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23 May 2011

Community Relations Week 2011 begins today in a year that has already seen a number of significant symbolic gestures of connection that were until now, seemingly impossible including  the formal acknowledgment that their respective countries are now “neighbours, equals, colleagues and friends”  extended by President McAleese to the Queen last week.

To mark the first day, a workshop event organised by the Community Relations Council (CRC) and Heritage Lottery Fund is taking place at the synagogue on Belfast’s Antrim Road, bringing together people from across the North interested inexploring different approaches and perspectives to mark the forthcoming decade of political anniversaries.  The event will consider how activities to remember the Signing of the Ulster Covenant and the Easter Rising amongst other significant dates might be taken forward with a set of overarching ethical principles that promote a wider understanding of the context in which these events originally occurred.

A consultation is currently being undertaken for CRC by Dr Katy Radford of the Institute for Conflict Research. According to Dr Radford,

"At a time of fragile peace, of stretched, nascent relationships and of reduced funding opportunities, there remains a real challenge for those wishing to extend inter and intra-community work into the highly charged arena of anniversaries and commemorations.

However, communities indicate that they are ready to rise to that challenge." 

"The period between 2012 and 2022 will see a number of significant political and social anniversaries of events that have taken place from the 17^th century onwards and which continue to shape a sense of British and Irish identity in Northern Ireland a decade into the 21^st century.  Participants to the CRC consultation indicate a desire to see the legacy of these events in new performance and fine art, music, theatre and prose as well as in community education projects.  And as one consultee put it ‘ It's not the topic, it's the process and the integrity of the partnerships that count.’”

For further information contact

Ray Mullan, Community Relations Council

rmullan@nicrc.org.uk tel 90-227500