It has been brought to my attention by no other than the Vice Consulate of Lithuania Bill Toner that Falkirk Council’s development workers are involved in launching yet another futile community group.
Namely the newly named Lithuanian Association. I would like to point out at this point my name is Khalid Sarwar from the International Cultural Forum, As you may be aware we are heavily involved in issues involving new migrant communities in the Falkirk area.
You may also be aware that we recently secured a joint working agreement with Falkirk Council for our ground breaking work; councils from all over Scotland are looking in on our work and considering using our template of business in their own areas.
For many service providers we are a leading voice for not only the new migrant communities, but the international community in the Falkirk area. We liaise and work with many statutory and non statutory organisations. We have a large membership, volunteers from over 23 nationalities including Lithuanian.
Before we were awarded the joint working agreement we were questioned, interviewed, vetted on what we could bring to the table as far as providing something different to the area and to make sure our work wasn’t going to overlap or undermine any other organisation or group in the area.
We were to be the official voice in the area for the migrant and international community. Our volunteers worked tirelessly to achieve this goal and still do.
We have embraced all communities, all groups, all nationalities yet the council development workers have decided that it’s ok to split the community again.. 2nd time in less than two years by launching another community group.
The Polish (UPF) group which was launched in 2007 under very similar circumstances we were heavily involved in their launch, they used our service, they used our support, our money, yet shunned us when it was time to work in partnership and integrate. Refusing point blank to work with other groups or nationalities.
One would have thought after the disorder of the Pakistani and Chinese groups in the area and how they have failed miserably in integrating, one would think the council would have learned from these lessons.
Because of this disarray the ICF was born. A group that would live up to its name, International and Cultural. Our group came about with the support of Falkirk Council it was to end the practice of individual self minded groups wrapped up in their own bubble. To stop the practice of groups going off on their own, and interested in only looking after their own. The ICF concept was designed with the help of Falkirk Council to promote integration, to promote community cohesion, promote equality and diversity, promote social inclusion and prevent, avoid and settle conflict between communities.
The ICF was to have its Pakistani branch, Polish branch, Lithuanian branch etc. All communities working together in harmony under one umbrella.
It was all going very well until the Polish group was snatched away from us and set up on their own, by the council’s development workers, then the same happened with an Arabic group however this group never materialised into anything. And then this new Lithuanian group idea was snatched away from us. Yes we brought this very group together in March of this year by way of a Lithuanian party/gathering in Grangemouth. The whole idea of linking a Lithuanian group to the ICF was agreed only to find council workers had gone behind our backs to encourage them to set up on their own a few days later.
During the last five months we have heard of private meetings with the council and the Lithuanian group officials; we have attempted to contact the group’s officials on dozens of occasions. To invite them to begin a dialogue with us, as many Lithuanians coming to us were being confused with contradictory advice on their issues. However the officials failed to even acknowledge that they were involved in any community activities or indeed giving any advice.
Finally we believe actions like this from the council’s community workers are splitting and dividing the communities and making it very difficult for us to do our work. It seems the council community workers are more interested in quantity and completing tick boxes rather than quality. At a time when funding is getting more and more difficult to find, was another group really necessary? Especially when the council’s working partner the ICF is already established and heavily involved with this particular community.
I must stress that I have the support from the Lithuanian Consulate on this as we have already established excellent links with his office, another group from the Falkirk area is only going to confuse the issue and confuse the community.
I must also point out that we in no way feel threatened by such a group but more frustrated for our volunteers who work in Falkirk’s International Community constantly trying to break down barriers.
Finally it seems odd the guest list for this launch is a who’s who of politicians, councillors and representative from many organisations. The three organisations who are doing the most for migrant communities in the area.. We the ICF, CREC and the Citizens Advice Bureau have not been invited.
I look forward to hearing from you and your thoughts..
