Notes: Intercomm Reconciliation Lecture

Politics of the Conflict and Reconciliation

Monday, May 21, 2007 at Noon

Conor and Liam Maskey - Intercomm: http://www.intercommbelfast.com/

Sid trotter and Cathrin - Link: Community group related to Intercomm working with Protestant / Catholic / Loyalist relations.

North Belfast Background

7 or top 10 wards (districts) in deprivation

1/4 of deaths happen in 1 square mile of here

Address social and economic problems which developed along the "peace lines" of N Belfast during the previous 30 years of community conflict by delivering economic regeneration, reconciliation, and social reconstruction

Intercomm Programs

Peace building programme - provide education programs for social advancement

N Belfast developing leadership initiative - Encourage people to engage in decision making that effects everyday life

Conflict intervention programme - people go to interface and try to stop problems if there is conflict

Rebuilding civic society initiative (RCSI) - Finding jobs

Community development (worktrack new deal) - place in after school programs and work

Home aid for vulnerable and elderly (HAVE) - Elderly very trusting and people took advantage of. Given package to help feel safe

Internships

Woman enterprise and vocational education (WEAVE) - business and craft training to manage micro enterprise

Intercomm Enterprises Inc - Non profit, forms physical barrier and rebuilds abandoned homes. Abandoned homes are popular place for rioting

Intercomm Enterprises Inc - raises awareness and funds for Belfast

Belfast-Jerusalem Civil Society Partnership (B-JCSP) - looks at other examples of conflict resolution

Questions

Funded by grants mostly, want to start generating money to self sustain. Can rent out this room for video conferencing.

Looking at other examples of conflict resolution in the world.

Intercomm founders Liam and Billy (murdered 6 years ago) faced death threats and alienation from their own communities

Unemployment - www.nirsa.gov.uk or http://www.nuim.ie/nirsa/

Weapons more of a government bartering point than real issue. It's about people and mindsets. Can decommission guns, but still will know how to make a bomb from grocery store materials, more important to decommission mindsets. Guns kept at dumps, for pickup, not in homes.

1/5 expected in 2020 to be immigrants in N Ireland

Currently Non Irish go to Catholic / Protestant schools and practice own religion. They are still pressured to choose a side, i.e. "Are you a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew?"

John Paul Lederach - Canadian author

Working class has more to gain by working together. "Not in a Social Revolution sense, though if that happened better for it" -- Interesting Socialist view.

After Lecture

Visit interface area and meet with local activists

See park, only one in Europe w/ a Peace Wall through it