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Conflict can happen on a local, national and global scale.

Local — the impact of immigration

An increase in the number of people in a particular area can put pressure on public services such as housing and hospital waiting lists.

There is evidence of prejudice across Northern Ireland. A 2015 headline from the Belfast Telegraph reads:

This is despite the contribution that migrants make to Northern Ireland’s culture and economy.

• Migrants make a significant contribution to the economy: they fill skills gaps, pay taxes, and spend money.
• Migrants contribute to Northern Ireland’s cultural diversity.
• Some people may think that migrants take jobs from local people. This view likely arises from prejudice. Studies show that migrants expand the economy, thereby creating more jobs than they fill.
• Some people may think that migrants come to Northern Ireland to claim benefits. While this may be true in a minority of cases, the majority of migrants find gainful employment.
• Migrants have caused an increased demand for public services such as healthcare, education, and social housing.

Local — dealing with sectarianism

The main conflict in Northern Ireland over the past fifty years has been sectarian — that is, between different religions (in this case, Catholics and Protestants).

Sectarianism in Northern Ireland takes several forms:

• Hostility and tension in certain communities or at ‘f���������Ǿ��Գٲ�’ between Catholic and Protestant areas. Hostility is often demonstrated through the flying of flags, to show that only one side of the community is welcome.
• Exclusion as some communities ‘stick together’ and don't associate with people from other groups.
• Discrimination as people are denied jobs or rights based on their religion.

Violence broke out across Northern Ireland during the Troubles, mainly perpetrated by paramilitary groups such as the IRA and the UVF. This violence continues on a small scale today.

National

Here are some examples of conflict that has occurred throughout the UK:

• Exclusion: minority groups may feel marginalised, and may not integrate with the rest of society.
• Sectarianism: religious intolerance in the UK is not as strong as it is in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, tension does exist between Christian, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus.
• Racism and ethnic tensions: some people hold negative views of those from other ethnic backgrounds. These views may be expressed as racist remarks, discrimination or even violence.
• Social unrest: this arises when sections of society are opposed to government policy, or to actions of the state. Social unrest is usually expressed as rioting and looting.
• Inequality: this is the difference in wealth and income between different groups in society. It is normal to have some rich people, and some poor people. However, conflict arises when these differences become too great.

Global

There are many conflicts around the world.