CRED’s central mission is to address through research, consultancy and policy development the following key themes:

• The social and political determinants of the oppressive and exclusionary processes that deny citizens equal treatment and fundamental human rights (in particular, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism)
• Tensions and conflict within and between ethnic and faith communities
• The implications of diversity, broadly conceived, for contemporary societies
• Supporting Widening Participation initiatives for diverse groups at local, regional, and national levels, seen as key to sustainable social cohesion and economic success

CRED’s work programme has four main strands: high impact research and publications, consultancy and policy engagement, conferences, workshops and seminars and teaching. It is delivered by an in-house consortium of internationally renowned experts in fields that transcend substantive and disciplinary boundaries. We firmly believe that the best policy initiatives are those which are based on sound theoretical foundations. Our research takes a number of forms. Some projects are theoretical and conceptual in nature. The majority of our work programme, however, is devoted to studies that, though certainly not compromising on academic rigour, aim to have a direct impact on political debates and policy formulation. In order to ensure success in this area, CRED works closely with public authorities, NGOs and the voluntary/community sector.