to highjack Brexit for their own ends. However, at this critical time, we must remember that this should not be about a soft Brexit or a hard Brexit, but an open Brexit, one that ensures that Wales and the UK are still turned outwards, and more engaged with the world than ever before.
“We need to build a cohesive community and integrated society in Wales in the 21st century.
“To achieve this, we need to promote an understanding of and respect for this country’s diverse cultures through cultural engagement and interaction, education and training.
“As I have said many times, this is about celebrating our glorious diversity together.”
