Twenty-five leaders from politics, business and civic society in Northern Ireland unveiled for prestigious Fellowship
The Fellows are joined by the Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Programme, John Healy, Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland and Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Programme, Professor Karise Hutchinson.
Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 6th September 2022
Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye
Twenty-five leaders from politics, the business community and civic society here, have been selected for the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building’s 2022 Fellowship programme.
The Fellows, unveiled today at an event at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, will engage with leading policymakers, academics, business leaders and public figures on social, political and economic issues and seek to develop their understanding of how to tackle those issues in Northern Ireland.
The Fellowship is backed by the leadership of some of the highest profile businesses operating in Northern Ireland including Allstate NI, FinTrU, Devenish, Fujitsu NI and Ulster Carpets. The programme is also supported by leading academic institutions and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Irish-American Partnership.
Speakers at the announcement of the new Fellows included Head of the NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady, as well as Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Programme, John Healy from Allstate Northern Ireland, and representatives from all five main parties.
Now in its second year, the six-month programme will see the Fellows undertake workshops and training in Belfast, Dublin and Oxford.
John Healy, Vice President at Allstate NI and Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:
“This is an incredible group of talented participants selected for this year’s Fellowship programme. As we begin the second cycle of this programme, – and the first without the political institutions in place – it is critical that these Fellows are well-equipped to provide leadership skills to tackle and navigate us out of the significant number of problems we are facing here in Northern Ireland.”
“The chosen 25 candidates will be joined by a group of business, political and civic society leaders throughout the next 6 months, who will assist with the formation of the strategic leadership tools and techniques required to overcome the obvious hurdles in front of us. We need to invest in our potential game changers right now and this Fellowship is a purposeful way of making that happen.”
“I would like to thank the significant contribution that the advisory board of the Fellowship has made shaping this programme into the success it is already. Their time, effort and commitment should act as a guiding light to the past, present and future participants.”
Karise Hutchinson, Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:
“Given our troubled past in Northern Ireland, and the current political paralysis, we often neglect to be ambitious for the future. The Fellowship programme seeks to continue the conversation about what good leadership is, one that explores the possibilities of what a forward thinking society looks like.”
“As we move towards the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, this is a prime opportunity for renewal and to help develop those ambitious young leaders that will be taking on these challenges. I am proud to be supporting the launch of this year’s fantastic programme alongside my colleagues on the Advisory Board.”
(Left-Right): Professor Karise Hutchinson and John Healy, Managing Director of Allstate NI join Head of the NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady at the launch of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building’s Fellowship Programme 2022.
Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 6th September 2022
Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye
The 26 participants of the 2022 CDPB Fellowship programme include:
Alfred Abolarin, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Housing Executive
Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Charmain Jones, Women Spaces Co-Ordinator, Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network
Conleth Burns, Senior Associate, More in Common
Diane Forsythe MLA
Doire Finn, Constituency Manager
Don McCann, Strategy Manager, Invest NI
Eoin Bradley, Political Strategy Advisor
Gina Savage, Vice Principal, St Patrick’s Grammar School, Downpatrick
Cllr Hannah Irwin
Jamie Warnock, Head of Policy and Engagement, Law Society of Northern Ireland
Jonathan McAdams, NI Civil Service
Joy Ferguson, Economist
Karen Smyth, Head of Policy and Governance, NI Local Government Association
Michael McConville, Engineering Manager, NantHealth
Nuala Murphy, Director, Diversity Mark
Nuala Toman, Head of Policy and Communications, Disability Action
Padraig Delargy MLA
Patricia O’Lynn MLA
Phillip Brett MLA
Cllr Ryan McCready
Stephanie O’Rourke, Deputy Director, Springboard Opportunities
Cllr Stephen Donnelly
Cllr Ben Mallon
Tara Grace Connolly, Media Researcher
Fellowship for Northern Ireland’s political, business, and civic leaders opens for applications
Launching amid another Stormont impasse, the programme equips aspiring leaders here with the skills to lead Northern Ireland forward
Applications are now open for the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellowship, a prestigious programme which seeks to produce Northern Ireland’s next generation of changemakers.
Now in its second year, the Fellowship aims to strengthen Stormont’s democratic institutions and ensure that our next generation of Ministers, CEOs, and civic leaders, are best placed to lead the region going forward. Previous Fellows include John Finucane MP, Connie Egan MLA, and Cllr Aaron Callan and IoD Northern Ireland Director, Kirsty McManus.
The Fellowship is delivered by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB), working with leading representatives from Northern Ireland’s business sector including Allstate NI, FinTrU, Devenish, Fujitsu NI, Ulster Carpets. The programme is also supported by leading academic institutions and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
In discussions with leading policymakers, academics, business leaders and public figures, Fellows will engage with global social, political and economic issues and seek to develop their understanding of how to tackle those issues in Northern Ireland. Successful participants will also have the chance to participate in residential sessions at the University of Oxford and in Dublin.
Fellowship Chair, and Managing Director of Allstate NI, John Healy, says that this year’s programme is timely and significant given the current political deadlock facing Northern Ireland. He calls on parties, businesses, and civic society organisations to nominate those individuals that can use the Fellowship to build a better society here.
John Healy, Managing Director at Allstate NI and Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:
“The Fellowship is a brilliant initiative, and this year’s programme could not have come at a more crucial time. Northern Ireland is facing multiple challenges and with the Stormont corridors empty, we are also facing a political leadership crisis. This programme will give our future leaders the knowledge, skills, and relationships to look beyond the insular world we face here, and bring an exciting, new, and much-needed vision to our region’s future.”
“Last year’s Fellowship was a resounding success, seen through the election of former Fellows following May’s Assembly poll. This year’s expanded programme includes engagements with some of the UK and Ireland’s brightest minds in Dublin, Oxford, Belfast, and everywhere in between. From political parties, to businesses, to the third sector, I would encourage all organisations to nominate an individual for this year’s Fellowship they feel could help shape the future of Northern Ireland.”
Karise Hutchinson, Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:
“Next year we will celebrate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement. A hard-won hallmark of compromise, it is disheartening that we currently face the prospect of honouring this milestone with no functioning government in place. The Fellowship seeks to ‘level up’ our next generation of political, civic and business leaders, giving them the confidence and ability to address Northern Ireland’s ongoing political, economic, and social challenges. At its core, it seeks to pave the way for a new spirit of possibility and compromise in our society.”
“Our Advisory Board contains leaders from Northern Ireland’s leading companies who will seek to instill in this year’s participants the hard and soft skills required to introduce real, wholesale change. I am thrilled to be supporting this fantastic programme, and I would encourage all those eligible to apply.”
Those interested can complete the Fellowship application form at fellowship.democracyandpeace.org where they will be asked to upload their CV and a short essay.
Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Annual Report 2021 – 2022
CHAIR’S REMARKS
At this juncture in global political affairs and international relations there has never been a greater need across the world for people to work for democracy, reconciliation and peacebuilding. We have seen such efforts blossom over the last 25 years in Northern Ireland/Ireland and I hope that they will continue to bear fruit to reflect unity in diversity in our restored political institutions. Such work can and should be replicated in other parts of our global world.
This compelling imperative fuelled my desire to accept the invitation to join the Board of CDPB in July 2021 and eventually to accept the unanimous support of Board colleagues to take on the mantle of Chairperson of this important organisation. I was replacing Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP who stood down as Chair and still remains a member of the Board. CDPB owe our thanks and gratitude to Sir Jeffrey and his predecessor, Lord John Alderdice who along with other Board members provided strategic direction to ensure that our organisation continues to fulfil our objectives. We have all been ably assisted by Eva Grosman who is our Chief Executive. Eva is a powerhouse and has provided dynamic leadership in these islands in terms of peace-making and democracy. We and the wider community owe Eva an enormous debt of gratitude and heartfelt thanks. I hope to continue to work with Eva and her team to ensure that the objectives of the organisation continue to be fulfilled.
Our democracy and peacebuilding work has been overshadowed by war in Ukraine in 2022. We have all been horrified by the scenes of mass death and destruction which we have witnessed on our television screens on a daily basis since late February. International efforts are required to work with President Zelensky to ensure that peace and democracy is secured and that the Ukrainian people can return to their homeland through a massive re-building programme for peace, prosperity and infrastructure building.
Our work has concentrated in the past year in the following areas: Fellowship programme which involved young people from across Northern Ireland coming together to work on democratic peacebuilding initiatives. This programme will continue to be delivered and sincere thanks are due to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Irish American Partnership, our corporate partners and our mentors from business and industry for their advice, sponsorship and unfailing direction and guidance.
Other work programmes included the Unite Against Hate which was supported by the Executive Office.
Our international work focuses on engagement with colleagues in Colombia and work led by Lord Alderdice in Jerusalem.
This year also witnessed the appointment of Reeya Gadhvana as our Head of Programmes and we will continue to work with young people and internships – in fact we will be hosting two young women from Harvard in Belfast during the summer.
Notwithstanding the rigours and challenges of the pandemic over the last couple of years, our work has continued and blossomed. That bedrock of support from the wider community including business and industrial representatives is invaluable on so many levels as we continue our mission and fulfil the objectives of CDPB.
CDPB is one of the most inspiring and worthwhile organisations I have worked with, and I hope to continue to work with Eva, Board members and others to fulfil our commitment to democracy and peacebuilding locally and internationally.
Baroness Margaret Ritchie of Downpatrick
Unite Against Hate Report 2022
Thanks to the support from The Executive Office’s Central Good Relations Funding, the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building delivered ‘Ending Hate. Embracing Diversity.’ as part of the longstanding Unite Against Hate campaign.
Unite Against Hate 2022 comprised of four key elements:
- A Workshop Series led by experts on diversity and inclusion (Deepa Mann-Kler), community relations (Sughra Ahmed) and mediation (Dorcas Crawford), helped attendees to develop the skills to overcome their biases, build braver communities and communicate in a healthy and conflict-free manner.
- Online and On-demand Workshops based upon the initial workshop series accessible to all for FREE on Unite Against Hate website.
- The Unite Against Hate Pledge asking people to challenge, reach out and speak out against prejudice and hate crime within Northern Ireland. This pledge received support from across the community within NI and across political parties with several MLAs signing to pledge support.
- The Pledge Launch at the Skainos Centre in East Belfast. This insightful day was organised to include panels discussing topics such as challenges to peaceful relations in NI today, as well as the experiences of ethnic minorities in NI. The pledge itself was launched at the event by the Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl.
CDPB Chair Baroness Ritchie commented: ″Embracing diversity and uniting against hate is crucial in Northern Ireland because we know the consequences of prejudice, discrimination and hatred. We must embrace and support our minority communities and show them that Northern Ireland has learned from the past, and is now a place where diversity is celebrated, not rejected.″
The Unite Against Hate campaign has been delivered by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building and supported by the Executive Office’s Central Good Relations Funding, part of the The ‘Together: Building a United Community’ (T:BUC) Strategy.
Book Launch with Dr Ofrit Liviatan, Harvard University: Anything But Steady | 10 May | Ulster University
Book Launch
Dr Ofrit Liviatan, Harvard University: Anything But Steady
Chaired by Professor Duncan Morrow
- 10th May 2022
- Ulster University, Belfast
Anything But Steady
At 100 years old, Northern Ireland yearns for reinvention. Exasperated that peace hasn’t yet brought reconciliation, she handpicks Ella Goldin, an American PhD student, to set out her true destiny. But is Ella really the right choice for this mighty task? What can a tenacious yet uninitiated Jewish New Yorker, lacking local ties, possibly contribute? Wrestling with the smoke and mirrors of war and peace, Ella is anchored to Northern Ireland first by will, then by academic duress. All the while, Northern Ireland herself can’t keep mum when it comes to surprising revelations, emerging as a storyteller in her own right. The duo’s entwined quest encounters emotional reversals and witty twists, creating the first-ever testimony by (let’s be frank) an unpredictable piece of Earth about her troubled legacy.
About the Author
Dr. Ofrit Liviatan teaches in the Department of Government at Harvard University. Her academic work cultivated this debut novel. Earlier in her career, Ofrit was a lawyer, and she credits that profession for galvanizing her fascination with the power of a good story. Ofrit resides in Lexington, Massachusetts, with her husband and two daughters.
Register HERE.
Rethinking Leadership. Spiritual Leadership in the Time of War | 28 April | Oxford
Rethinking Leadership. Oxford Series. Spiritual Leadership in the Time of War.
Thursday, 28 April 2022 | 10.30am – 12.30am | Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford
The war in Ukraine showed that victory is not only about raw power. It is also about spiritual leadership. What will change in our vision of leadership? What lessons can we draw from Ukrainian heroic resistance and the solidarity of neighbouring countries with Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees? What does this war mean for the West’s leadership? What cultural resources do we have when faced with violence?
In the first of six seminars in the Rethinking Leadership. Oxford Series we set out to seek models of leadership that address the most pressing challenges of our time. And the war is the first among them. Our initial premise is that leadership is an art of courageous presence in the midst of chaos, it is a spiritual journey between ever-new polarities, it is a search for meaning. In leadership personal authenticity meets social and political dilemmas. But how can we be present when we are faced with atrocities and genocidal acts? Is there a place for love and goodness, when we are overrun with hatred and evil. What is the West’s responsibility for the Russian invasion? What should be our next steps?
Speakers:
- The Lord Alderdice FRCPsych, Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College
- Dr Marek Mutor, President of The Platform of European Memory and Conscience, Founder and Director of the ”Memory and Future” Centre and “Centrum Historii Zajezdnia”
- Dr Anna Abram, Principal of Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge
- Special Guest: Father Oleh Kindiy, professor of Ukrainian Catholic University
- Co-chairs: Professor Michal Luczewski, Two Wings Institute and Eva Grosman, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building
Register at: https://tinyurl.com/twowings1
This event is co-organised by the Two Wings Institute and Zajezdnia – the Remembrance and Future Centre in Wroclaw, in partnership with the Oxford Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building, Oxford Polish Association and the Polish Cultural Institute in London, and co-financed by the Polish National Foundation.