30th June 1998

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The proceedings of a conference on Community Development, Citizenship and Democracy which explored the links between active citizenship and community activism will be launched by the University of Ulster tomorrow at the Grosvenor Hall in Belfast.

Speaking at the launch will be Hugh Frazer from Combat Poverty in Dublin; Roisin McDonough from the West Belfast Partnership Board and Tom Lovett from the Ligoniel Improvement Association and retired Professor of Community Development, University of Ulster.

Dr Rosemary Moreland from the Community Research and Development Centre at the University who will be chairing the launch said:

"All the speakers at the launch are active in the field of community development and contributed to the original conference and the report. Their insights are of particular interest now as the election to the Assembly is over and new political structures will be put in place. We believe that this report will help those who want to create more participative and dynamic community structures which, we believe, will provide the basis for lasting peace in Northern Ireland."

Ruth Lister, Professor of Social Policy at Loughborough University and one of the contributors to the report commented:

"Thinking about citizenship as participation is about creating spaces where different groups can come together to air their differences in what has been called a 'politics of difference'. It must also be a politics in which the differences are respected and not simply repressed, and also one in which some common ground is sought."

The report will be available at the launch.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk