PREVIOUS EVENTS

Human Rights and Community Relations Conference - November 2002

ICR, in conjunction with INCORE, organised a roundtable conference and series of workshops and meetings in Belfast and Derry to explore the differences between human rights and community relations approaches to responding to conflict. The conference involved speakers and participants from Northern Ireland, South Africa and the USA. The papers presented at the conference have been published and are available to download click here for the conference papers you can also click here for background paper and details of speakers.

Mixed Marriages - The International Dimension - November 2001

ICR were co-organisers with INCORE of a workshop on mixed marriages in November 2001. The event was hosted by the Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research at Queen's University Belfast. The workshop focused on research and perspectives on mixed and interracial marriage, and aimed to highlight the policy issues facing a number of statutory agencies. The topic 'mixed marriages' incorporates interracial marriages, and inter-caste and inter-faith relationships. Click here for abstracts of the papers given.

South African Colloquium on International Programme on Best Practice - September 2000

Community Conflict Impact on Children aimed to focus on working with children and young people in violently divided societies and as apart of this established a network of practitioners both within and between South Africa and Northern Ireland, organised a one day conference in South Africa and a seminar in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland participants flew to South Africa in September 2000 for a four-day colloquium with South African colleagues. This began with three working groups: trauma and treatment; education and citizenship; and participation. On the third day participants presented their work in the three groups at a conference, while the fourth day was used for evaluation and planning of a text-book emanating from the work.

On return to Northern Ireland, a one-day seminar was planned to focus on one of the three themes, education, and to target senior policy makers in Northern Ireland. Three colleagues from the South African colloquium were invited to present at this event in Belfast Castle in January 2001, and was opened by the Minister for Education, Mr Martin McGuinness. The Department of Education of the South African government also sent Dr Khetsi Lohoko and Dr Brenda Leibowitz to represent them at the event.

Visit of Olara Otunnu to Northern Ireland - June 2000

Following a meeting with Marie Smyth, Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations with Special Responsibility for Children and Armed Conflict, agreed to visit Northern Ireland. Whilst in Northern Ireland, Mr Otunnu met with politicians, policy makers, heads of NGOs, and visited local communities and schools. His visit culminated in his report to the United Nations General Assembly.

In addition, Marie Smyth participated in an international workshop in Florence, Italy, which focused on ethical and methodological issues in researching children and armed conflict. An international network of researchers has been formed as a result of this workshop.

Building the Future’ Conference - June 2000

Olara Otunnu also spoke at a conference was jointly planned between CCIC and a range of children’s organisations. As part of the proceedings speakers from South Africa, Kosova, and from the Children and Armed Conflict Unit of the Children’s Law Centre at the University of Essex visited areas of Northern Ireland. Their responses are recorded in the conference report.

Snakes and Ladders: young people’s lives and choices: February – June 2000.

As part of the work with young people in Northern Ireland, we also supported the creation of a ‘Snakes and Ladders’ game, representing the choices facing young people and made by with younger children in Monkstown Youth Club. This floor game, approximately 12 feet square, has been presented at several conferences and events in the Belfast area subsequently, including our own conference in June 2000.

"The Festival of Trees" - 1998

Save the Children Fund invited The Cost of the Troubles Study to contribute a Christmas tree to the “Festival of Trees” at Aldergrove International Airport during Christmas 1998. Children from The Peace and Reconciliation Group in Derry Londonderry, Survivors of Trauma, WAVE and The Victims and Survivors Trust made Christmas decorations which carried messages about the effects of the Troubles on children. Statistics on the number of children killed in the Troubles and other background information was displayed alongside the tree, which remained in the arrival area throughout the Christmas period.

Work with local Groups - 1996

Throughout the project period, COTTS received requests to address local groups, university-based gatherings, and conferences and media audiences on issues related to the effects of the Troubles. The meetings and discussions with local groups was an important part of the work. We worked with Survivors of Trauma, WAVE, Disabled Police Officers Association, Belfast Interface Project, Greencastle Women’s Group, An Crann/The Tree, North Belfast Community Development Centre and its constituent groups. We met with a number of other groups such as Cunamh and CALMS (Derry Londonderry), Garvaghy Road Residents, Belfast Central Mission, Kairos, local prisoners organisations, and many of the partnership boards throughout Northern Ireland.