Leadership Academy: Engaging with Communities at Risk
By India Fahy
The Leadership Academy has been developed by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building and the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool. It shares the knowledge and experience of conflict and conflict transformation in Northern Ireland and beyond, and its relation to dissent and risk in contemporary British society.
The first session, ‘Engaging with Communities at Risk’, took place on 26th January. At the heart of the focus of the session was an examination of the role and impact of leadership in public service. I left the session feeling enlightened and with a revived interest in the study of Northern Ireland.
I had never before even considered the role played by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in creating a peaceful and fair society. Jennifer Hawthorne, Head of Communities for the NIHE, led a fascinating session on ‘Building Peace through Housing’, giving an overview of the work that the HE is involved in within interface communities and some of the hardest hit areas of NI. The work carried out by the Community Cohesion team is focused on building better relations, ensuring that communities are safe and welcome to all, and strengthening cohesive communities.
One specific element of the projects carried out resonated with me, it seemed clear that the emphasis of the projects is placed on a careful process and impact, rather than tokenistic sentiments. The re-imaging programme works directly with communities, ensuring that they are fully involved from the project’s inception, giving a real sense of ownership and pride from the outset. Emotive examples have included new artwork featuring images close to the communities’ heart, such as a Mandela anti-racism mural created in Woodbourne.
Professor Shirlow made another interesting observation, about the fact that we often forget that there is a peace process worthy of study and consideration right on our doorstep. He highlighted that many conflict theorists are guilty of looking to former conflict regions further afield, such as the former Yugoslavia, before considering Northern Ireland. After the session I had a conversation with another WIP alum which shed further light on this matter, in-fact she had travelled to Yugoslavia with a view to studying the peace process there. As a resident of the Republic of Ireland she had never considered that a peace process worthy of study existed just across the border.
These were just two lessons that I took away from the dynamic and comprehensive Leadership Academy session led by Professor Peter Shirlow, Debbie Waters and Jennifer Hawthorne. It is just this type of realisation that is the very purpose of the Academy itself, the Academy is intended to raise awareness and understanding, and capture the experiences of the many processes at work in Northern Ireland’s ongoing peace process. I came away from the session with a refreshed interest in such matters and a desire to expand my knowledge further.
The next session ‘Hate Crime and Community Policing’ on 23rd February will look at the evidence on hate crime and its impact on community/policing relationships and the policies adopted to challenge the reproduction of hate crime and its destabilising effect.
University of Liverpool’s London Campus on Tuesday 23rd February 2016 at 2.30pm
Sign up here: www.getinvited.to/cdpb/leadership/
First EU Debate NI event launched in Belfast City Hall
The first EU Debate NI event was launched in Belfast City Hall by Deputy Lord Mayor Alderman Guy Spence on Friday, 5 February. It brought together representatives from across business, public and community sectors to discuss the issues that need to be considered in Northern Ireland in relation to the upcoming UK referendum on continued EU membership.
EU Debate NI is a programme of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB). CDPB are taking a neutral position in this debate, seeking to stimulate and inform debate on the issues in this referendum.
Conor Houston, Programme Director at CDPB commented following the event that “it was a lively, engaging and interactive event. We had round table discussions together with interactive polling allowed for diverse opinions and a range of views to be debated – including issues around trade, cross-border, immigration, effect on peace-funding and many other topics.”
Amplifying voices of respect and tolerance across Northern Ireland
Author: Nick Pickles
Every day, Twitter is used to promote social change, challenge viewpoints and discuss the most pressing issues facing communities across the globe.
As a public platform, our users’ power to challenge prejudice and division is a very real phenomenon, as recognised in a study from academics Orna Young and Paul Reilly, commissioned by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council. They found that “social media provided a ‘safe space’ or distance for individuals and groups to express their views on what may be viewed as emotive issues.” The authors describe the importance of creating opportunities to hear alternative viewpoints and positions that may not be available ‘offline’.
This is why we work directly with NGOs across the UK, training hundreds of community groups and activists on how to make the most of Twitter as platform for amplification. These groups are committed to challenging prejudice and discrimination, building stronger communities and calling out those that seek to create division.
Last week in Belfast we took this philosophy one step further.
Working alongside our partners in the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (@CDPB_NI) and the Washington Ireland Program (@WIPLive), we asked what campaigns need to be created, what ideas have not been discussed and what more can be done to ensure that the loudest voices belong to those who want a peaceful and tolerant future in Northern Ireland.
https://blog.twitter.com/2016/amplifying-voices-of-respect-and-tolerance-across-northern-ireland
Professor Heenan joins CDPB’s Board of Directors
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Deirdre Heenan to the Board of Directors of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building. Professor Heenan is joining Lord Alderdice, Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldosn MP and Liam Maskey.
Professor Deirdre Heenan was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Communication) and Provost (Coleraine & Magee) as of 1 September 2012.
A distinguished researcher, author and broadcaster, she is a member of the Institute for Research in Social Sciences and has published widely on healthcare, education policy, social care and devolution. She is a co-founder and former co-director of the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey.
In 2001 she was the recipient of a Distinguished Teaching Award and this was followed by a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy in 2006. In 2008 she secured an ESRC fellowship and spent nine months as policy adviser in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
In 2011 she was appointed by the health minister to join a five strong panel of experts to oversee a radical review of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. In 2013 she was commissioned by The Kings Fund to write a piece on Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland as part of a comparative review on Integration. Together with her colleague Professor Derek Birrell she has just been contracted by MacMillan to write a book on Integration of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.
In 2012 she was appointed to the Irish President’s Council of State as one of the seven personal nominees of President Michael D Higgins.
She is a director of ILEX, the Derry~Londonderry urban regeneration company and a school governor on the Board of Foyle College.
Professor Heenan has responsibility for corporate and institutional communications together with public affairs (including the Media & Corporate Relations team). As campus Provost for Coleraine and Magee, she also has responsibility for oversight of the general affairs of each campus including: service standards, pastoral care of students and staff, interaction with the wider community and for the Riverside Theatre.
At the invitation of Ivan Lewis, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Deirdre Co-Chaired the Heenan-Anderson Independent Commission into the Northern Ireland economy. She is a Board member of the British Irish Association. Since its formation in 1972, it has made a significant contribution to the progress made in Northern Ireland over the past decades and it continues to set the agenda on how to build on that achievement.
She is a member of the Working Group on Higher Education in the 30% Club. This group focuses on diversity in universities and higher education establishments.
BE THE CHANGE: Creative Workshop with Twitter | 21 January
The Centre for Democracy and Peace Building in partnership with Twitter (UK) invite you to the
BE THE CHANGE creative workshop
on 21 January 2016 from 2pm to 6pm
at the MAC Belfast, St. Anne’s Square, Belfast
to develop an online campaign to address social issues and drive positive change in Northern Ireland
To register go to www.getinvited.to/cdpb/twitter
2pm – 2.15pm:
Introduction by Nick Pickles, Head of Policy, Twitter (UK)
2.15pm – 3pm:
Ideas Session
3pm – 3.30pm:
Presentations and Initial Selection
3.30pm – 3.45pm:
Coffee Break
3.45pm – 5.30pm:
Campaign Development
5.30pm – 6pm:
Presentations and Final Selection
6pm:
Pizza, Drinks and Networking
The strongest campaign ideas will be developed further with support from the CDPB and Twitter (UK).
CDPB and the Institute for Irish Studies launch the Leadership Academy series in London
The Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB) and The Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool, in partnership with the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict, at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, are launching a series of lectures to share the knowledge and experience of conflict and conflict transformation in Northern Ireland and beyond and its relation to dissent and risk in contemporary British society.
The lectures bring together leading academics and practitioners to impart expertise and experiences that are relevant to policy makers, communities at risk and politicians in Great Britain.
There will 6, three-hour sessions, monthly between January and June, each featuring academic and policy presentations, responses from practitioners and workshops.All sessions will be held at the University of Liverpool’s London Campus (33 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AG).
Particular emphasis will be upon conflict transformation, social justice, challenging ethnic asperity and analysis of the causes of violent extremism and how it can be undermined by progressive social change and thinking.
Programme
- 26 January 2016: Engaging with Communities at Risk
- 23 February 2016: Hate Crime and Community Policing
- 23 March 2016: Social Media as a Driver of Conflict/Conflict Transformation
- 26 April 2016: Understanding and Countering Violent Extremism
- 25 May 2016: Challenging Conflict: Including Women
- 28 June 2016: Conflict and Culture
Speakers include Lord Alderdice, HE Dan Mulhall, Irish Ambassador to Britain, Professor Peter Shirlow, Blair Chair and Director, The Institute of Irish Studies, Jennifer Hawthorne, NI Housing Executive, Debbie Watters, Northern Ireland Alternatives and Vice Chair NI Policing Board, ACC Stephen Martin, PSNI, Paul Giannasi, Cross-Governmental Hate Crime Programme, Professor Deirdre Heenan, Ulster University, Nick Pickles, Twitter UK, Glenn Patterson and others.
To register please go to www.getinvited.to/cdpb/leadership