Bryson Intercultural Welcome the Latest Survey from the Equality Commission

Bryson Intercultural welcome the latest Equality Awareness Survey: A Question of Attitude from the Equality Commission.  The survey asked respondents how positive or negative they felt towards different equality groups.  They found that, overall, attitudes were much more positive than in previous surveys, in particular towards Travellers, lesbian, gay and bisexual people and trans people but overall Travellers still attract the most negative attitudes.

Below are some key headlines from the Survey (to read the full press release click here.  

  • The five most negatively viewed groups are all based on race or nationality – Travellers, Roma, asylum seekers and refugees, migrant workers and minority ethnic groups.
  • Travellers, Roma, migrant workers and minority ethnic groups were also the equality groups with the highest proportions of respondents who ‘would mind’ them as a work colleague, a neighbour or as an in-law. 
  • Travellers still attracted the most negative attitudes, with 1 person in 4 indicating that they would mind working alongside a Traveller and a third that they would mind having Travellers as neighbours or as an in-law.

Jo Marley, Director of Bryson Intercultural said, It is disappointing, but not surprising that people from different cultures here remain disconnected.  Bryson Intercultural have developed an EU PEACE IV funded project, DARE to Lead Change designed to create opportunities for inter-community conversations to take place.

To find out more about DARE (Dialogues about Race and Ethnicity) click here.

Barbara Purcell, who is from the traveller community living in Belfast and who works for Bryson An Munia Tober went onto the BBC Talkback show hosted by William Crawley.  She was one of three people who took part in the live interview discussing this survey and the attitudes in society.  Barbara is one of approximately 1,300 Travellers who lives and works in Belfast. 

To listen to the interview again click below – it starts at 40 mins 40 seconds .  The BBC do require you to register or sign in to listen again and it will be available until the end of February 2018.  Click here

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