Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - Press Releases - Loyalist and Republican recognised for leadership with major award

26 May 2011

A Loyalist and a Republican have today been recognised together for their tireless work to break down division in North Belfast. Michael Acheson and Rab McCallum jointly received the annual Community Relations Award for Exceptional Achievement this afternoon (1.45pm) at the flagship event of Community Relations Week in the Stormont Hotel.

Both men have first-hand experience of conflict , Michael as a Loyalist and Rab as a Republican, but, although coming from opposite sides of the political and community divide, they have been working, individually and together, since the mid-1990s to improve community relations in some of Northern Ireland’s most divided communities.

Amongst their many roles has been to mediate and act as communications channels in North Belfast at times of intercommunity tension, rioting and sectarian attacks, often putting themselves at personal risk but relentlessly pushing forward in the interests of peace.

Duncan Morrow, chief executive of the Community Relations Council, which presents the award, says that the positive progress that there has been in North Belfast owes much to the groundbreaking work they have been engaged in.

“Michael and Rab provide powerful examples of what can be achieved in Northern Ireland. Working in highly tense and volatile situations, Michael and Rab have helped create an environment where real progress could be and is being made. Their work has made a very tangible, positive impact on the lives of people in North Belfast. They are synonymous with providing genuine transformative leadership, and we are delighted to recognise their continuing good work,” Dr Morrow says.

The two men first worked together in the 1990’s as part of the North Belfast Community Development Centre (now disbanded) to help deal with contentious issues like parading, policing, and the aftermath of civil unrest and public disorder. They have continued to liaise and work together on community relations issues

Michael was, until recently, employed by the LINC organisation which works with loyalist ex-prisoners. He was a founder member and Chair of the North Belfast Conflict Transformation Network, which brought together ex-combatants, community groups and others, and is seen as having contributed significantly to peace and stability in the area.

Rab is now coordinator of the North Belfast Interface Network, which works within and between the most conflicted areas of North Belfast to deal with issues around interfaces to ease tensions and build improved relations.

The Community Relations Award for Exceptional Achievement has been presented annually since 2006 by the Community Relations Council as a mark of recognition. It consists of a trophy created from bronze and granite by the artist Kate Oram.

The award was presented as part of Community Relations Week, which features 150 events this week under the theme ‘Division – No Quick Fix’. The flagship event of the week is today’s policy conference in the Stormont Hotel entitled ‘Reconciling the Books: The Economic Case for Sharing’. Speakers include economist Mark Magill and Ben Collins, Northern Ireland Director of the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

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Chris Harrison MCIPR

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