Peace and reconciliation projects in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties received a welcome boost as the International Fund for Ireland today committed £1.9m/€2.7m towards 20 initiatives.

The funding, approved at the organisation’s recent Board Meeting in Limavady, includes £381,000/€536,000 for four new projects that will support vulnerable young people who are unable to access or remain in traditional education and training provision.

More than £760,000/€1m will be shared among nine PIP projects aimed at transforming marginalised communities; and a further £756,000/€1m has been allocated to seven initiatives that are developing new dialogue on the future of Peace Walls. Since 2012, the Fund has committed more than £4m/€5.6m towards Peace Walls projects and played key role in the recent removal of a division on the Crumlin Road in Belfast.

Dr Adrian Johnston, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland said:

“This is a timely commitment that concentrates much-needed funding towards 20 projects that are stabilising communities and giving young people new positive options. Today’s announcement is our largest in the last four years and strengthens our reach in some areas that have been opposed to the political settlement.

“With our assistance, many communities that are vulnerable to violence have become more resilient and remained with the Peace Process. We are supporting groups who are taking measured risks and developing new ideas to transform their communities. The achievements of this approach in recent years are significant and set us apart from other funders.”

He added, “We are pleased to make the first financial awards through our Personal Youth Development Programme. The four projects have developed compelling proposals to reconnect young people – who have fallen between cracks in statutory provision – with suitable education and training opportunities. I have every confidence that they will collectively begin to improve confidences, skillsets and good relations. I am particularly pleased that the projects are working with the statutory agencies in their areas which can only strengthen the projects and give the young people involved a greater chance of re-engaging with their communities. 

The Chairman took the opportunity to thank the international donors to the Fund - the European Union and the Governments of the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand - for their support.

The four projects under the new Personal Youth Development Programme are:

• €178,987/£127,080 to Cox’s Demesne Youth & Community Project for a two-year project that will offer training and education support up to 30 young people in the Dundalk and wider Louth area.
• €198,817/£141,160 to Donegal Youth Service for a 21-month project that will assist young people to build and develop life skills that foster good relations, build confidence and resilience and improve their employability.
• €88,862/£63,092 to North Connaught Youth & Community Service for a one-year project aimed at supporting young people between the ages of 16-25 years who have disengaged from formal education.
• €70,000/£49,700 to Mullaghmatt/Cortolvin Community Development Ltd (Teach na Daoine) for a one-year project that will deliver accredited and non-accredited training to up to 15 disadvantaged and disaffected young people from the Mullaghmatt/Cortolvin area in Monaghan.

In November, the Fund unveiled plans to allocate up to £45m towards a range of peace and reconciliation programmes over a five-year period through its ‘Community Consolidation – Peace Consolidation 2016-2020’ Strategy.

Further information about all the beneficiaries from the International Fund for Ireland’s latest funding package is available at www.internationalfundforireland.com

Click here to read more