Conflict exists at all levels of society, from the most localised of settings where neighbours bicker over the height of hedges to its most extreme form, violence between nations. Tensions also exist under the surface of most communities. The root cause may be lingering feelings of bitterness over past events, stereotypes of other communities’ cultures or different aspirations for the future development of the area.
The Neighbourhood Taskforce model draws on a combination of familiar approaches: research into local people’s views, fast-paced meetings, mediation techniques and action planning, which when used together can help build the capacity of the community to work with each other and local agencies to create their own solutions to the problems in their communities.
Posted on: 1 October 2008