The International Fund for Ireland (IFI) has announced a significant funding package of £3,515,211 to further support peacebuilding initiatives across Northern Ireland and the southern border counties.
A total of eleven projects will receive support to continue their work with the most marginalised communities who have yet to receive any substantial dividends from the Peace Process.#
Three Derry projects are receiving support through the Peace Barriers Programme (PBP), Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP) and Peace Impact Programme (PIP).
Bogside and Brandywell Initiative has been awarded £235,403 for two years to expand on its work on Peace Barriers in the Fountain/Bishops Street, Abercorn Road areas of Derry/Londonderry through building leadership capacity building, intergenerational learning, positive partnership and re-classifying the interface.
Donegal Local Sports Partnership & Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership will use £163,793 through CiPP for the 24-month cross-border ‘Community Active Play’ Project which will connect the staff and volunteers of community groups and resident’s associations north and south, to build the capacity of leaders to plan, co-ordinate and to run play programmes and events.
Northwest Cultural Partnership (Lead) and Bready and District Ulster Scots Development Association (BDUSDA) has been given £301,761 through PIP for two years to extend and expand its work in urban and rural communities in the Northwest area including Counties Derry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh.
The project will engage with the most marginalised communities and seek to develop emerging community leaders to create positive change at a local level.
IFI Chair Paddy Harte, welcomed the latest financial package.
He said: “This support comes at a critical time in our peacebuilding journey. Whilst we acknowledge much progress has been made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement over 25 years ago, it is apparent that significant challenges remain.
“Our projects are working against a challenging backdrop. Tensions remain around increased paramilitary activity and recruitment of young people, sectarianism, criminal activity, anti-social behaviour, culture, and identity.
“We also understand that the fallout from the Windsor Framework has caused some communities to regress creating further polarisation.
“The IFI remains one of the few organisations that can engage with the most marginalised in society.
“We are committed to working closely with communities through sensitive dialogue and conflict resolution to tackle the difficult remaining areas of peacebuilding.”
Peace Barriers are the most visual symbol of the Troubles and many interface communities suffer from intergenerational trauma as well as social and economic inequality.
Six projects across Belfast and Derry have received £2,405,681/ €2,718,419 through the Peace Barriers Programme (PBP) to help interface communities to bring about the conditions that can allow for the removal of Peace Walls.
Currently more than 1,000 residents are involved in Peace Barrier site discussions.
Building cross-border relationships that empower communities is another area of focus through the Communities in Partnership (CiPP).
Two projects will receive £420,981/ €475,709 to encourage and support innovation on a cross-border basis.
Although a relatively new programme for the IFI, 85 new cross-border partnerships have been formed in the last year.
Two projects under the Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) have received £386,788/ €437,070 to help the most at-risk young people in society to improve their confidence and personal resilience, develop a better understanding of culture and identity, and develop practical skills that improve their employment prospects.
Thanks to PYDP support, 163 young people have secured employment in recent months.
Finally, the Peace Impact Programme is receiving £301,761/ €340,990 to work through sensitive interventions in communities that have not previously, or have only partially, participated in peacebuilding and reconciliation activities.
In the last year over 30,000 people have taken part in capacity building, training or attended events with PIP funded projects.
Projects funded will engage with communities and deliver initiatives in Belfast, Derry, Cavan, Donegal, and Fermanagh.
IFI Chair Paddy Harte added: “We are living with the consequences of conflict across the world, and I want to acknowledge the efforts of peacemakers everywhere, working hard with communities to transition towards peace and create positive leadership.
“Thanks to the ongoing support of our international donors, we will continue our peacebuilding efforts to help create a shared future where everyone can benefit.”
The IFI was set up by the British and Irish Governments as an independent international organisation in 1986 and is supported by international donors- the Irish and British Governments, the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
It delivers a range of peace and reconciliation initiatives across Northern Ireland and the southern border counties.
It currently supports a total of 81 projects in Northern Ireland and 20 in the southern border counties.
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