Insight on Conflict » Northern Ireland

Community Foundation for Northern Ireland

Joel Gabri — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:26:52 +0000

Since 1979, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has supported projects and individuals involved in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Intimately involved in many ground breaking initiatives, the Foundation has a track record of administering European Union support funds for peace and reconciliation and currently administrates the From Prison to Peace Partnership and the SEARCH Project in South and East Antrim, funded under the European Union’s Peace III Measures.

These initiatives support the participation of political ex-prisoners in peace building and conflict transformation and activity is progressed along key strategic themes.

Grant funds are also used to promote education and understanding through projects across Northern Ireland, including the Thomas Devlin Fund, a named fund established in the wake of the murder of a north Belfast schoolboy in 2005 and the David Ervine Fund, named after the Loyalist peacemaker, which supports education and cross community activities in Belfast.

The Foundation is also the Secretariat for the Foundations for Peace Network, a global association of independent, non-partisan funders working to build peace across the world.

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Community Relations Council

Joel Gabri — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:17:45 +0000

The Community Relations Council aims to foster a peaceful and fair society, based on reconciliation and trust, in Northern Ireland. It was established to promote better community relations between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and recognition of their cultural diversity.

In order to achieve their goal of a peaceful Northern Ireland, the Council works to:

Provide support (finance, advice, information) for local groups and organisations;
Develop opportunities for cross-community understanding;
Increase public awareness of community relations work;
Encourage constructive debate throughout Northern Ireland.

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Corrymeela Community

Joel Gabri — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:17:11 +0000

Corrymeela was founded in 1965 with the goal of promoting reconciliation and peacebuilding through healing social, religious and political divisions in Northern Ireland. Corrymeela works across Northern Ireland and beyond. The work of the organisation can be divided into five strands:

Working in schools to address community relations issues;
Providing respite and development work for families;
Supporting individuals and church communities in building relationships with other faiths;
Working with young people;
Improving cross-community relations.

Corrymeela place great emphasis on the importance of residential programmes in providing people with an open space for new experiences. More than 6,000 people take part in programmes at the Corrymeela Ballycastle Centre every year.

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Harmony Community Trust

Paul Steinheuer — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:26:38 +0000

Harmony Community Trust is a cross community organisation founded in 1975 to promote community relations and social inclusion. Its aim is the overcoming of divisive barriers and development of mutual respect, tolerance, and trust through the means of positive shared experiences. Accordingly, activities – open to all members of society, regardless of real or perceived differences – lie at the heart of Harmony Community’s efforts

Its main base is a sixteen-acre wildlife area at Kilclief, close to the shores of Strangford Lough, from which it delivers community relations, social inclusion and respite programmes on a year round basis, while at the same time offering facilities for conferences, day visits, workshops, self-catering family groups and environmental workcamps.

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REACT: Reconciliation, Education and Communication Training

Ruairi Nolan — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:25:04 +0000

React is a community organisation based in Armagh City with the aim of supporting marginalized groups and individuals through a range of projects. The focus of React’s work is community empowerment, skill development and the promotion of reconciliation through community development, education, and training.

React’s work is ongoing and dynamic and responds to the changing needs of the community. React work in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations to address the needs of the community.

React currently run projects covering three areas:

Community development
Youth development and
Community relations.

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Community Dialogue

Ruairi Nolan — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:55:05 +0000

Community Dialogue are committed to a dialogue process, developed over the years, to help transform understanding and build trust amongst people who often hold opposing political, social and religious views.

Community Dialogue brings divided groups in Northern Ireland and elsewhere together to dialogue about contentious political, social and economic problems.

Community Dialogue believe that to make peace in Northern Ireland people have to talk. Not just any old talk but talk that involves:-

• Questioning themselves

• Listening to others, and

• Trying genuinely to see new angles on things.

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Peace and Reconciliation Group (PRG)

Ruairi Nolan — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:37:25 +0000

The Peace and Reconciliation Group was established in 1976 to build bridges and promote a peaceful and inclusive society for all in Northern Ireland.

A major strand of PRG work involves getting people to talk to one another. This may happen in the form of structured workshops or training programmes, specifically designed projects, mediation sessions, or in a more private way.

In addition to structured work PRG are also involved in assisting community organisations and the Police Services of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to find ways to manage and mediate contentious situations which arise in connection with parades, bonfires, football matches, elections and other events. PRG staff are regularly asked to facilitate meetings, deliver workshops, contribute to public debates and publications, host visits from overseas and participate in other events.

Projects:

Corrymeela Family Respite Holidays

This project is designed for the benefit of families from interface areas or single identity communities in the Derry/Londonderry and Donegal border areas and there is space for up to 14 families. While this is an opportunity for people to unwind and enjoy spending time together, away from the daily stresses and pressures, everyone is also be expected to join in with a programme of community relations activities and workshops. The aim is for everyone to return home feeling relaxed and refreshed and hopefully also inspired, challenged and with a better understanding of oneself of different cultures.

Dealing with the Past, Shaping the Future

“Dealing with the Past, Shaping the Future” is an innovative new PRG project which is funded through the Peace III programme: Priority 1: Reconciling Communities Theme, 1.2: Acknowledging and Dealing with the Past, Strand 3: Securing the Future.The main focus of this project will be to engage with cross border statutory and voluntary organisations and individuals to develop programmes that will deal with the past and help pave the way for Northern Ireland’s divided communities to be reconciled.

Ballymena Single Identity Project

The programme promotes reconciliation and combat sectarianism by extending knowledge and understanding of both the groups own cultural heritage and that of other groups. It fosters tolerance and acceptance of cultural diversity through understanding of the historical events which has traditionally created divisions on this island and through dialogue with community workers and others who address the legacy of these events tirelessly.

Heritage Project

The border areas have suffered particular difficulties during the conflict and sharp divisions still remain in the area, both in the form of the physical border, but also socially, culturally and economically. This project aims to address this through the concept of a shared heritage and promote the idea of a shared future by allowing participants to feel part of a wider community without the barrier of the border. The project will help to build trust and respect for each others cultures and create opportunities to explore the shared and diverse culture and heritage of the border region.

This a cross border, cross community heritage project, and in the planning and delivery of all trails, the utmost effort is made to divide attention as equally as possible between both sides of the border and between both communities, clearly demonstrating both the shared heritage of the area and our unique and defining cultural heritage.

Let’s Talk Politics

The aim of this event is to challenge traditional voting patterns and to educate young people on democracy and elections, while at the same time providing a safe space for young people to exchange views and opinions. It also provides the politicians with information on what issues are relevant and important to young people.

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Belfast Conflict Resolution Consortium (BCRC)

Ruairi Nolan — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:14:15 +0000

The formation of the Belfast Conflict Resolution Consortium (BCRC) in 2007 came as a result of over 12 months discussions between republican, loyalist and community activists engaged in conflict management at Belfast’s interfaces. These discussions focused on the need to provide a citywide approach enabling longer term strategies rather than short term isolated actions at individual interfaces in the city. The BCRC was therefore set up to provide a strategic citywide approach to conflict transformation.

The project aims to assist and complement existing grassroots organisations, provide practical assistance and training opportunities and enable the sharing of best practice. BCRC has also developed a citywide practitioner network to provide an integrated response to tension at interfaces and to develop best practice for conflict intervention. One of the project’s overarching aims is to build cross community strategic alliances to address disadvantage and social problems in interface communities. The large majority of BCRC’s staff and steering group and key area contact volunteers live in the interface and working class areas in which they work. They are deeply involved in local groups as members of committees and volunteers.

The current phase of the project is supported by the Peace III Programme, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Community Relations Council/Pobal Consortium. The project builds upon the successful pilot that was delivered April 2007-June 2009, supported under the Peace II funding stream.

The project currently employs a team of 8 staff which is given operational direction from the Project Manager and the lead agency, Falls Community Council, as well as strategic direction from its steering group and partner organisations Charter NI, EPIC and Intercomm.

The BCRC is funded by the EU Regional Development Fund.

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UDA decommissioning in Northern Ireland

Ruairi Nolan — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:48:29 +0000

Good news today in Northern Ireland, where the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) has claimed to have completed putting their weapons beyond use. This comes some 5 weeks ahead of their February deadline, when the decommissioning body ceases to operate. The UDA claim was officially confirmed by General John De Chastelain, head of the international decommissioning body.

The decommissioning comes over a decade since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, and 15 years since the UDA’s ceasefire, which gives some indication of the difficulty in ending a conflict once parties become armed. We can hope that this will provide a boost to the ongoing peace process, particularly at a time when both leading political parties are facing internal problems.

Posted by Ruairi Nolan, Insight on Conflict, 6 January 2010

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Beyond Skin

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:27:01 +0000

Beyond Skin has operated in Northern Ireland since 2004, with the objective of using arts to tackle issues of racism and sectarianism in the province. Recent racist attacks in Northern Ireland have demonstrated that racism is very much a serious problem that needs to be addressed alongside efforts against sectarianism. The cultural make-up of Northern Ireland has changed dramatically in recent years, and Beyond Skin work to promote mulitcultural arts fort he benefit of all its inhabitants. Projects have included music and dance for festivals and parades, as well as appearances on radio programmes. Beyond Skin have worked together with other NGOs, community centres and councils.

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