Commissioner Khurshid Ahmed told the Times newspaper that �5m in grants would be given to organisations promoting cross-community work and resolving perceived conflicts.

Mr Ahmed's comments come after the commission's chairman, Trevor Phillips, sparked a debate when he said the term "multiculturalism" should be scrapped.

What do you think? Will the CRE's new policy promote integration? Is this a good thing?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of the opinions we have received:

One set of my grandparents was Irish the other Lithuanian in 1920s Scotland. The opportunities for the latter were particularly limited due to the language and culture differences. However, they did recognise that integration was the most effective way of ensuring that their children and grandchildren achieved as much as possible.
John Cahill, London, UK

It's true that people who immigrate to America think of themselves as Americans while being proud of their heritage. That's because nobody tries to make them lose their native culture. People shouldn't have to adapt to the "fabric of the nation". The fabric is what should change. Just look at the difference between now and 50 years ago in America; people are more accepting, more open-minded, and more eager to learn about other cultures, and I don't see how anyone could think that's a bad thing. I wonder why it's so hard for the British to understand that different does not equal bad.
Nadine, USA

Integrate into what? Britishness? What on earth is that? A little bit of inaccurately remembered history, and red buses, is about all that's left.
Steve, UK

This is a step in the right direction David R, Plymouth UK

This is a step in the right direction. Ethnic minorities have been encouraged to express their ethnicity to the detriment of integration. This approach encourages both expression of ethnicity and integration.
David R, Plymouth UK

It is good to see, and brave of the CRE to acknowledge, that integration is a two-way process.
Gerry, UK

When the Welsh and Scottish don't even want to be British, what hope do we have of integrating anyone else?
Tracy, Great Britain

Surely the best way to integrate other cultures is just to accept that they are now part of what constitutes British culture.
Alex, Edinburgh

There is no attempt at integrating into the wider community Mark, Worksop

Nice words, but what does integration mean in reality? The biggest problem with immigration is that whole minority communities have sprung up in every major city; there is no attempt at integrating into the wider community. Perhaps the CRE could concentrate on finding answers to this problem; there should not be an Asian sector anymore than there should be white only areas.
Mark, Worksop, England

Of course integration is the right thing. It is the failure of certain minority groups and the short sighted ideological politics to integrate that has helped promote extreme tendencies in communities.
John Karran, Liverpool

Good thing that CRE is at last trying to unite instead of divide Britain. As a second generation Asian myself, sometimes I think CRE overkills everything and put everyone in siege mentality, whereby we all end up feeling that we need to defend ourselves against each other. That's a cause for more division, the exact opposite of integration.
Umezawa H, Putney, UK

I feel this is a positive move, although as others have mentioned it is open to misinterpretation by those with racist agendas. I hope, however, that people see it as a move towards a culture which embraces understanding and acceptance of difference, rather than mere tolerance of it.
James Whale, Hornchurch, UK

I guarantee a lot of money will be spent on initiatives to keep the race advisors in clover for many years to come Mike, Middlesbrough

One can only conclude that there is no more money in the multicultural pot to go round for all the greedy, whining, liberals who set up multiculturalism in the first place. A new and profitable offensive on the public purse is obviously being planned by these same greedy, whining, liberals with the twin clarion cries of assimilation and integration. I guarantee a lot of money will be spent on initiatives to keep the race advisors in clover for many years to come.
Mike, Middlesbrough

This is the most sensible thing that the CRE has ever done. New Britons must be encouraged to integrate and become part of the fabric of this nation.
Msmo, London, UK

I definitely adhere to this concept. Too much money gets wasted on projects that are not problem-solving at all!
Peter, Reunion Island

Mr Ahmed must be a little concerned at the type of people supporting his proposal. They talk of "flying the flag", being afraid of being accused of racism - but..., immigrants must speak English etc. I am English and my family have been here since before the Norman Conquest. Yet, I think the flag is just a silly bit of cloth, and recognise that most foreigners speak English better than the natives. Moreover, if you don't want to be accused of racism, don't be racist. This proposal appeals to those with a racist agenda - oppose it and scrap the CRE.
Andrew, UK

It is time to disband the CRE, Runneymede Trust, Equal Opportunities Commission and various other organisations that have set themselves up as experts on race relations. They have caused more harm than good and social harmony, if it can ever be fully achieved, will evolve more quickly without them.
Ken, UK

Has anyone checked recently what a minority is in this country, I'd make a bet it's not what or who we used to think it is anymore. And maybe if we stopped using the term minority we'd find ourselves integrated already!
Jennifer Shepherd, Andover, Hants

Integration does not mean being the same. This is a positive move that will challenge all communities, not merely ethnic ones.
Barry B, UK

I am hugely relieved by the recent acknowledgements that multiculturalism isn't working. The policy has been disastrous, blighted many lives and seriously damaged British society. I hope that now we can instead work on creating a more inclusive, integrated Britain that emphasises shared values and ceases to pander to the incompatible traditions of certain belligerent minorities.
John Pengarrick, UK

People should see themselves as world citizens Phil, UK

Why should people have to change? I've travelled and worked in a number of countries and enjoyed different cultures while still being 'British'. People should see themselves as world citizens not part of an inward looking society. This country's traditions are made up from cultures from across Europe and the world and we should be proud of that.
Phil, UK

To Phil, UK: I'd give your viewpoint a bit more credit if you signed yourself as: Phil, Somewhere-else-in-the-world. Immigrating to Britain in search of a better life implies that you think this country has something better to offer and it's only right to embrace as much of it as you can. I live in the US at the moment and I assure you that the racial integration we have in Britain is something to be proud of - America is a culturally fractured society that has a number of problems as a result.
Andy, Annandale, USA

Better late than never I suppose, but I fear that the damage has already been done. For years we have not been allowed to criticise the concept of separate communities within the country. The truth is that we are ALL British and every immigrant, of whatever colour or religion, should be made to accept that before settlement, and English should be compulsory. Then, and only then, will be able to re-build the harmonious country that we all crave, and sadly threw away. Fly the flag and be proud of it - that would be a good start.
Malcolm, England

For years the CRE has promoted multiculturism as the way forward, why this sudden change of direction? Surely Trevor Phillips should be stating clearly what has brought about this change in thinking with its resultant change in policy.
McCulloch, UK

Let's hope it works, most of us just want a peaceful existence Mags, Oxford, UK

I fully support integration. As far as I can see by separating people there has been a huge build up of misunderstanding between us that has resulted in some pretty nasty racial clashes in some Northern towns. As we don't appear to want to integrate we obviously need a helping hand to achieve this. Let's hope it works, most of us just want a peaceful existence.
Mags, Oxford, UK

Integration is the only way forward as the United Kingdom is a multicultural society and we need to end all forms of segregation if we are ever going to coexist peacefully.
Shirley, Wales

It is important that the extent and timing of integration is at the discretion of the ethnic minorities involved. Coming on top of Mr Phillip's crass remarks on multiculturalism, this latest officious proposal suggests that the CRE is past its sell by date. Integration should not take place under coercion or bribery. Britain works best as a loose agglomeration of cultures with a common thread of tolerance and understanding. This needs legislative support but I see no role for useless quangos like the CRE.
Tom, UK

This is the most positive news item I have seen for a long time. At last, some common sense! For all their faults one of the things that Americans have always been better at than us is that American immigrants, whilst being proud of their roots, are Americans first - and proud to be so! Any other approach is simply building a divided society with the seeds of its own destruction inbuilt.
Jim, Swindon, UK

Finally, about time - someone who is not PC for the sake of it. What is the point of emigrating to another country if all you want is create a replica of the country you left behind? This applies to all nationalities and ethnicity.
Jo, Leeds

This is without a doubt a good idea. Only by promoting unity and integration will Britain flourish. If, as has been the case, separate communities are funded and allowed to develop into separate cultures the only result is alienation from one another.
Gavin D, Manchester