PARTITION: A Dividing Ireland in a Dividing Europe
21st November, The Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown

A one conference to facilitate community based organisations explore and discuss the upcoming centenary of Partition.
 

Jonathan Thompson is only 11-years-old. Since taking part in the Schools Programme from the Londonderry Bands Forum he’s now played in front of 1,500 people at the Walled City Tattoo.

Playing an instrument isn’t all about making music, it can help in so many other ways. The Londonderry Bands Forum has created a Schools Programme that uses music to bring people together, and to help them develop confidence, teamwork, and increased concentration.

Nine AM. A cloudy Monday morning. But the windows are trembling. Oscillating. The floor reverberates. Over 50 women joined together in sing-song. Their collective voices pulsing through Small Wonders in Belfast.

Three community groups, each supported by CRC, have come together in celebration of Woman Making Peace.

On 16 September 2019, I was seated at a table with four women: Ann and Geraldine from the Women’s Institute; Rosie and Jennie – two friends from West Belfast.

Breakfast had been served and karaoke was underway. Soon the tables would be cleared and only then would table clothes be added. The idea: everyone writes, draws, doodles, and scribbles on the tablecloth.

Three questions would be posed around themes of power, agency and change...

Turas, the Irish language project in east Belfast, core funded by CRC, unveiled a bursary scheme for its higher-level learners. Eight people now have the opportunity to attend university.

Gail McCune (pictured far left above) first attended a family class with her daughter at Turas five years ago. From there, her interest grew with classes at the Turas summer school until she graduated from the Diploma in Irish course at the University of Ulster.

“I got a distinction,” Gail said, “and now I’ve been accepted onto an Irish and Archaeology Degree at Queen’s University.”

Gail lives near The Arches on the Newtownards Road. Gail had no Irish language skills when she first attended Turas, but with their help she is now pursuing a full-time degree. A personal transformation that involved moving away from being a housewife, to securing employment as a school collector, and eventually becoming a student.

Twelve people from around the world joined Ardoyne Youth Enterprise as part of their Welcoming Newcomers to North Belfast activities.

On 28 August 2019, the 12 international citizens joined Ardoyne Youth Enterprise for a family day out that included meeting North Belfast community groups, as well as discovering out what local services were available.

Turas, the Irish language project in east Belfast, has opened a library hub and learning space with over 2,000 books.

The new learning hub was unveiled 16 September 2019 at a ceremony in the Skainos Building on the Newtownards Road. Turas is core funded by the Community Relations Council.

The project's aim is to bring people together by raising awareness of the Irish language, while working to promote understanding and acceptance of the shared history and heritage of Ulster.

As part of an exhibit that marks 50 years since the building of the first “peace line” in Belfast, Kai Wiedenhöfer does a walking tour of “the largest outdoor art gallery in the world.”

Nobody’s quite sure if it’s exactly the largest or not, but the photographic exhibition covers 1,110 square meters along the peaceline at Cupar Way, Belfast.

Photographic panoramas were taken by Kai Wiedenhöfer at 10 border and separation walls in Iraq, Palestine, Cyprus, France and more since 1989.

Find out more in our photo essay of the event...

“I was suffering from domestic violence when I first went to the Falls Women’s Centre,” Angie said. “That was back in 1987. The Centre helped me then and really what they gave me, most of all, was courage and confidence. A sense of community.”

Angie has been involved with the Falls Women’s Centre ever since.

Throughout this year, the Falls Women’s Centre is hosting events enabling women to come together to discuss current issues they face, as well as the role they play in a shared and equal society.

Core funding from the Community Relations Council (CRC) ensures this valuable community service continues.

Over 52 projects were delivered in 2018-19, resulting in a significant number of positive good relations outcomes.

The North Belfast Strategic Good Relations Programme (NBSGRP) is managed by the Community Relations Council (CRC) in partnership with The Executive Office.

A celebration event in Belfast Castle showcased many of these projects, with presentations by a number of programme representatives and participants, allowing attendees to hear first-hand how the Programme has had a positive impact on the lives of those involved.

Contract holders for the North Belfast Strategic Good Relations Programme met as part of their on-going group support meetings. Representatives from CRC, The Executive Office and Belfast City Council were also in attendance.

The event presented an opportunity for each organisation to share about their work over the summer period and to reflect on the learning coming from each of their programmes.

A pilot project for school children in Lurgan led to presenting in front of 19,000 people in San Diego.

Geography students, employing ArcGIS technology on a pilot project, were selected to appear at a special conference – the first ever time someone was selected from outside the US.

Olive Hobson from CRC core funded Jethro Centre has been supporting the project which involves student collaboration from three different schools:

• St Ronan’s College
• Lurgan College
• Lurgan Junior High School

Essentially, technology has enabled teenagers to discuss the difficult issues of living in a divided town.

“Projects like this are a way of breaking down barriers and moving on from a past history of violence.”

A hundred and fifty people were in attendance at the sold out event in Belfast City Hall. And over 50 people had never been to a T:BUC forum before.

The celebration event showcased the diversity of projects and activities undertaken across Northern Ireland to help build united communities. They were gathered under the theme: “People making change for peace.”

The Engagement Forum used, for the first time, a unique carousel structure.

Different Drums of Ireland featured in a series of workshops for schools and community groups as part of Good Relations Week – a collection of events organised by the Community Relations Council.

The group started in 1991 as a community relations project. They have since went on to international acclaim, playing for Presidents and Royalty while still keeping Northern Ireland at its heart.

They use Lambeg and Bodhran drums, paired with Uileann pipes and whistles, guitar, world percussion and more. Jigs, reels, marches and original songs all come together in a unique mix of tradition and innovation.

And it was this fusion of skill and expertise that was on show when they led workshops for schools and community groups.

A living library. Each person is a book telling their individual story, history and struggles. You get 20 minutes to listen, chat, question.
Story is used directly as a means to learn and grow.

The Living Library at Belfast City Hall was part of Good Relations Week 2019 – a series of events in September around peace building and good community relations.

The Living Library allows you to borrow a person rather than a book. You sit with the person – a living book. Who are all from Northern Ireland. And where that conversation goes is unscripted. The idea is to listen, interact and challenge. More than anything it’s about learning through story telling.

On this particular day there were 14 books from different community, faith and political backgrounds. All with vastly different life experiences.

The Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA) launched the Women’s Charter and a full report into the North Belfast Women’s Voices programme that produced the Charter – as part of Good Relations Week 2019.

The report was launched in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour in Belfast City Council and the Lord Mayor spoke to express his appreciation of the work that the women who participated in this programme put into it.

The programme required a willingness to engage in challenging discussions around some of the most difficult issues that our society faces. Without the determination of these women to tackle such a tough set of problems this programme would not have been a success.

Youth Link and Youth Action partnered together to facilitate a workshop during Good Relations Week. They collectively looked at the question: Where to next for reconciliation in youth work?

In attendance were youth workers and stakeholders including funding and statutory bodies.

Dr Cathy Bollaert and Dr Martin McMullan have written a report that provides an overview of how participants evaluated the position of youth work in reconciliation, and the priorities for reconciliation they see youth work over the next several years.

"David and I and our 4 young children were living on the Mahon Road directly opposite the Police Station which had by then become an army base also. Helicopters overhead were regular daily experiences. Army Saracen jeeps spewed out from the barracks … it sure felt like we were living in a war zone."

"Not long after this our housing development was hit by a mortar attack which had been meant for the army barracks but which had gone wrong and hit the houses instead."

"I think this was my wake up call … no longer could I bury my head in the sand and pretend life was normal."