Minister Cowen announces €1,431,250 funding for Reconciliation Groups
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Brian Cowen T.D., announced today the allocation of grants totalling €1,431,250 from the Department of Foreign Affairs' Reconciliation Fund. The grants are being made to 38 organisations involved in a range of cross-community and cross-border outreach and reconciliation programmes.
Announcing the grants, Minister Cowen said:
"The Good Friday Agreement recognises and values the work being done by so many organisations to develop reconciliation and mutual respect between the various communities and traditions in Northern Ireland and between North and South, and sees such work as having a vital role in consolidating peace and political stability. These grants are a direct response by the Irish Government to the commitment made in the Agreement to enhance financial assistance for the work of reconciliation by these groups.
It is especially gratifying on this occasion to be able to provide support to programmes like that of the Drogheda / Shankill Partnership, the 174 Trust and the Parishes of Ballyroan and Drumcree Friendship Group, which provide young people from different traditions with an opportunity to meet and work together in exploring their own and each other's cultures. In the Good Friday Agreement, the people of Ireland endorsed a future in which we could collectively work together in a spirit of peace, partnership and mutual respect. It will fall to such young people to ensure that this vision of a shared future is fully realised. I am also pleased that this round of funding includes a number of projects in North Belfast aimed at improving community relations in that area."
Note for editors:
The Reconciliation Fund, established in the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1982, provides assistance to organisations involved in reconciliation work and creating better understanding between people in both parts of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain.
The allocation for 2002 is € 2.539 million. Recipients of the current allocation of grants announced by the Minister today include:
174 Trust This community development group is based in the New Lodge area which has the highest number of interfaces in Belfast and has suffered badly in the conflict in Northern Ireland. It works with a variety of local community groups and participates in cross-community initiatives. allocated €35,000.
Ardoyne Festival (North Belfast) The Festival provides a programme of cultural activities, festivals, workshops and St. Patrick's Day celebrations which involve participants from all sections of the community in North Belfast. allocated €15,000
Arts for All (North Belfast) This community-based arts resource aims to promote, develop and encourage the arts throughout North Belfast and has provided artistic opportunity to over 400 people and 18 arts facilitators in the area. allocated €50,000
Ashton Community Trust (New Lodge, Belfast) A registered charity founded in 1991, the Trust runs the Ashton Centre providing education and training in order to regenerate the area. allocated €20,000
Belfast Cathedrals Partnership The partnership is aimed at strengthening the bonds between the St. Anne's (Church of Ireland) and St. Peter's (Catholic) Cathedrals and their respective communities. The Partnership organises many cross-community events including the formation of a joint cross-community choir in the past year. allocated €50,000
Cairde Bunscoil Phobal Feirste (Belfast) Cairde Bunscoil Phobal Feirste was established in 1991 to provide the Irish community in Belfast with Irish medium community based services. The project will work through Irish with young people to raise awareness of participants' cultural identities with those from different community backgrounds, North and South. allocated €30,000
Cappagh Accordion Band (County Monaghan) This is a group of amateur musicians in the marching band tradition, from the minority community in County Monaghan who are looking to further the involvement of more young people of both communities. allocated €7,500
Churchill Flute Band (Derry) This Band aims, through the medium of music, to promote greater understanding of other communities' cultures and already has strong cross-community and inter-denominational dimensions, providing music at religious services in various churches. allocated €7,500
Convoy Ecumenical Project (Lifford, Donegal) The group is made up of representatives of the three main churches in the area and aims to identify issues relating to the community, generating tolerance of diversity and an awareness of wider issues facing the community. allocated €1,000
Cookstown Benefit Uptake Campaign (Cookstown) The Campaign was established to address the benefit needs and entitlements of rurally-based disadvantaged people in the Cookstown District Council area, without regard to political or religious background. allocated €7,000
Co-Operation Ireland Co-operation Ireland was founded in 1979 in response to the challenge of conflict and violence in Northern Ireland and currently runs a number of programmes on a North South basis, building relationships between communities. allocated €400,000
Cultures of Ireland (Glenageary, Dublin) This independent, voluntary association identifies and fosters cross-cultural debate and has forged links in cultural, political and religious fields in Northern Ireland. allocated €10,000
Cúnamh (Derry) This community based and led project, closely associated with the Bogside and Brandywell Initiative and the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, was designed to support survivors of the North's conflict. Recent work focused on supporting and counselling relatives and survivors of Bloody Sunday who are attending the Saville inquiry. allocated €30,000
Drogheda-Shankill Partnership The group was formed to enable the two communities to address together issues of division and social inclusion in the communities, developing relationships and cooperation, sharing information and collaborating to bring in resources. allocated €30,000
Family Information Group (Derry) This group works with families of disabled children, raising awareness, providing training and carries out research into the needs of such families. The group addresses these issues in a non-sectarian way. allocated €30,000
Gaeláras (Derry) The Group aims to develop the use of Irish and to foster respect for cultural diversity through education, dialogue and long-term cross community outreach work. allocated €100,000
Glebeside Community Association (Ballymoney) This local residents' group are attempting to regenerate their disadvantaged area by providing community activities and services including cross-community trips, an afterschools club and reference library, a community survey and environmental enhancements for the area. allocated €40,000
Glencree Centre (Wicklow) Glencree is a well-established centre working with all who wish to build peace. It seeks to complement the work of both the Irish and British Governments in building a lasting agreement in Northern Ireland. Glencree provides a safe and inclusive meeting place for peace building. allocated €125,000
Gortalowry House Project (Cookstown) This cross-community venue in the mid-Ulster area is run by a committee of local people, representing all groups who use the facility, with the aim of fostering a ‘one joint local community ethos'. allocated €20,000
Hampsey Harp School (Garvagh, Derry) This school of Irish harp music, based in the mainly Unionist town of Garvagh, are sending young students to Gurteen for a concert and workshop. The group from Gurteen will later return the visit. This is an annual event that has seen long term friendships established in past years. allocated €500
Irish Congress of Trade Unions ICTU is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland, representing approximately 250,000 members in all sections of the community. It has acted over the years to keep sectarianism out of the workplace and has organised many public rallies for peace, including one recently against the murder of Danny McColgan. They are now organising a training course in leadership to address issues of community confidence in Northern Ireland. allocated €100,000
Journey of Remembering / Book of Honour (Dublin) This organisation was set up to research the names of Irish soldiers who died in the First World War, on a county by county basis, with the intention of publishing a "Book of Honour" for each county. The book on County Donegal has recently been published. allocated €10,000
Laois Education Centre (Portlaoise) The Centre aims to increase mutual understanding through cross-border educational partnerships involving schools, teachers, students, education centres and local Government. allocated €20,000
Linfield Football Club (Belfast)
This football club aims to organise and develop a sustainable programme of cross-community and cross-border links through soccer and to further their anti-sectarianism programme. allocated €16,500
Maiden City Festival (Derry) The Maiden Festival, organised by the Apprentice Boys of Derry, is held annually and is increasingly supported by both sides of the community and across Ireland. The Festival Committee, while being single identity, aims to improve community relations, tolerance, and to engage the nationalist community in a process of inclusion and active reconciliation. allocated €40,000
Meath Peace Group (Meath) The Meath Peace Group is a voluntary group that aims to promote peace and understanding, to foster dialogue between communities North and South, to raise awareness of issues around the peace process and to encourage ordinary people to recognise their own role in building peace. allocated €10,000
Moy Valley C.C.E. (Dublin) This event aims to promote culture, arts and sport in a cross-border context, giving participants the opportunity to experience the music, art and poetry traditions of communities in both parts of the island. allocated €2,000
New Border Generation (Carlingford, County Louth) New Border Generation have, over the past two years, worked on the successful development of cross-border projects. From initial contacts made with numerous groups, area-based partnerships have been formed with many communities providing the opportunity to work together on projects that include elements essential to promote the mutual respect and understanding sought in the peace process. allocated €30,000
Nucleus (Derry) Nucleus is a multi-functional social Health Project for young people aged 16 to 25. It acts as a drug and alcohol free drop-in centre where young people within the North West of Ireland can access information on a range of issues. allocated €25,000
Parishes of Ballyroan and Drumcree Friendship Group (Dublin) The group brings children from Drumcree to Ballyroan during the tension in the marching season, organizing voluntary host families and outings for the children. allocated €1,250
Springfield Intercommunity Development Project (Belfast) This interface project in West Belfast aims to encourage inter-community development and community action and promote greater understanding and the reduction of divisions along Springfield/Falls/Shankill interfaces. allocated €10,000
St. Columb's Hall (Derry City) This city centre venue, used to promote community involvement in music, performance and the arts, is about to undergo major restoration that will upgrade the facilities into a modern, user-friendly centre for community activities. allocated €75,000
St. Laurence Pipe Band (Omagh) The band, with cross community membership, aims to maintain the piping tradition, promote acceptance of cultural diversity and develop cross-community and cross-border activities. allocated €7,500
St. Mary's Pastoral Council (Swanlinbar, County Cavan) The upgrading and landscaping of an existing Prayer and Peace Garden allocated €7,500
STOP ‘96 (Dublin) Solidarity To Organise Peace is a non-sectarian and non-political organisation which seeks to build peace through dialogue. Projects include cross-border, cross-community partnerships between primary schools; work with ex-prisoners (particularly among loyalists); and an ex-soldiers initiative involving links between former members of the security forces on both sides of the border. allocated €25,000
Tipperary Peace Convention (Tipperary) This group hosts an annual International Song of Peace Contest for which 10 finalists are chosen from the entries received and these are performed in the Grand Final in Tipperary Town. allocated €1,500
Westgate Foundation (County Cork) Part of the North-South Cross Community Project, which has contributed greatly towards reconciliation since its inception in 1986, mainly through the promotion of cross-border interaction. The group has committees in Ballincollig, Derry, and Belfast, and the main aims are to promote cross border contact (particularly among the socially excluded); to encourage understanding of unionist and nationalist culture and promote reconciliation in Northern Ireland. allocated €25,000
YMCA / Institute Football Club (Derry) The Institute aims to improve cross community relations through soccer. They have a strong youth programme, from the ages of 11 to 18, and their youth members come from across the community and from Donegal. allocated €16,500
