Accessibility Features
Accessibility | Skip to Start of Article | Skip to Search | Skip to Navigation Menu | Skip to Themes | Skip to Regions | Skip to Members Sign InAccessibility Features
Accessibility | Skip to Start of Article | Skip to Search | Skip to Navigation Menu | Skip to Themes | Skip to Regions | Skip to Members Sign In
More than 200 young people were getting ready to converge on Parliament Buildings, Stormont to mark the beginning of Community Relations Week. Some of them gathered at Stormont on 24 April in anticipation of a major youth event there on Saturday (26 April).
Enya Murphy from Castlewellan gets ready for a major youth event at Stormont. She is pictured with (left to right) Louise Robinson from Derry, Thomas Castles from North Belfast, Dionne Pollock from Glengormley and Darren Scott-Murphy from Newry.
The event taking place on Saturday will be the first of more 140 community relations events taking place across Northern Ireland during the course of seven days.
The young people also participated in a launch event for Community Relations Week at the Stormont Hotel on Thursday 24 April, which featured examples of some of the events to take place during the course of the week. These included Lithuanian art, a visit from a Kenyan delegation and contribution from members of the local Chinese community.
Community Relations Week is organised by the Community Relations Council (CRC) and runs from 26 April until 2 May. It includes events run by local councils, public bodies and community and voluntary sector organisations.
Saturday’s Stormont event is entitled ‘Your Past… Our Future’ and is being organised by the five Education and Library Boards’ (ELBs) Youth Service in partnership with the Department of Education and CRC.
Young people will engage in debates in Stormont’s Senate Chamber on youth issues. They will also participate in interactive workshops examining key themes such as the meaning of diversity and building trust. Creative workshops on dance, drama (including hip hop) and music will also take place. And local bands will play in Stormont’s Long Gallery.
“The event has been led by a panel of young people drawn from all of the five ELBs who have put such energy and enthusiasm into planning and organising this festival,”
said Matt Milliken, Assistant Advisory Officer for Community Relations at the South Eastern Education and Library Board.
“A Shared Future is unthinkable without the active involvement of young people. The event will provide a unique opportunity for young people to simultaneously express and demonstrate their desire to live in a way that was freer than before. The event will be typified by fun and energy, creating a ‘feel-good-factor’ around serious topics.
“This will not be a passive spectacle but will engage over 200 participants in a variety of activities which express their commitment to a society built on the principles of equity, diversity and interdependence.”
The event has been sponsored by the Minister for Education Caitriona Ruane and Chair of the Education Committee, Sammy Wilson.
CRC chief executive, Duncan Morrow, says: “Events in Community Relations Week will help showcase positive change that is happening in communities, engage local people in opportunities to take small and large steps towards a shared society and help address difficult issues relating to matters like housing, culture, parading and policing.”
“We are delighted to have such a broad range of events taking place during the week across Northern Ireland.
“With local politicians in charge of government, we now have a huge opportunity for real progress towards a peaceful and shared society and it is important to ensure that this is capitalised on.
“Conflict and division are still structured into the fabric of Northern Ireland and real progress requires these issues to be dealt with. Government clearly has a leading role, but everyone has their part to play,” Dr Morrow adds.
A full listing of Community Relations Week events can be found at www.nicrc.org.uk and printed programmes can be obtained from local libraries.
Footer
NICVA | 61 Duncairn Gardens | Belfast | BT15 2GB
Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action is registered as a company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland (No 1792) and is registered as a charity for tax purposes with the Inland Revenue