Middle-East delegation to visit NI on peace-building project

A delegation from the Middle-East will arrive in Northern Ireland this week to pave the way for a peace support project that will draw on the shared experience of the regions’ troubled communities.

The joint Israeli-Palestinian group, invited by INCORE the international conflict research centre, and Intercomm - the North Belfast community development group - will hold discussions with academics, policy-makers and practitioners on establishing a ‘Belfast-Jerusalem’ peace-building project.

An INCORE spokesperson said the talks will focus on common issues and challenges of division confronting the city of Jerusalem and communities in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

“The death of Yasser Arafat has perhaps provided a new opportunity to revive the long dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to put an end to the cycle of violence that has undermined attempts to build progress,” said INCORE director Professor Gillian Robinson.

“This cross-cultural project is designed to complement those expected new efforts and we hope it will help transform everyday life for people whose voices are seldom heard, those who live far from the conference table and away from public gaze.”

The visiting delegation comprises two Palestinians, Dr Yaser Abu Khater, Professor of Law at Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, and Walid Salem, Director of Panorama, a Jerusalem-based non-governmental organisation (NGO); and two Israelis, Amos Gil and Eetta Prince, members of Jerusalem-based Ir Amim, a group composed mainly of academics committed to fostering democratic values.

INCORE is the central co-ordinating body for peace and conflict research and activity across the University of Ulster.

Intercomm is an inter-community organisation specialising in economic regeneration, social reconstruction and local and international peace-building practices.

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