Coventry to Belfast: Journeys of Dialogue and Reconciliation
You are invited to
“Coventry to Belfast: Journeys of Dialogue and Reconciliation”
on Thursday, 6 October from 8.30am to 10.30am
in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont
Speakers:
- Lord Alderdice, Chair, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building
- Professor Mike Hardy, Chair, RISING Global Peace Forum
- The Reverend Canon Sarah Hills, Coventry Cathedral Canon for Reconciliation
- Pádraig Ó Tuama, Leader, Corrymeela Community
Register at www.getinvited.to/cdpb/rgpf
This event has been organised by RISING Global Peace Forum in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building and Corrymeela as a part of their regional programme.
Inspired and supported by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the RISING Global Peace Forum was founded in 2015 by a partnership between Coventry University, Coventry Cathedral and Coventry City Council. As the UK’s City of Peace and Reconciliation, Coventry is uniquely placed to demonstrate both the catastrophic consequences of conflict and the transformative power of peace. It brings together political, faith and community leaders; peace-builders; diplomats; academics; the media; and members of the public in the common cause of provoking peace. The next annual gathering will take place from 15 to 16 November 2016 in Coventry. For more information please visit rising.org
Centre for Democracy & Peace Building launch post EU Referendum programme to establish best outcome for NI
The Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB) launched the next phase of their EU Debate NI Programme this morning with an event hosted by Ulster Bank.
In partnership with Professor David Phinnemore and Dr Lee McGowan from Queen’s University Belfast, the Centre has produced a paper entitled “After the referendum: Establishing the best outcome for Northern Ireland”.
Following the decision of the UK to leave the EU, the paper explores where we are, the potential options for Northern Ireland and the issues that we must consider in NI as a result of this referendum.
Conor Houston, Programme Director at CDPB said “The decision of the UK electorate was to change the relationship between the UK and EU. That is why CDPB are continuing our important work with EU Debate NI. Now more than ever we need to have an informed and inclusive conversation across the private, public and community sectors to understand the practical implications of the decision to leave the EU and how to achieve an outcome that is in the interests of all people. This means carefully debating the kind of relationship we want to have with the EU and exploring new relationships with other countries around the world.”
He continued “CDPB acknowledge the support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust who have generously supported the EU Debate NI programme and without whom we would not have been able to continue our important work with this programme”.
CDPB are currently developing an online toolkit allowing interested individuals and groups to understand the issues and to help host events that allow communities to consider the kind of relationships they envisage with the EU.
Professor David Phinnemore told an audience from across the private, public and community sectors: “The outcome of the EU referendum has created considerable uncertainty about the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU. It has raised questions about how any new relationship will be negotiated and whether and how it can satisfactorily accommodate the interests and preferences of the people of Northern Ireland. There are many issues at stake and many unanswered questions. It is important that the range of challenges is fully recognised, solutions identified and the priorities for Northern Ireland effectively promoted such that the best possible outcome to the prospect of Brexit is secured.”
The paper is available to download at www.democracyandpeace.org/publications
Join us for the World Premiere of “Hazel: Made in Belfast” in New York’s Carnegie Hall
A key figure in the emergence of the Irish state is to be commemorated at a special concert in New York’s world famous Carnegie Hall later this year.
Carnegie Hall will be the setting for the world premiere of: “Hazel: Made in Belfast” which presents the untold story of Lady Hazel Lavery, wife of the famous painter Sir John Lavery who had an influential role in the Anglo Irish talks involving Michael Collins, David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill.
Lady Lavery helped build diplomatic links between key figures in the negotiations that led to the Treaty that created the Free State and let her home be used to host the historic Anglo Irish Conference on 1921.
This concert will be performed by the stunning young Irish soprano, Sarah Power making her New York debut, accompanied by the Irish violinist Aveen McEntee, leader of the Dublin Symphony Orchestra with Irish poet and script-writer, Terence Browne on piano. New York artist Gregory de la Haba narrates the most romantic, sacred, beautiful and historic Anglo-Irish-American story of all time.
Hazel a beautiful young American artist from Chicago was married to Belfast painter Sir John Lavery. Sir John had been commissioned by Justice Darling to paint him passing the death sentence for High Treason on Irish revolutionary, Sir Roger Casement. Hazel while sitting in the public gallery at the Court of Criminal Appeal in London with her husband decided then and there to seek to reconcile Ireland and England, which had been locked in apparent never-ending conflict for over seven hundred years.
Historians had for many reasons airbrushed Hazel out of the narrative of Ireland’s achievement of Independence, and the establishment of Northern Ireland in 1921, until Sinead McCoole published the first and only biography in 1996 entitled Hazel – A Life of Lady Lavery (Lilliput Press).
Although Hazel had been the icon representing Irish female beauty on Irish paper currency from 1927 until the introduction of the Euro, practically no one in Ireland knew of her central and pivotal role.
Hazel used her house in London to play informal host to range of celebrated figures and politicians and establish diplomatic links between them. On the evening of 5th December 1921, Hazel drove Michael Collins in her car to Downing Street where he signed the Treaty granting Independence to Ireland. And they say the rest is history…
To book tickets please go to: http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2016/10/16/0730/PM/Sarah-Power-Soprano-Terence-Browne-Piano-Aveen-McEntee-Violin/
EU Debate NI: Where NI goes next?
Following the decision by the UK electorate to Leave the EU, The Centre for Democracy & Peace Building (CDPB) are to continue their ‘EU Debate NI’ programme thanks to support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
EU Debate NI took a neutral position to stimulate and inform debate in Northern Ireland on the consequences of remaining in or leaving the EU.
The EU Debate NI Briefing Paper set out the issues and the questions to be considered in respect of the referendum in Northern Ireland, while the outreach events and online toolkit engaged thousands of people in understanding the different issues and arguments in the Referendum.
Lord Alderdice, CDPB Chairman speaking in the House of Lords said:
“We developed a public conversation which we called EU Debate NI. I pay tribute to Eva Grosman and Conor Houston from the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building that I run in Belfast. This became the major initiative in Northern Ireland: a public conversation, not campaigning for one side or the other, but enabling people from all sides and with all views to come together in public and engage on the legal, constitutional, educational, agricultural, industrial, economic—all aspects of the question. It meant that in Northern Ireland the debate was able to be conducted without some of the rancour and vitriol that there was in other parts of the UK.”
EU Debate NI will create the space for informed debate through events, online engagement and community outreach across NI. There will be a new Briefing Paper produced in conjunction with academics from Queen’s University Belfast setting out a roadmap and summary report of options for Northern Ireland. EU Debate NI will make this accessible to communities and groups across Northern Ireland and promote a national conversation about how Northern Ireland can best protect its unique and special interests post-referendum.
EU Debate NI looks forward to engaging all across our society in this important discussion – follow us on Twitter @EUDebateNI or visit our website at www.eudebateni.org
CDPB announces new appointments to the Board and Advisory Board
We are absolutely delighted to announce appointments of Dr Laurence Crowley CBE to the Board of Directors and Mr Terence Browne to our Advisory Board.
Dr Laurence Crowley CBE is chairman of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Ecocem Ltd., The Middletown Centre for Autism and Realex Payments Ltd. In 2005 he completed his term as Governor of Bank of Ireland. He is also a director of O’Flaherty Holdings Limited, The Gate Theatre and a number of not-for-profit companies.
Formerly, Laurence was a Partner in KPMG Stokes Kennedy Crowley for many years, specializing in reconstruction and insolvency.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from University College Dublin and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. In 2004 he was conferred with an honorary Doctorate in Laws by the National University f Ireland.
In 2009 Laurence was awarded an Honorary CBE by Her Majesty the Queen.
Terence Browne is a poet and pianist. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from University College Dublin with a background in Corporate Finance. He was appointed executive director of the Irish Spirit Award established by Ross Perot of Dallas Texas in 2003 to honor the life and works of his late friend and colleague Dr. Harry E. McKillop.
Terry has written a number of collections of poetry and the musical art-history of modern Ireland entitled “Hazel – Made in Belfast” which opens at Carnegie Hall, New York on October 16th, 2016.
You can book your tickets here https://www.carnegiehall.org/m/event.aspx?id=4295020072
Sir Van Morrison to perform at CDPB dinner
The Centre for Democracy and Peace Building are delighted to offer you a unique opportunity to support their work at the exclusive ‘Imagine’ dinner with an intimate concert by the legendary Sir Van Morrison.
The event will take place at the magnificent 5 Star Culloden Hotel in Belfast on Saturday 17th September 2016.
With a limited seats available, this is the best way to see and hear Sir Van in a ‘jazz club’ cabaret-style atmosphere. The show is preceded by a sumptuous dinner showcasing and celebrating the best of Northern Ireland produce.
We are realising a limited number of general admission tickets (dinner and concert only) at www.getinvited.to/cdpb/sirvm
For further information about Sponsorship Opportunities and VIP Packages please contact:
Eva Grosman at eva.grosman@democracyandpeace.org
or
Conor Houston at conor.houston@democracyandpeace.org
.