Ideas on how to take small steps
Individual/personal steps:
- Read a newspaper from the other side for a day/week
- Seek opportunities to meet people from the “other side” at a social level
- Encourage family and friends to look to the future and to bury past hurts
- Refuse to support, encourage or endorse those who show sectarian attitudes
- Make sure you do not make offensive remarks about other religions or races
- Listen to an Irish Language programme/Pipe band programme on Radio Ulster
- Learn how to greet some one in Irish/Ulster Scots
- Buy a book by an Irish/British poet and read it
- Watch a Gaelic game on TV
- Watch a cricket game
- Buy a Gaelic/cricket rulebook
- Go on the Internet and search for information material on the orders eg Hibernians/Orange
- Find out the history and stories behind what certain symbols and religious icons mean
- Go on the Internet and search for information on political parties other than the one you support
- Attend a community relations course
- Find out more about your own cultural background
With your children
- Encourage your children to be friendly with children from the “other side”
- Encourage your children to take part in cross community activities
- Consider integrated education for your children
In the Workplace
- Be a voice of tolerance and reason in your workplace
- Display One Small Step Campaign logo & literature at Conferences
- Print an article about The One Small Step Campaign in the In-house magazine
- Staff to discuss topics of race and/or culture at lunch time/coffee breaks
- Staff to wear One Small Step badges
- Organise an annual One Small Step Day
In own community:
- Join a community group and promote cross community activities
- Promote good relations with the “other side” within existing community groups
- Refuse to take part in sectarian groups or activities
- Speak out against sectarian slogans & graffiti in your neighbourhood
- Attend a harvest festival service
- Talk to a member of the Orders from your own tradition and see if you can understand what they are or what they believe
- Get a partner or two people and arrange to discuss own beliefs and how they differ from “the other”
- Read a book or paper from the other tradition and discuss perceptions
- Use a church year to look at how traditions differ in celebrations eg Harvest, Easter etc
- Organise a night of cultural activities or cultural theme nights
- Organise a mixed five a side football match