Protestants are not nearly as successful as Catholics in availing of funding pouring into Northern Ireland from Europe and elsewhere, a new study undertaken in Co Fermanagh has found.
Vastly different attitudes towards community development were found between the two communities, and Protestants were often reluctant or unable to start up groups and access funding.
The study also found that the pace of change in the North has left Protestants feeling uncertain about their future and the value of their identity.
It is estimated that between £26 and £30 million have been allocated to groups in the county to aid community development over the past 10 years.
The study, "The Way It Is", is a review of all community activity in Fermanagh, and is the first of its type carried out in the North.
A main recommendation is that a worker should be appointed specifically to work with Protestant communities.
If the situation is not tackled, it states, development will continue in a "sterile way" and remain "predominantly one-sided".
It was also found that funding was not getting to the most disadvantaged areas, and that "cross-community" activity was generally occurring among middle-class people where there would have been contact anyway. There is a history of strong community support among nationalists and they were able to make use of existing organisations such as the GAA, other cultural groups, credit unions and co-operatives. Protestants, on the other hand, "never saw any reason to get involved".
Because EU funding emphasises a `bottom-up' approach, "Protestants did not, and could not, react quickly enough and were left at a disadvantage".
The differences in attitudes between Catholics and Protestants reflect their perception of the state.
Protestants have viewed the Northern state as their primary source of support, while for Catholics, "who largely have not given any allegiance to that state, their own community has provided the surrogate support structure".
There is no corresponding base in Protestant/unionist communities, although the church structure is very strong, but the study found differences in the role of the church.
In the Catholic community, church activities were supplemented by community-based organisations, but in the Protestant community there was no "alternative" to the church.
"For many Protestants, the Orange Institution does not represent their views and they are not linked in any way to the order, which leaves a void for them," the report says.
Protestant culture also tends towards "individualism", with the general attitude being that if you want something done, you do it yourself, rather than asking for assistance.
Protestants expressed a much stronger wish to approach community development through "single-identity" (Protestant only) groups.
This is explained by a lack of confidence, and a fear of being "overruled by more knowledgeable Catholic members" of the group.
Protestants had less confidence in their ability to secure funding than Catholics, and felt there was a lack of leadership in their community.
Protestants were also concerned that participation in cross-community activities could threaten their identity and could lead to their being "taken over".
Some feel that others have been quick to give up their Protestant identity, as there was now a "stigma" attached to organisations such as the Orange Order. "This has resulted in many Protestants not having an identity - they know what they are not part of, but do not know what they do stand for, given their reluctance to express any sort of opinion about certain issues."
The report says Protestants have real fears and concerns, which "reflect insecurity, reduced confidence, a sense of having lost out and general uncertainty about the future and about the value of their identity at this time".
The report, carried out by Peter Quinn Consultants, was commissioned by Fermanagh Partnership in Practice, an umbrella group comprising Fermanagh District Council, Fermanagh District Partnership, Fermanagh Rural Community Network and The Fermanagh Trust.