Final preparations are underway at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland for the Victim Empowerment and Peacebuilding Conference, Thursday 22nd May at the Europa Hotel in Belfast. Anyone interested in attending should submit their registration by 14th May 2008.
This conference is a valuable opportunity for those addressing victims/survivors issues, and those involved in peacebuilding work in Northern Ireland more generally to hear from eminent speakers working in conflict-affected regions, including Sri Lanka, Serbia, Colombia, India, South Africa, Israel/Palestine and India. These experienced speakers will reflect on their own work in supporting victims/survivors of violence and the challenges and opportunities which they face within their own particular contexts. There will be an opportunity for focused workshop discussion on the potential for learning from international examples of good practice in supporting victim empowerment and peacebuilding.
Fr. Michael Lapsley, founder of the Institute for the Healing of Memories, based in Cape Town, South Africa will deliver the keynote address. Fr. Lapsley, himself a survivor of apartheid violence, will speak on his own experience of supporting victims/survivors to make a contribution to peacebuilding and social change. Representatives of the Parents Circle-Families Forum, a group of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families supporting reconciliation and peace will reflect on their experience of working on a cross-community basis, and Stasa Zajovic from Women in Black-Serbia, will speak on their work in support of victims/survivors of the Kosovo war and its aftermath.
In the second half of the day, there will be an opportunity to hear from Duncan Morrow, Chief Executive of the Community Relations Council on future support for victims/survivors and a range of speakers, including representation from the newly appointed Commission for Victims / Survivors and local and international victims/survivors and funders groups.
The final opportunity to register for this important conference is the 14th of May and a full conference agenda and registration form are online for download. For more information, please ring the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland on (028) 9024 5927 or visit the Foundation website at www.communityfoundationni.org .
