Organisation changes its name

THE Maydown Ebrington Group in Londonderry has renamed itself and is now officially the International School for Peace Studies.

The new name "reflects the direction of the company", and means the local organisation now shares its title with the initiative it set up in Belgium to promote greater understanding between communities.

In 1984 Maydown Ebrington Group purchased the derelict Ebrington Shirt Factory and with the aid of a grant from the International Fund for Ireland, transformed the building into the organisation's headquarters. The shirt factory was originally built in 1892 by Young & Rochester but had been derelict since the early 70's following the closure of the shirt-making company.

Major changes in training throughout the 90's necessitated the Maydown Ebrington Group to examine its operations and it was decided that with the uncertainty of Government projects, more commercial activities had to be introduced to allow the use of those resources for the benefit of the community. Part of this planning was the development of a major complex to facilitate the arts and social life of the area.

To that end, in February 2000 a 2M investment project commenced and the new Ebrington Centre was opened in March 2001.

The International School for Peace Studies (ISPS) was derived from a proposal by Glen Barr, Chief Executive, Maydown Ebrington Group, that there exists a need to convince people, especially younger people, that war, conflict and inter-communal tension are undesirable, and that it is both advantageous and necessary to promote to all sections of society, the values of tolerance, mutual understanding, dialogue and peace-building.

As one of the key people involved in the development of the Island of Ireland Peace Park and Round Tower, he concluded that the story of the coming together of the 16th Irish Division and the 36th Ulster Division at Mesen/Messines Ridge in June 1917, a time when back home Ireland was ripping itself apart, provided the basis for assisting people to learn about these topics, develop a new perspective on conflict and improve their skills in negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution.

The International School for Peace Studies has a small team of full-time staff, supplemented by a range of international specialist trainers. The emphasis of the School is on practical problem solving approaches to conflicts, with programmes accredited by recognized educational bodies.

Glenn Barr, OBE commented: "The name change of the company reflects the direction of the company and the work we have been doing in Belgium for the past 14 years. The name change has been approved by all Government agencies and allows the company to concentrate on the development of its accredited programmes throughout Ireland, and the international programmes offered to a wide range of international clients."

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