The display and talks are taking part as part of the North East PEACE III Partnership’s Cultural Fusions project, which has offers exciting opportunities for local groups to develop culture and arts programmes with the collaborative assistance of the Cultural Fusions consortium. The overall aim of the programme is to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the rich cultural diversity of the North East, including ethnic minority and indigenous cultural traditions.

This free banner talk follows on from a banner evening held in February and speakers include local banner artist Philip Anderson and Dominic Bryan, Director of the Institute for  Irish Studies at Queen’s University, Belfast.  Philip, who is son to the late Bobby Anderson will also present some of his fathers’ banner work during his talk.

These talks are very relevant to the recently opened ‘Images of Ireland: 1867-1916’ exhibition at Coleraine Town Hall which will run until September 8^th 2010. This exhibition, developed jointly by Causeway Museum Service and Mid Antrim Museum Service as part of the Cultural Fusions programme explores ideas of culture and identity in the north of Ireland in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This exhibition highlights diversity of identity during this historical period which incorporates the Gaelic Revival and Home Rule crisis but also draws parallels between the development of opposing organisations and the emblems and images they employed. This exhibition is open 12pm to 5pm daily.

For further information on any of the above Causeway Museum Service Initiatives please call 70347221.

All interested groups, organizations and individuals are invited to view the document and provide feedback on its content. Below we have provided a consultation feedback form in order for you to provide us with your thoughts and comments on the plan.

All feedback must be returned by 12.00 noon on Friday 10 September 2010 to Jennifer Maguire at Coleraine Borough Council, 66 Portstewart Road, Coleraine BT52 1EY. Details on how to return feedback are included in the consultation feedback form.

Pictured are participants visiting Fort Dunree in Donegal as part of the Brighter Futures programme

Community groups from across the council areas of Moyle, Limavady, Coleraine and Ballymoney recently participated on a cross-border visit and workshop to Donegal to learn how members from across the cultural divide fought together during the Great War.

The event took place on Tuesday 25 May and was part of the North East PEACE III Partnership’s Building Brighter Futures programme. The group of 30 delegates visited Fort Dunree, near Buncrana, which began its life as a British Military fortification guarding the approaches to Lough Swilly over 200 years ago. The fort was transferred to Irish jurisdiction in 1938 and remained as a Coastal Defence Station until the early 1990’s.

Now, as a heritage museum and centre for peace-building, it welcomes groups from all over Ireland that have an interest in history and a concern for the way we share our island in the future. The group was given a conducted tour of the Fort which included its unique history and spectacular location. It then attended a workshop deliberating the Irish participation in World War I and how this history impacts on our society and lives today.

“The group had an excellent day and really enjoyed their visit to this stunning part of Donegal,” commented Damien Kearney, Programme Manager and Co-ordinator from Business in the Community. “Many of the group participants had no comprehension of the significance of the Fort and the role it played in our shared history. The aim of this visit and workshop was to bring together community groups participating on the Building Brighter Futures Programme from across the North East PEACE III cluster area in the context of a practical learning experience, with particular reference to the shared British/Irish element of its history.

The workshops focused on the causes of conflict in Ireland prior to the Great War, including: how men and women of both communities came together and fought side by side, Irish experiences during the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Messines and the 16^th Irish and 36^th Ulster Division. The workshops were designed to foster an understanding of how these experiences can have a positive impact on our attitudes today.”

The project will see 12 Schools from the 6 council areas of Ballymoney, Ballymena, Coleraine, Larne, Moyle and Limavady work in collaboration to deliver projects for young people that will develop capacity and skills in the area of peace building. The programme aims to better equip young people to make informed decisions and choices both in school and in their local community as they seek to challenge racist and sectarian attitudes.

Justice Minister, David Ford MLA

Speaking at the Intercultural Achievement Awards on Tuesday 22 June 2010 in the Long Gallery at Parliament Buildings, Justice Minister Ford, MLA presented the Community Safety Award to Ballymena Inter Ethnic Forum and congratulated the Agency for its work on the Bi-lingual Advocacy Project – an initiative which provides support to ethnic minorities in Ballymena, and gives advice on community safety issues in partnership with the local PSNI. 

The Award ceremony was sponsored by the Department of Justice, OFMDFM, PSNI and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to recognise and celebrate the work of those who promote integration and building relationships in communities

Cllr Maurice Mills, Mayor of Ballymena said “On behalf of Council, I congratulate Ballymena Inter Ethnic Forum on their tremendous performance in the Intercultural Development Awards.  I look forward to hosting a reception from them in July and continuing to work in partnership as we strive to make Ballymena “A Great Place to Be” for all our citizens.

Alderman PJ McAvoy, Vice Chairperson of Ballymena Community Safety Partnership responded to the news by stating, “We are absolutely delighted at the success of Ballymena Inter Ethnic Forum. Reducing fear of crime among ethnic minorities is one of the three key priorities for Community Safety Partnership in its 3-year strategic plan.  I have no doubt that the Bi-Lingual Advocacy Project which is funded by the Community Safety Partnership, DPP, OFMDFM and Ballymena Borough Council, has made a real and tangible difference to the lives of Ethnic Minority communities in the Borough”.

PSNI District Commander for ‘H’ District, Chief Superintendent. Nigel Goddard said “The Police in Ballymena have really benefitted from the establishment of the Bi-lingual Advocacy Service provided by BIEF as it has given us access to minority communities that just wasn’t available before.  We have seen how this has helped to build confidence between the local police and new communities in Ballymena.  The recognition is truly deserved and I know BIEF will continue to deliver a real benefit both to my organisation and the wider Ballymena Community.”

Ivy Ridge, Ethnic Minorities Project Manager said “We would like to thank OFMDFM, Ballymena Borough Council, Ballymena Community Safety Partnership, Ballymena District Policing Partnership, PSNI and Ballymena Inter Agency Ethnic Support Group for the invaluable support they have given to the project.   We are honored that our work has been given this prestigious recognition and we look forward to developing our partnerships so that together we can continue to build better and stronger relationships in our communities.”

In addition to winning the Community Safety Award, Ballymena Inter-Ethnic Forum were also runners up for both the Community Involvement and the Good Race Relations Awards.   To find out more about Ballymena Inter Ethnic Forum or the Bi-Lingual Advocacy Project, please contact Ivy Ridge, Ethnic Minorities Project Manager for BIEF on 028 2564 3605 or email ivy.ridge@bief.org.uk

Fifty students from Ballymoney’s Our Lady of Lourdes High School recently participated on the Cultural Fusions programme. The day-long event, which was held on Friday 11^th June, was delivered by Causeway Museum Service and included a visit to two exhibitions in the Braid Museum & Arts Centre in Ballymena, an artist talk and a DVD screening on peace building and democracy in South Africa.

Cultural Fusions offers exciting opportunities for local groups to develop culture and arts programmes with the assistance of the Cultural Fusions consortium. The overall aim of the programme is to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the rich cultural diversity of the North East, including ethnic minority and indigenous cultural traditions.

The programme of sessions delivered with Our Lady of Lourdes students was action packed. In the morning Mid Antrim Museum Service hosted the schools’ visit to the Braid where the students explored objects and archival material from the ‘Images of Ireland’ exhibition, many of which illustrate fusion of identity in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Artworks on loan from the Arts Council in the ‘Art of the Troubles’ exhibition especially made an impact on Year 10 art students who are currently working on a collective mural project exploring the Troubles and the diversity of identity and cultural tradition in contemporary Northern Ireland.

After lunch students met with local playwright and storyteller Damien Gorman who spoke of his own experiences as a young man growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Damien discussed the development of his writing practice and how it has helped him deal with different types of conflict experienced in his youth and adult life. Damien made a huge impression on the students who valued his openness and excellent story telling talents.

To round up the days programme, students then viewed a film which took them on a ‘Tour of the Constitutional Court’ in Johannesburg, South Africa which highlights the role art and architecture has played in shaping a more democratic society here while also enabling South Africans to acknowledge their long history of conflict. Exploring South African in this way enabled students to draw parallels between the history and nature of conflict there and in Northern Ireland.

For further information please contact Causeway Museum Service on 028 7034 7234.

In order to develop the Action Plan, the Partnership wishes to hear the views of local people from the area. This will help to shape and develop the Action Plan.  It is important that the Action Plan is suited and tailored to meet the needs of the local community and for this reason your input is crucial.

Public consultation meetings have been organised in the following venues to hear local people’s views on issues.

     ●  Wednesday 16^th June at 7pm, Ballymoney Town Hall

     ●  Thursday 17^th June at 7pm, Larne Leisure Centre                                   

     ●  Monday 21^st June at 7pm, The Braid, Ballymena

     ●  Tuesday 22^nd June at 7pm, The Radisson Hotel, Limavady

     ●  Wednesday 23^rd June at 7pm, The Marine Hotel, Ballycastle

     ●  Thursday 24^th June at 7pm, Portrush Town Hall

For more information please visit www.northeastpeace.com  or call 028 7034 7012

Pictured are Brent van der Linde, Mediation Northern Ireland, Colin Neilands, Director WEA, Lyn Moffett, Ballymoney Community Resource Centre, Alderman James Simpson, Ballymoney Borough Council, Alderman Jack Rankin MBE, Chair of NE PEACE III Joint Committee, Sandy Gilkinson, Mayor of Coleraine, Conn Mulvenna, Kilcranny House, Louise O’Meara, Interaction Institute for Social Change Ireland and Patricia McCallion, North East PEACE III Partnership

A new Community Integration programme was launched in the Town Hall, Portrush on Thursday, 27^th May.  The initiative will be delivered across the Coleraine, Ballymoney, Limavady and Moyle council areas over the next year.

Speakers at the launch included the Mayor of Coleraine, Sandy Gilkinson, the Vice-Chair of the NE PEACE III Partnership, Mr Jack Rankin (elected member for Limavady), and the Director of the WEA, Colin Neilands.

The Community Integration Programme aims to deliver a bespoke Community and Ethnic Minority Capacity Building and Sharing Programme which will ultimately increase the confidence, capacity, knowledge and skills of local people, from disadvantaged areas, from within marginalised groups and from ethnic minority groups, to engage in reconciliation, anti-sectarian and anti-racism work.

The programme will offer learning and support to 40 groups and at least 120 individuals from these groups, taking them through a journey of exploration, skills building and practical initiatives, coupled with a practical project which they would have to deliver as part of the process.

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is the lead partner of a consortium appointed by the North East PEACE III Partnership to deliver the programme. Other partners include Mediation Northern Ireland, the Interaction Institute for Social Change, Ballymoney Community Resource Centre and Kilcranny House.

Pictured is Colin Neilands, Director WEA

A new Community Integration programme was launched in The Braid Arts Centre, Ballymena on Wednesday, 26^th May.  The initiative will be delivered across the Ballymena and Larne council areas over the next year.

Speakers at the launch included the Mayor of Ballymena, James Currie, the Chair of the NE PEACE III Partnership, Mr Bill jack Adamson, and the Director of the WEA, Colin Neilands.

The Community Integration Programme aims to deliver a bespoke Community and Ethnic Minority Capacity Building and Sharing Programme which will ultimately increase the confidence, capacity, knowledge and skills of local people, from disadvantaged areas, from within marginalised groups and from ethnic minority groups, to engage in reconciliation, anti-sectarian and anti-racism work.

The programme will offer learning and support to 40 groups and at least 120 individuals from these groups, taking them through a journey of exploration, skills building and practical initiatives, coupled with a practical project which they would have to deliver as part of the process.

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is the lead partner of a consortium appointed by the North East PEACE III Partnership to deliver the programme. Other partners include Mediation Northern Ireland, the Interaction Institute for Social Change, Ballymoney Community Resource Centre and Kilcranny House.

The Future Leaders Programme will provide the opportunity for 60 young people from across the Coleraine, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Larne, Limavady and Moyle Areas to establish local ‘Youth Leadership Groups’ in each of the 6 council areas.

Participants will put together and roll out summer intervention programmes in each area, as well as work towards OCN accredited Peer Leadership and Community Relations qualifications.

For more information or to sign up contact the Youth Forum on 028 9033 1990; email futureleaders@niyf.org ; add us on facebook  name: ‘Niyf Yf’ or tweet via NIYF79