MESSAGE FROM BELFAST LOCAL STRATEGY PARTNERSHIP

The EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation has been extended by a further two years for the period 2005 – 2006 and, in total, will provide an additional £120m for Northern Ireland and the Border Counties.  In short, that translates as £3.6m for Belfast LSP. 

In welcoming the further support of the European Union, we acknowledge publicly the immense contribution of the European Commission as a positive force for social and economic change.  The unprecedented levels of financial support from Europe have succeeded in transforming the physical, economic and social fabric of our society over the last decade.  Undoubtedly, though, there is much work yet to be done. 

We recognize that the future of Belfast cannot rely on subsidy, whether from Brussels, Westminster or anywhere else.  Belfast has to create a new niche in the global economy and to promote more independent forms of economic and social development.  No one owes us a living.

To those ends, the Board of Belfast LSP has determined that the opportunity provided by the extension period will see focused investment in two major operational areas:

• Social Economy – where we will continue to act as a catalyst for change within the sector;

• Civil Society and Peace Building – through support for a concerted range of interventions that address directly the issue of deep-rooted division within our city.

In that context, while it will remain critical to support communities on the basis of their need and levels of deprivation, it will be important also to encourage those communities to develop on the basis of their endowments and assets.  As you will see from our performance indicators, our experience thus far offers grounds for optimism. 

Ultimately though, collaborative leadership in Belfast will be a critical condition for the city’s progress.  In affirming Belfast City Council’s role as civic leaders, in our view, no one organisation or agency in the city is capable by itself of delivering Belfast’s sustainable improvement. 

The extension period thus provides an opportunity to further demonstrate the benefits of this form of new governance – that welcomes inclusive civic involvement and inter-agency cooperation.  The ethos of cross-community, cross-sectoral collaboration is embedded in the practice of our own partnership and is a quality we wish to promote throughout the city as we seek to realise our vision of a sustainable city at peace with itself.

Outline on Measures