The possibility of mandatory community service is put forward today by Darra Singh, chair of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, the body created by Tony Blair after the 7 July bombings in 2005 to promote more unity. It echoes the concept of National Service, which ended in 1960, that required all men between the ages of 18 and 26 to serve in the military for up to two years.

In an article in today's Observer, Singh also suggests that children taking GCSEs in citizenship should be asked to a special town hall ceremony after passing the exam, to instill in them the sense of what it is to be part of Britain. He also suggests that, along with learning about Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, children must have a chance to find out how Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Emmeline Pankhurst shaped history.

Singh, 47, the chief executive of Ealing council in London, argues today that the benefits of volunteering are great, 'bringing together young people from different backgrounds to work together towards a common goal'. He adds: 'We need to have a debate about the possibility of a national community service - and we should not be afraid of asking whether this should be compulsory.'

But some campaigners are set against any idea of enforcement. Terry Ryall, the chief executive of the youth volunteering charity 'v', said: 'What we are working towards is making volunteering appealing rather than compulsory. A lot of young people are passionately committed to causes such as the third world, or global warming, but are not sure about how to become involved. Making it coercive is not the answer.'

The issue of how to make society more cohesive in the face of threats from Islamic extremism and the British National Party has risen to the top of the political agenda in recent weeks. Last week ministers said they wanted to introduce a national 'British day', a bank holiday to celebrate citizenship. Singh said that, having spoken to hundreds of people over the past years and listened to the views of many groups, he would like to take the idea further and see 'a communities week that puts the local (community) centre stage - marking what makes our area unique'.

The themes of promoting Britishness have already been enthusiastically embraced by both Labour and the Tories. Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown pledged British jobs for British workers last week, promising 200,000 new jobs for those coming off benefit, and saying that firms would start to employ British people rather than cheap immigrant labour.

However, Tory leader David Cameron said the UK was failing to instil a sense of Britishness in its population, and should follow America's example..The report, to be published by the commission on Thursday, shows that contrary to popular belief nearly 80 per cent of people feel groups from different backgrounds get on well in their area.