Ballinamore continues to be impacted by the legacy of the past and the conflict. We need to go back and examine the root causes of conflict, for positive learning of mistakes in order to build a better future. We need to explore past hurts, fears and experiences and work towards promoting greater understanding and acceptance of diversity between Nationalist and Unionists Communities both North and South, thereby reducing sectarianism.

2024-2026 Project

Over the past few years we have built strong friendships and strong links between our community groups and a wide variety of cross-border & cross-community groups. In our last programme, we proved that we are not afraid to have difficult conversations and we strive towards equality and justice for all the people on this island – Unionist, Republican, Loyalist, Nationalist and those who are indifferent.

Tensions still simmer and we see a need to build on where where we are at. Our new programme thus promises to deliver further cross-border and cross-community talks and living libraries to help break down more barriers and strengthen friendships.

We will also run cultural awareness and networking trips.

The final part of our Learning from the Past Looking to the Future project will focus on the future with our “Fixing Things” Community Restorative Justice Training for young people. This training will provide students approaching adulthood with the skills to deal with conflict, build long lasting friendships, and ensure they can embed reconciliation and justice into their everyday lives.

Previous Programme

The 2022-2024 programme consisted of a series of Peace building workshops & discussion groups. The workshops included presentations from former combatants, ex –prisoners and their families and other conflict management materials.  15 participants from Leitrim and 15 from Fermanagh attended the workshops/discussions.

There was also be a Series of Public Talks with Guest Speakers highlighting the issues of Conflict in the North of Ireland and border regions and the legacy of violence. Themes included the effects of the troubles on families, ex-prisoners’ experiences, varying perspectives on the conflict, the threat of Brexit and so forth. 20 participants from Leitrim and 20 from Fermanagh attended all workshops.

There were also a range of public events open to participants’ families who have also been affected by the conflict and members of the public.

We have positive contacts with the Coiste Network, the ex-prisoners group, who assisted us acquiring speakers. These included ex-British Army, ex-Combatants, and people who experienced the troubles on the ground.

Objectives

The objective is to exchange ideas on the futility of conflict. The purpose of these workshops is to inform and educate participants on the reality of the horrors of conflict and the benefits of peaceful dialogue in resolving disputes.