Major peace conference for city

Loyalist and republican ex-prisoners from the UDA, UVF, the Provisional IRA, Official IRA and the INLA will gather at the City Hotel on November 3-4 next for a conference entitled 'Working Together'. Organised by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, the conference represents the latest initiative in the 'From Prison to Peace Partnership', funded by the European Union's PEACE III Programme.

More than 100 delegates will attend the conference which amongst other issues will discuss the issues faced by former political prisoners.

Also included in the crammed agenda will be discussions on conflict transformation, sectarianism, youth engagement and how to deal with the legacy of the past.

Also up for discussion will be a topic that is very pertinent to Londonderry-interface violence.

Programmes manager at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Cormac McAleer, told the Sentinel: "Working Together is the latest in a series of initiatives organised by the From Prison to Peace Partnership, which combines support organisations for political ex-prisoners connected to the five main groups identified with the conflict here.

"The Partnership is administered by our foundation. The Partnership has been very active in the peace-building arena and it's work is due to run until 2011."

Apart from the ex-prisoners groupings, others attending the conference will come from statutory agencies and Good Relations Officers from each of the 26 council districts in Northern Ireland have also been invited.

Existing work carried out by the From Prison to Peace Partnership includes an education pack for local schools which was developed in conjunction with Queen's University.

The educational material, including a DVD, which was produced locally at the Nerve Centre, aims to de-mystify the prison experience for young people who may get involved in activities such as anti-social behaviour or interface violence. The pack has been supported by the Minister of Education Caitriona Ruane has lent her support for the educational pack as has the Chief Inspector for local schools.

A spokesman for the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland said: "Apart from the positive and groundbreaking work under discussion at the conference itself, this initiative will also provide a welcome boost to the North West economy."

The groups involved in the Prison to Peace Partnership are-EPIC, representing former prisoners aligned to the UVF; Charter Regional, representing former prisoners aligned to the UDA; An Eochair, representing former prisoners aligned to the Official IRA; Coiste na n-Iarchimi, representing former prisoners aligned to the Provisional IRA and Teach Na Failte, representing former prisoners aligned to the INLA.