Young people build bridges for UN International Day of Peace
An inspiring exhibition led by young people called Our Lives, Our Legacy, organised by Springboard Opportunities charity, was held in Belfast on Thursday (September 21), the UN International Day of Peace.
Fifteen young people from Belfast explored the legacy of the Troubles and shared their hopes for the future in the cross-community project, which received almost £5,000 funding from the Housing Executive.
The event marked Good Relations Week 2023 (September 18-24) and the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
One highlight of the exhibition, held at Crumlin Road Gaol, was a thought-provoking video on the Agreement.
Steph O’Rourke is the Deputy Director of the Springboard Opportunities charity.
“Our UN International Day of Peace event celebrates a shared future, supporting peacebuilding and the identity and traditions of two historical communities,” she said.
“From areas of social economic need in north Belfast, these young people led the event, capturing the experiences and perspectives of their peers and others in their communities on life since the Agreement in their video.
Aoife Lafferty and Stephen McAllister, who took part in the cross-community project, show our Good Relations Officer Dr Sean Brennan images of the UN International Day of Peace mural at Northumberland Street.
“Visitors to the exhibition were taken through a timeline leading up to the Agreement, a finale showcase of the video, speeches and a performance piece. This project is an important part of our bridge-building work and aims to show how shared events can help promote integration and build common ground across social divides.”
Jennifer Hawthorne, the Housing Executive’s Director of Housing Services, said: “We are delighted to support this significant piece of work, which is part-funded by our community cohesion team who work to develop strong, positive relationships between people from different backgrounds.
“As well as exploring the Belfast-Good Friday Agreement and what it means to them, this group of young people will have the opportunity to examine identity and culture and develop personally.
“The aim is to increase mutual understanding and create positive outcomes for themselves and their communities.
“Activities like these are crucial to building relationships between communities deeply affected by conflict and to create shared visions and hopes for Northern IreIand in the next 25 years.”