Latest Project News

NE PEACE III

Leadership in a Shared Society

Closing Conference

Royal Court Hotel, Portrush

Thursday 26th September 2013

A conference led by world renowned scholar and peace maker Prof John Paul Lederach: Leading in difficult times – in N.I. and other contexts

An opportunity to consider current issues facing community leaders who are working to bring positive change in local areas.

Content will include insights from John Paul Lederach's experience of the contours of peace building and other references, including the four principles of relationships, "the other", risk taking and creativity.

John Paul is the author of "The Moral Imagination: the Art and Soul of Peace Building" and "When Flesh and Bones Cry Out" amongst other books.

To book a place at the conference please contact Deborah Harris – or 9032 9718 ASAP.

The Workers' Educational Association, in partnership with Focus on Family, Ballysally, has been working on a project called "Through the Lens: Neighbours". This short, digital photography project explored Good Relations themes as the inspiration for the images and took place over the last few weeks.

A group are enjoying a WEA class in One Irish Gate Carrick. Looking back in to the local history of the area and the local stories that only they know and are eager to pass on, the art of story telling is built into our psyche reflecting back through the passage of time many can recall the changes in their communities good and bad.

Much of this is lost to the younger generation so the need to record local history is of great importance. Sharing learning and experiences is crucial in all societies many of us grew up with stories of the past, stories of the war and how people lived and survived it.

This programme will give twelve groups, from across the CAN Peace III Partnership area (Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and Antrim council areas) the opportunity to explore the social history of their particular group or area.

A WEA tutor/facilitator will be assigned to each group to support the group to identify and discuss things that are of interest to the participating groups. The facilitator will be on hand to support the group through the life of the programme along side the WEA development officer attached to the programme.

It could be the types of housing, employment, leisure sports activities that developed them as individuals, communities or groups. The groups themselves will decide their own learning, what do the groups understand by 'Shared History'? Do they believe there is a shared history between local communities? What is their area best known for? Is that something that everyone can relate to? If not, what would be the focus of history if they were writing it?

There will be an opportunity to meet up with another group from a different council area that may have commonalities and to share those experiences and stories. Also included in the programme will be an opportunity for a cross-border contact again to identify things that are similar to all and those also in contrast.

Each participating group will have the opportunity to produce a DVD, display or exhibition to showcase their group and their research during the life of the programme and to be part of the end celebration event in September 2013 with invited quests and Local media.

A 'master' DVD with all the individual inputs will be created and copies will be available for all attendees.

For further information email  or telephone and ask to speak to Diarmuid

"Through the Lens"

A photography project which ran as part of the May Day Festival.

"Through the lens" was a photography project run by the Irish Congress of
Trade Unions working with the Workers' Educational Association.

The project was funded by Peace III through Belfast City Council.

A series of workshops were set up for groups of people interested in using digital photography to explore themes of:

• Respect
• Diversity
• Solidarity

The initial workshops introduced the themes and how they could be reflected through photographic images in the workplace. The next sessions brought everyone together to look at the photographs, consider their meaning and what message might be read by the viewer.

Fifty-six participants attended, making up mixed groups, with a good representation from the public workforce. Both men and women took part from the likes of the Belfast Trust, Waterways, Belfast City Council, Courts NI, Musgrave Park Hospital, etc. Unions represented were the like of NIPSA and UNISON.

The project concluded with a very successful Exhibition in the "Golden Thread Gallery", Belfast and the opening night was attended by approximately 150 people. It is estimated that an additional 775 people visited the exhibition and due to these high numbers and positive comments, the gallery requested that the work would stay on show for an extra few weeks.

Feedback to the exhibition was really positive - in fact there was an enquiry about whether the work was for sale.

Here are a few examples of other feedback:

• At a Creative Writing Class (also funded for the May Festival) the group was asked to look at the images, choose their favourite and either write a caption for the piece or an eleven word poem (elfchen) about it. A discussion about the real meaning of diversity also took place and some members of the group used the topic as part of their 'homework'.
• "Really interesting images ... would like to know more about the project" visitor to the gallery
• "Amazing ... that's my street!" participant in another project
• "That's some of our group" participant in another project.
• "Great" ... comment in our visitors book.
• "Loved it all" comment in our visitors book
• "Thank you for firing my imagination and pushing the boundaries" ...comment in our visitors book

Comments form participant photographers on the programme:

It was an excellent opportunity to meet people from other disciplines and departments. I was able, not only to put into practice the photography skills that I already had, but I also learned new skills. The group dynamic also meant that I picked up some very handy tips which I will able to use in future. It was very interesting to see other people's work and how they had interpreted "Diversity" and its application to their workplace. I appreciated the feedback I got when I showed my pictures and talked about my interpretation of the theme. Most of all it was fun.
Participant on the programme.

As a trade union activist, I see the need to highlight diversity. This project has been a positive experience as it has helped me not only understand but promote better diversity within the health service and allowed me to think out-side the box.
Participant on the programme.

I got involved in the "Through the Lens" project because I enjoy photography and was attracted to the theme. Because of the "Through the Lens" project, I learnt some new techniques using my camera and was challenged about my understanding of diversity. It was fun but more importantly an opportunity for me to learn and develop my understanding.
Participant on the programme.

Project Images can be seen below: