IFI Continues 'Building For Peace'

Just over £10m has been promised to "promote reconciliation, community development and peace building" throughout Northern Ireland and the southern border counties.

Coming just days after the divisive killing of two soldiers and a policeman in separate terrorist attacks, the Board of the International Fund for Ireland has pledged the cash to support peace.

For example, a total of £3.9m (€4.7m) will promote sharing in education with £1.9m (€2.3m) assisting towards Phase II of the existing Sharing Education Programme to increase the number of pupils taught in cross-community classes and to enable teachers, governors and parents from both communities to work collaboratively. £1m (€1.2m) will also be granted to Fermanagh Trust's Sharing Education Programme, with both of these projects are co-funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.

The North Eastern Education & Library Board will receive £889,860 (€1m) towards developing sharing in education for approximately 30 schools in its area.

A total of £2.3m (€2.8m) will also go towards a number of projects under the Fund's Community Based Economic and Social Regeneration Programme.

The Programme targets help at some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged communities in Northern Ireland and the Southern border counties

using economic regeneration as the basis for cross-community and cross-border activities.

The Community Bridges Programme has allocated funding of £1.3m (€1.6m) towards a range of projects which seek to address the real issues of segregation and sectarianism in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties.

A total of £432,644 (€519,173) is being made available under the Integrating Community Organisations Programme to help community organisations from

both sides of the border who wish to co-operate on a cross-border and/or cross-community basis to work for the benefit of their community.

The Holywell Trust in Derry/Londonderry - under the Fund's Leaving a Legacy initiative - will receive £1.8m (€2.2m) towards the Walled City Partnership capital project.

The project will see Holywell Trust move towards a full merger with the Peace and Reconciliation Group (PRG) and The Junction - two of the other most significant reconciliation groups in the region.

The newly merged entity will relocate to a more suitable city centre venue, realising economies of scale and helping to re-establish the city centre as a shared space.

Commenting on the announcement, Denis Rooney, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland said: "The Fund is unapologetically focused on reaching out to young people and our investment in sharing in education is testament to this.

"The next generation must view learning and living together as the norm if we are to take the monumental step towards our goal of a strong, sustainable and lasting peace for everyone across the island of Ireland."

He also thanked donor countries, the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, Australia and New Zealand "for their valued contributions, which are ever more vital in these challenging times".

(BMcC/JM)