ICR Research: Current projects

Young People and Politics - North Belfast Community Research Group

An outline of a survey by the
North Belfast Community Research Project

This short paper describes the initial work of the North Belfast Community Research Project, a partnership between LINC Resource Centre, the Institute for Conflict Research and individuals from the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist communities of North Belfast. The aim of the partnership is to train community activists in research methods and to initiate a community-based research programme in North Belfast. The paper discusses the background to the project, outlines the training programme and provides a review of the initial research project on the voting habits of young people.

Background

Between December 2002 and April 2003 staff from LINC Resource Centre carried out a series of consultation mornings, workshops and informal meetings with community activists, community representatives and members of staff of community organisations within North Belfast. One of the aims was to identify areas of work, which would not duplicate the work of others but support and compliment their work. The gaps that were identified were:

Information gathering and networking;
Research skills;
Lobbying Skills;
Monitoring and evaluation training.

Through a series of discussions with members of the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist community, members of Lower North Belfast Community Council and Ballysillan Forum it was recognised that these areas of work would not only support those organisations and individuals involved in 'capacity building' but would also bring added benefit through incorporating 'new skills' to those groups who were putting forward community empowerment partnership bids.

The outcome of these consultations is that a partnership has been established between LINC Resource Centre and the Institute for Conflict Research who through their long, established and tested networks within both the academic and community field will aim to establish a learning curve to address the above issues.

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