In Belfast I meet with the Youth Council of Northern Ireland. This body s the lead advisory council dedicated to nfluencing and advancing the quality of life for children and young people in Ulster. It aims to produce policies that will directly have an impact on young people’s lives.Their office is just outside the city in South Belfast,a leafy suburb where many professional people live.Driving through the city,I see the explicit signs reminding the visitor of the last thirty years of conflict.UDA rules and IRA free zone are among the menu of graffiti on the walls. The previous night I stayed in the city and was amazed at how subdued the streets of the town centre appear to the outsider. In my work with Edges Magazine I visit all the major cities of the UK. However, Belfast is different. At 11pm the centre is almost dead. Nevertheless, with the dawn of a new day the place is buzzing with traffic inhibiting my taxi from getting me to my appointment on time. On the radio I hear about the events of the last night. Police and soldiers were deployed to the Ardoyne, an area to the north of the city. Tensions had flared between nationalists and loyalists. A father of two was terrorised by a mob that tried to break into his house. He was only saved by the drop-bar across the door. As my taxi slowly moves through the traffic, I continue to listen to the agenda of news events that paint a depressing picture of the sectarian divide. However, my meeting with a senior civil servant in the Department of Education, inspires me. David McClarin controls a budget of £15 Million that is allocated to schools and youth groups throughout the Province. £2.7 Million is given to the Youth Council. Education is paramount in the transformation of this land. I am impressed with how funding is being targeted to promote greater understanding of a society with diverse traditions. New programmes have been set up to promote cross-community involvement. David exhibits a sign of hope. Here we have a man from a Presbyterian background working under Martin McGuiness, the Education Minister. Although their politics are different, he recognises the important role the Sine Fein Minister has undertaken in the Department of Education. In fact he praises his work. Learning to accept each other is a difficult task. Yet it is the only way of creating lasting peace. There is a need to put the past behind and look ahead to the future. Northern Ireland has the biggest population of young people of any region in the UK. Over 40% of its people are under twenty-five. The Youth Council is committed to the principles of equity and equality in all it’s actions. David Guilfoyle is the Director. He speaks about the importance of encouraging young people to make a contribution to society through service to others. "Youth Link" is a Christian organisation breaking down the barriers of the sectarian divide and working in partnership as they look at social issues. The Youth Council supports it. Young people from a Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist and Quaker traditions work together. They give a tremendous sign of hope. The Kairos Project is one of its newest initiatives. The project identifies itself with a journey in understanding and building community. Through a series of residential events, outdoor pursuits, workshops and social activities, young people come together and explore the key issues at the heart of community division and conflict. Over the last ten months the project has been planning a summer programme, involving twenty-four young people going out to Romania. They have now gone to work with a charity that provides food, shelter and clothing to street children. The aim of the visit is to equip the participants with skills for active citizenship. Northern Ireland has a huge amount of new opportunities to offer its young people. Since 1995 a vast sum of European funding has gone into the Province. The Peace Programme is a European Funding initiative focusing on peace and reconciliation. Almost One Billion has already been given to projects in the most difficult areas with a further £300 Million allocated for the next three years. Technology can also play a part in bringing communities together. Thanks to European Funding schools who are geographically close but yet divided by religion, are taking part in joint projects via the internet. Young people are making contact via email and then taking part in video conferencing. I have spent the day with a dedicated team of policy makers involved in developing a coherent strategy for all young people. I see the embryonic stages of moving beyond the neutral environment, to one where diversity is valued, showing promising signs for the future. The Northern Ireland Assembly cannot afford to collapse. Its young people need it. |
