Over one hundred sixth form pupils from 20 different schools across Northern Ireland came together in Belfast on 2nd February to take part in a special Sharing in Education conference. The conference, which formed part of the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust’s Sharing Education Together peer-led dialogue and learning Project, is funded by the International Fund for Ireland through its Sharing in Education Programme. The conference marked the culmination of a series of events and workshops held in schools over the past year aimed at empowering pupils to develop dialogue and [ ... ]

A new cross-community schools programme which is focused on partnering primary schools from both sides of the community was launched today at St John’s Primary School, Moy by John Carson of the International Fund for Ireland. The Primary Curriculum Partnership Programme (PCPP) is a three year initiative managed by the Southern Education and Library Board (SELB) and funded by the International Fund for Ireland under its Sharing in Education Programme, with financial assistance of £474,552. The Programme will bring together primary schools from the same town, but different sides of the comm [ ... ]

Are you over 55 years of age and living in Co Monaghan? Then the IFI Older Persons project may be for you. The project, which is funded by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), will: - Provide workshops and training in the area of Peace Building, including accredited Peace Building Training
- Bring older people together for cross border cross community social events - Create opportunities for young people and older people to learn new skills from each other and gain insights into experience of life on the border Announcing the launch of the project, MID Chief Executive Officer Mr Gabri [ ... ]

The International Fund for Ireland has launched an innovative Project which aims to promote understanding and reconciliation with school children across Northern Ireland through the use of media.    The Headliners Project, Distinctive Voices Collective Choices, which will run until September 2013, will work with pupils aged 8-19 years old. The Project will use media, including creative and interactive activities and discussions to explore issues of sectarianism, to challenge pre-conceptions of other communities and to work towards the goal of a shared vision and future.  [ ... ]

The International Fund for Ireland today announced a £2m programme directed towards interface communities to help bring about the conditions that would allow for the removal of peace walls and barriers in Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. The Fund, which is an independent, internationally-funded organisation promoting reconciliation between Unionists and Nationalists throughout Ireland, said considerable momentum had built up in recent years for the removal of peace walls/barriers but there was still fear in many communities about them coming down too quickly. The Peace Wal [ ... ]

A new multi-million pound redevelopment project to create an integrated community resource centre for East Belfast was launched on 15th December by Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland and Anne Henderson, Board member of the International Fund for Ireland.  The Templemore Avenue School Trust received £2.25 million from the Northern Ireland Executive to redevelop the former Templemore Avenue School to transform it into a Community Hub that will significantly increase services to the local community.  The funding was distributed through DSD’s Modernisation Fund Capital  [ ... ]

The official launch of the Newtowncunningham Inter-Church ‘Newtown Shared Space’ project took place last Friday, 9 December, 2011 in Co. Donegal. The €131,352 project is primarily being funded by the International Fund for Ireland under its Building Foundations, Community Based Economic and Social Regeneration programme. 
With funding now in place, the ‘Newtown Shared Space’ project will now provide a two-year programme of activities including healthy living, arts and crafts, history story-telling, sport, and IT training.  Each activity will have a direct community relatio [ ... ]

Monday 5th December: A major cross-community project partnering schools from Nationalist and Unionist traditions in the North Eastern Education and Library Board area, was launched today by Dr Denis Rooney CBE, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland. The Partnership, Inclusion, Reconciliation, Citizenship and History Project (PIRCH), to which the Fund has provided financial assistance of up to £1,153,000 through its Sharing in Education Programme, aims to develop collaborative working partnerships within schools and improve community relations. The three-year project, which will b [ ... ]

A project to reduce tensions at one of Belfast’s interface areas has been judged to be a success by an independent review an event heard today.  (Friday 2 December 2011) An independent evaluation of the two year Forthspring Good Relations Project was revealed at an event on the Springfield Road in West Belfast. The review looked at the Project’s achievements including the setting up of a new Men’s Group and Community Garden; the establishment of a very successful cross-community Summer Festival; and the publication of the story of Forthspring and related good relations ca [ ... ]

The participants of the Reaching Them Young Project managed by Opportunity Youth, celebrated their success in a special event last night held in North Belfast. The project was aimed at  young people aged 11-21 who feel socially isolated or excluded from their communities and who are at risk of, or engaged in offending. It aims to help reintegrate them back into their communities through individually tailored plans, mentoring, training and family support. During the 2-year project, in East/West/North Belfast and the Creggan/Fountain areas of Londonderry, over 270 young people h [ ... ]

The official launch of the Men’s Sheds Initiative for Donegal took place on Friday night in the Niall Mór Community & Enterprise Centre, Killybegs, one of two locations earmarked to locate the Men’s Sheds in the South West Donegal region.  The two year project, which is being administered by South West Donegal Communities Partnership Ltd. (SWDCP) draws on the considerable success of Men’s Sheds in Australia, and is designed to help older men who have lived through and being impacted by the Troubles, to connect with their local community. The programme was officially launched [ ... ]

New two year programme ‘Family Matters in the Community’ launched in Donegal A two year programme titled ‘Family Matters in the Community’ has today been launched in Convoy Woollen Mills, Convoy, County Donegal.  The programme which is being implemented by the cross-community and cross-border charity organisation, NW Alcohol Forum Ltd. (NWAF) follows a successful pilot project previously undertaken by the group.  ‘Family Matters in the Community’ has been structured to deliver a programme that sets out to develop and implement effective family support and advoc [ ... ]

A new schools project which will encourage cross-community contact between young people in the South East region was launched today by Dr Denis Rooney CBE, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland. Learning to Live Together, is a three-year project facilitated by the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) and funded by the International Fund for Ireland under its Sharing in Education Programme. It brings together young people aged 11 to 14 from both sides of the community and from counties Antrim and Down, with the aim of encouraging contact and dialogue and promoting pos [ ... ]

A special conference designed to share experiences and best practice in the field of community relations and reconciliation took place in Belfast today (21st November 2011). The conference, which was held at Ramada Plaza Hotel, Shaw’s Bridge was hosted by the International Fund for Ireland through its Community Bridges Programme. It brought together 150 delegates from community organisations and statutory agencies from across the island of Ireland and shared key findings from four recently commissioned reports on peace building. Focusing on four thematic areas of education; yout [ ... ]

Fund looks to the future with commitment to new Peace Studies Chair The International Fund for Ireland has announced financial assistance of £3.7m/€4.5m towards a wide range of initiatives which will contribute towards peace building and reconciliation between Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties.  Of particular note is a financial commitment of £1m/€1.2m by the Fund towards the cost of establishing a new Chair of Peace Studies, currently being proposed by the University of Ulster and to be located at the Magee Campus in Derry/Londonde [ ... ]

Last Friday saw the official opening and launch of the Sharing Stories exhibition at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny. Attended by over 100 guests, the exhibition features some of the digital work produced by the International Fund for Ireland supported Sharing Stories programme.

Sharing Stories is a cross-border community film project in County Donegal and Derry City, led by the Regional Cultural Centre Letterkenny in partnership with the Nerve Centre Derry. The project’s aim is to utilise digital media to contribute to positive relationship building and to develop greater unde [ ... ]

The official launch of the Saldanha Suite at Fort Dunree took place on Friday 11 November, 2011 in Buncrana, Co. Donegal. The Saldanha Suite is the most recent addition to Fort Dunree Military Museum and is currently home to the “Rockhill Collection”.  

In attendance at the launch, International Fund for Ireland chairman Dr. Denis Rooney, said: “I am delighted to join you today for the official opening of the Saldanha Suite her at the Fort Dunree Military Museum.  This important resource is a major addition to the Buncrana area and I am sure the local community will bene [ ... ]

A new 2-year programme specifically for women across the north-west titled ‘Exploring New Directions’ has today been officially launched by the Inishowen Women’s Information Network (IWIN) in association with its programme partner, the Mid Ulster Women’s Network (MUWN).  The official launch event took place at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel in Buncrana and was attended by almost 150 guests, comprising individual women, community groups and representatives from various city and county councils.

Exploring New Directions is a two-year programme of activities targeting isolated w [ ... ]