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29 October 2007

The Community Relations Council (CRC) hosts its fourth annual Victims Conference on 29th and 30th October in Enniskillen. In attendance will be over 50 groups working with victims and survivors of the Troubles.

Victims Groups discuss Dealing with our Troubled Past

The Community Relations Council (CRC) hosts its fourth annual Victims Conference on 29^th and 30^th October in Enniskillen. In attendance will be over 50 groups working with victims and survivors of the Troubles.

“The voice of the victims of violence and conflict needs to be heard, if we are to build a past based on honesty, rather than one based on denial”, says Duncan Morrow, CRC Chief Executive, who is speaking at the conference. 

 “In the end, the suffering of the victims is the reason why the peace process is necessary”.

The conference will draw together victim support groups to debate and discuss a range of the important issues which affect them in relation to the impact of the Troubles in NI.  The Victims Conferences are also a way for groups to renew relationships with each other and share good practice.

The main issues at the conference will be:

• Looking at our troubled past, on the path to a future free from victimhood: groups will be examining approaches to how we might deal with the past and exploring how they feel the past should be dealt with from their perspective.  The Community Relations Council want to ensure that those groups who do not often have a voice will be heard on this very important issue. 
• A panel debate with political parties to consider how they are taking seriously the needs of those that have experienced the most virulent effects of the conflict. 
• Work undertaken by researchers Katy Radford and Sara Templer to demonstrate how the Government’s Shared Future policy speaks to and relates to victims and survivors.
• Showcasing the important work being done by victims groups across Northern Ireland

Workshops themes will also include the following:

• addressing how we cope with stress, anger and hurt
• examining how victim support work might best be funded
• ooking at the legacy of transgenerational needs and support for our young people
• exploring the benefits for victims when statutory services use community development models.

Also speaking about the conference, Michaela Mackin, Director of CRC’s Victims Programme, said:

“How we deal with the past will frame our future relationships with one another. Moving forward courageously on a healing process that will acknowledge and accept our past will be an important process in the healing of wounds for a new future, even though the scars will remind us of the violence of the past”.

Dr Katy Radford, who will be presenting her research report at the conference, adds

"There is an imperative on the statutory sector to strengthen support for the families of victims and survivors of the Conflict with a need to pay particular attention to breaking cycles of trans-generational trauma and the role of commemoration within that.”

The conference is taking place at Killyhevlin Hotel in Enniskillen.  There will be over 150 delegates at the residential conference drawn from local groups and organisations active in work supporting victims and survivors.

For further information contact

Ray Mullan(Communications Director) or Patricia O’Neill, Tel 028 90 227500

Note to Editor:

This event acknowledges that a lot of valuable work has and is, being achieved by groups involved in working with victims and survivors of the NI Troubles.

Party Political Panel will include:

Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP)

David Ford (Alliance)

Derek Hussey (UUP)

Dolores Kelly (SDLP)

Sinn Fein representative- to be confirmed.