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Race Equality Advisory Forum

8 Next Steps

The Forum has been working in a climate of change. Devolution, legislative change, not least the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, increased political concern and increased visibility of racism on the streets have all contributed to a new environment. The Forum has sought to identify what needs to be done now and in the longer term to embed an anti-racism culture and to promote race equality in a systematic way.

This report now passes to the Scottish Executive and in particular to Departmental Ministers, their officials and leaders of those bodies responsible for meeting the needs and interests of all of Scotland's people including those from minority ethnic communities.

It is essential for policy-makers and service providers to recognise and support the diversity of our society. They need to understand that minority ethnic communities are an integral part of that society. They also need to recognise the diversity that exists both across minority ethnic communities and also within those communities.

The challenge to all sectors and service providers is to ensure that the particular characteristics, experiences and choices of Scotland's minority ethnic people are identified and built-in from the start to all policy-making and service design and delivery.

The Forum, on behalf of minority ethnic communities, firmly believes that a race equality strategy needs to be action-based to be meaningful for communities, policy-makers and service providers. The Forum therefore looks to Scottish Executive Ministers to establish quickly:

• arrangements for publication by Departmental Ministers of their initial response to the Forum's report including details of the timetable for the preparation of departmental implementation plans responding to the Forum's recommendations and proposals for action;
• arrangements for the publication by the Scottish Executive of an initial report on work to take forward the commitment to promoting race equality covering the period from publication to autumn 2002 and annually thereafter. Such reporting to be mainstreamed into existing reporting mechanisms and supported by specific reporting to minority ethnic community organisations and service users as part of ongoing dialogue and capacity building;
• convene in the winter of 2002/3 a broad ranging conference of minority ethnic communities, statutory agencies, public, private and voluntary sectors to review progress, reaffirm direction and renew the commitment to action; and
• in preparation for the conference, to commission work within minority ethnic communities and mainstream service providers and voluntary sector interests across Scotland in order to assess progress on the strategy and action plans against the experiences of communities and individuals within minority ethnic communities themselves.

The Forum recognises that it has only been able to begin the process of change. In the course of its work it has not been possible to address all issues or to incorporate full consideration of the needs of some particular groups such as Gypsies/Travellers, asylum seekers and refugees or those with disabilities. The Forum therefore asks the public, private and voluntary sector in taking forward this report, recommendations and proposals for priority actions to have regard to the particular experiences, circumstances and needs of all minority ethnic communities including particular groups such as Gypsies/Travellers, asylum seekers and the religious and faith communities.

The Forum encourages all sectors to develop their own dialogue with, and within, communities as well as with other relevant organisations.

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