A total of €34,385,137 in funding has been awarded to 15 projects which will transcend boundaries and support continued peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
The funding announcement on the Building Positive Relations Investment Area, through the PEACEPLUS Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities theme, will see a focus on minority groups and organisations which have traditionally been marginalised in society, providing a genuine opportunity to promote community cohesion.
The aim of these projects will be to build and sustain relationships between 116 organisations, and more than 50,000 people from all communities, across a wide range of sectors.
The PEACEPLUS Programme has been designed to promote peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, and has a total value of €1.14bn, to be delivered over the next four years.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Fifteen projects will be delivered as a result of the latest PEACEPLUS funding awards:
· ACCEPT – Achieving Community Cohesion through Engagement Participation and Trust (€2,937,705). Led by Northern Ireland Alternatives, the ACCEPT Project seeks to build positive relations with a research-informed, co-designed approach to foster reconciliation and provide comprehensive community support. The project plans to jointly engage in 17 organisations and deliver to 3,360 beneficiaries.
· COLOUR – Communities of Learning, Openness and Understanding Through Rights (€1,890,471.02). Led by UNICEF Ireland, COLOUR will use the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) framework as a guide to promote positive interactions across communities, bringing children, families, and communities together to meaningfully engage in diverse cross-community settings.
· CONNECT (€2,081,985). Led by British Council, CONNECT seeks to foster positive relationships within communities and support peacebuilding efforts in Northern Ireland. It sets out to address four main challenges that contribute to destabilisation and misinformation: mistrust among communities, social isolation, discrimination, and inequalities affecting vulnerable groups.
· FLOURISH – Framing the Legacy of our Irish and Scottish Heritage (€1,817,377.89). Led by Ulster University, FLOURISH aims to develop positive community relations and support peacebuilding in Northern Ireland by addressing sensitive issues related to language and cultural diversity. In Northern Ireland, despite 30 years of the peace process, language and culture remain controversial political issues that continue to divide the community along traditional religious and political lines.
· FORWARD – Focus on Reconciliation, Working to Achieve Real Dialogue Project (€2,722,082.60). Led by Leafair Community Association Ltd, the FORWARD Project is a regional initiative focused on reconciliation and peacebuilding and the main goal is to build positive relationships between Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist (PUL) and Catholic, Nationalist, Republican (CNR) communities and individuals from other backgrounds.
· ICI – Intercultural CrossBorder Inclusion Project (€2,925,134.56). Led by North West Migrants Forum, the project aims to foster a more inclusive and welcoming society within communities in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland that are experiencing rapid demographic change.
· I.T. T. – In This Together (€1,038,828). Led by Specialisterne NI, I.T.T. aims to engage with neurodiverse participants from different community backgrounds from across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, through a series of workshops aimed at a range of target audiences, from school and university students to unemployed adults.
· Making Peaceful Change (€2,023,657). Led by Northwest Play Resource Centre (The Playhouse), Making Peaceful Change seeks to build positive relations through youth engagement and leadership development, enabling young leaders to challenge stereotypes and envision a future grounded in shared values of equality and justice.
· Maximising Community Space – Inclusive and Connected Rural Communities (€2,753,293). Led by Rural Action, the project seeks to address community division in rural areas and in particular the spaces used by and associated with local groups/communities and organisations and the perceptions associated with each of these.
· NextGen4Peace Project (€2,561,233). Led by the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, the project aims to address increasing levels of polarisation, division and the erosion of social cohesion exacerbated by Brexit, tensions surrounding the Windsor Framework negotiations, the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and immigration challenges between the UK and Ireland.
· PEACEWORKS – Partnership for Education, Advancement, and Community Empowerment (€2,940,093.16). Led by Co-operation Ireland, the PEACEWORKS Project seeks to engage with members of the EPFC (Ex-Prisoner/Former Combatant) community through a range of activities and actions, which have been designed and planned to foster inter-community relations, enhance capacities and promote peace and reconciliation in this community.
· The Rio Ferdinand Foundation PEACE Academy (€1,253,574). Led by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, with partners Sligo Rovers Football Club and Glentoran Football Club, the project is a cross-community and cross-border project that seeks to help remedy the community divide through engagement, learning, social action, employability, sport and media interaction.
· S4P – Sport 4 Peace (€2,774,888.48). Led by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association, S4P aims to promote positive relations characterised by respect and understanding, where cultural diversity is celebrated, and individuals from different backgrounds can live, learn, and socialise together, free from prejudice, hate, and intolerance.
· Ubuntu (€3,049,095.18). Led by NI Federation of Housing Associations, Ubuntu (which means ‘humanity to others’) sets out to transcend local boundaries through a strategic approach to promoting peace and reconciliation between Northern Ireland and Ireland. It will focus on creating inclusive, engaged communities through a social housing and neighbourhood lens.
· WRP – Women’s ReconciliNation Project (€1,615,720). Led by Training for Women Network Ltd, WRP will bring together community, training, and academic partners to establish a holistic educational programme for women in Northern Ireland and the border counties. It will seek to bring women’s voices to the table in a safe and constructive way, while also bringing diverse communities together to build understanding and break down barriers.
Welcoming the announcement, First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “The innovative projects that will be delivered through this investment will engage thousands of people and deliver across a wide range of themes, from providing support for newcomers, to connecting people through the power of sport, with many of the initiatives engaging those who have been marginalised in society.
“These projects have the potential to impact individuals, families and communities across the region by building respect and understanding, celebrating cultural diversity and providing opportunities for people from different backgrounds to come together.
“I wish all the project partners the very best with their delivery, and I look forward to seeing the positive difference these projects will make.”
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “The inspiring vision put forward by the organisations involved in developing these projects will be a positive force for good relations. These projects will help break down barriers and unite communities, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to feel included.
“The Executive Office is contributing over €5 million in match funding which will ensure these initiatives can bring people from different backgrounds together to make real and lasting connections.
“Thanks to everyone involved in developing these projects. I have no doubt they will bring a range of benefits to everyone and wish you all success moving forward.”
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary TD said: “I am delighted that further funding, almost €35m, is approved for projects under the PEACEPLUS Programme. These projects will be supported under the Building Positive Relations Investment Area and will promote positive relations characterised by respect, where cultural diversity is celebrated and people can live, learn and socialise together, free from prejudice, hate and intolerance. Enhancing participation, leadership and resilience in rural communities is a key part of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025.
“I am very pleased that my Department of Rural and Community Development will be partnering with the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Special EU Programmes Body in providing this much needed funding for these fantastic projects.
“I wish all the successful applicants the very best of luck in getting their projects underway, which will be of benefit to rural communities, on both sides of the border to create a more cohesive society through building, improving and sustaining relationships between and within communities.”
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “Peace and reconciliation are essential for socio-economic development and prosperity. Opportunities for interventions between communities are designed to enable and promote discussion and build mutual respect and trust.
“While we have come such a long way over the past 26 years since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, our society still faces significant challenges.
“Through the Building Positive Relations Investment Area, the PEACEPLUS Programme will continue to support positive change , empower communities through initiatives which sustain peace and leave a legacy of friendship and understanding.
“The aim of these 15 projects will be to help break down some of the social segregations and help ease tensions, mistrust and hurt from the years of conflict, facilitating greater inclusion, working together and a shared hope for a better future.”