50/50

Very interesting report from the Equality Commission, marking the fact that the Northern Ireland workforce has reached a 50%/50% balance between people of a Protestant and people of a Catholic background. Challenging historic discrimination was a significant aim of the peace process, and achieving balance is a function of all those years of steady monitoring. Behind the achievement is the personal challenge of individual disclosure each of our own religious/cultural background. The huge temptation, particularly for those fully committed to diversity and a pluralist society, is to claim that we are all Other now, and the traditional divisions are personally irrelevant to us. To mitigate the effects of this benign avoidance tactic, the Equality Commission stipulates the Residuary Method of designating those of us with a Northern Ireland background who don't designate ourselves. Everybody winces when the method is used on them personally, and tries to take refuge in the arrival of Newcomers, the increase in children from mixed Catholic/Protestant relationships and the decrease in Church attendance. The chair of the Equality Commission fully acknowledged the significance of changing demographics, and looks forward to reviewed procedures to take demographic changes into account, BUT she also emphasises the importance of continued focus on the Fair Employment procedures which have succeeded in challenging the historic discrimination which was such a significant blight on our community. We are not a post-sectarian society. Complacency is a menace. Don't give up now!