Share your views on social cohesion and hateful extremism

In September 2017, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, established an independent Commission to explore how Greater Manchester’s public services, businesses and communities can collectively promote social cohesion and tackle hateful extremism.

Since then the Commissioners have been hearing from a range of experts who are experienced in building cohesive communities and tackling areas where problems have occurred in the past.

Now the commissioners want to hear from Greater Manchester people to find out their ideas about how we can build a sense of togetherness in our communities and tackle hateful views and behaviours across the city-region. Topics include:

• What is really good about your area and the people that live there? And what should be changed?
• How can we work together so people feel included in their community?
• How can we involve people in conversations about hateful behaviour and violent extremism?   

Commission Chair, and Bury Council leader, Councillor Rishi Shori is encouraging anyone who lives, works or visits Greater Manchester to get involved.

Cllr Shori said: “We want to find out what makes our communities safe, strong and friendly places, where people come together and help each other.  And we also want to find out how we can work together - that means councils, the police, businesses, residents - and you - to root out and tackle hateful views and behaviours.

We want to make sure Greater Manchester is a safe and friendly place to live and visit, and one of the best places to grow up, get on and grow old - and we’re now asking for your ideas on how to make that happen.”

All views provided will be taken into consideration in the Commissioner’s report, and a summary of key recommendations will be publically available later in 2018.

The Promoting Social Cohesion and Preventing Hateful Extremism Commission was established by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, in September 2017 to consider how to support communities to build a stronger and safer Greater Manchester.

The Commissioner is chaired by Cllr Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, and vice-chaired by Cllr Jean Stretton, leader of Oldham Council. The independent Commissioners are:

• Darra Singh, Government and Public Sector Lead at consultancy firm EY, who also chaired the Riots, Communities and Victims Panel which was set up in the wake of the 2011 riots.
• Prof Hilary Pilkington, a social scientist from the University of Manchester with an expertise in youth and radicalisation.
• Nazir Afzal OBE, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West and former Chief Executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.
• Nigel Bromage, a former member of the far-right group Combat 18 who rejected their ideology and now raises awareness of the dangers of the far-right and extremism.
• Saima Alvi, Vice-Chair of the British Muslim Heritage Centre, who also works as an RE lead in a local secondary school and has worked within the voluntary and community sector for more than 30 years.
• Shalni Arora, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, committed to social change for a better world.

The Commission’s primary areas of focus are:

• To consider how Prevent operates in Greater Manchester 
• To look at the broader determinants of social exclusion and how we can work collectively to address them
• investigate the merits of producing a Greater Manchester Charter – establishing shared values and commitments that will be the foundations upon which the Greater Manchester Strategy work is built (not just principles which are called into action when something goes wrong)
• To develop a distinctive community-led Greater Manchester approach to challenging hateful radicalisation of all kinds and from wherever it comes