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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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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It is hoped that through sport the participants will learn tolerance and respect for each other, as well as learning the value of co-operation. By taking a sport that is not traditional in Northern Ireland, and therefore is not associated with any particular community, PPI-NI have been very successful in creating mixed teams, and giving young people an opportunity to develop cross-community friendships from a shared desire to just have fun.

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LINC focuses on supporting individuals and groups engaged in crisis intervention, conflict transformation and community relations as a means of securing long-term solutions to the needs of people in conflict. The organisation also promotes local church and community groups in incorporating peace-building and social justice into their programme of work.

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Seeing mediation as the core of their work, they provide training for individuals in managing aggression & conflict, and promoting negotiation to find positive ways of resolving disputes.

Mediation NI promotes conflict resolution at the grassroots level, focusing on giving people ways to resolve conflict in their daily lives, in their home, workplace, or place of study. In doing so, their projects promote community cohesion & the development of a stronger society.

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De Borda has not only looked at voting procedures in Northern Ireland, but also has been promoted the use of a consensus based voting system in other divided societies such as Bosnia, Kosovo, and Lebanon.

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Its projects have made use of photos, drawings and theatre to highlight violent experiences; educating people about the causes and consequences of violence in order to move people toward a mindset of tolerance & exploring the positive impacts of peace in peoples daily lives.

Cúnamh uses trauma healing therapies, stress elimination sessions, and addiction counselling to create strong, peaceful communities. The organisation works to move communities from the damage caused by conflict and towards a process of healing & recovery. Cúnamh has received much support from the communities, with much of their work appearing in local Newspapers.

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The organisations promotes peaceful approaches to conflict resolution and collaboration between communities. Through its “Pride of Place” competition, Cooperation Ireland encourages  people to come together to take pride in their communities. Co-operation Ireland’s youth & education projects – Artlinks and Civic-link - bring together young people from all communities and gives them the opportunity to meet & learn about other cultures.

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WAVE encourages members to take an active role in the organization and empowers them through support and training. Members are represented on the management committee, facilitate group support activities and befriend and visit others who might have suffered from violence during the Troubles. The aim is to work through a process of healing, with a longer-term goal of reconciliation.

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Community Training

This project provides training for community workers and young people across Greater Belfast. It takes the Accredited Cultural Relations Training Programme to the community, involving those least likely to be attracted to formal learning. Participants are also those most likely to remain within the perceived safety of their own communities – a potential constraint on their personal development and future prospects. NICHS works with young people and their community leaders to provide the opportunity for participants to develop their understanding of, and respect for, themselves, others and their communities.

Young Leaders Training

The Young Leaders Training project was established in 2001 to allow those involved in NICHS’ Youth Resource Centre more contact time and a tangible outcome for their efforts. Over a year, the project trains participants as peer educators, preparing them for future voluntary work with younger NICHS participants and other groups. Since 2005, the course has been accredited to Northern Ireland Open College Network Level 2. The project offers skills and experiences which are increasingly essential for overcoming prejudice and sectarianism. It includes an exchange with Youth Action, a predominately Muslim group in Blackburn, Lancashire, and this helps participants transcend the exploration of traditional Northern Irish religious and political differences.

Community Partnership Project

The NICHS Community Partnership Project is a progressive personal and community development programme. It delivers an accredited Cultural Relations Training Programme for community workers and young leaders, helping them develop sustainable cross-community or cross-border partnerships which build peace at a grass roots level. Young participants are aged 15-17, and come from eight marginalised communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The project also supports participants to address social issues like drug abuse and crime. Exchanges with marginalised communities in Great Britain add a further dimension, giving young people an opportunity to explore cultural diversity at first hand.

Youth Resource Centre

NICHS’ Youth Resource Centre was opened in 1997 and serves an area of north Belfast which has the largest concentration of interface Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland. About one quarter of all sectarian killings have taken place within a 2-mile radius. Few of the young people who visit the Centre have not been touched by personal loss, or suffered the consequences of a family member being involved in the conflict.

The project supports peace in Northern Ireland by providing opportunities for young people and their communities to build relationships. This positive contact creates empowerment, mutual understanding and skills development. Through the partnerships, young people are able to take part in various educational opportunities. The Centre also advises, trains, and supports community leaders, enabling them to take a leading role in establishing their own inter-group relationships.

Link Project

Link, NICHS’ longest-established project, provides a two-year programme for cross-community groups of young people in Greater Belfast. Link Project participants come from communities which have inherited a legacy of social exclusion, brought about through blatant sectarianism, intimidation and years of embittered conflict. Not only does the project create the first opportunity for these young people to meet, it goes much further by building the essential trust to explore similarities and differences, and to discuss issues of cultural diversity which affect everyday life. Young people gain new skills, develop existing ones, and form relationships based on trust, understanding and respect. At the same time they explore alternatives to the hatred and bigotry which has been their only experience.

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