Peace-builders are told ‘not to hide from past’

The Showpeace Conference in Letterkenny successfully celebrated the work of the EU PEACE III Programme and was hosted by the Donegal County Development Board Peace & Reconciliation Partnership in the Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LyIT).

It was attended by a diverse range of the 56 groups that received funding through Phase I of the PEACE III Action Plan, as well as by organisations interested in finding out how they could access Phase II of the Plan, due to begin soon.

The conference recognised and celebrated the quantity and quality of the work already completed to address racism and sectarianism, both within County Donegal and on a cross-border basis.

Anne Marie Conlon, Secretary of the Donegal CBD Peace & Reconciliation Partnership Board, said: “We would like to thank everyone who came together to make the Showpeace Conference such a great success.

“Many of the organisations that received funding from Phase I, such as Newtowncunningham Inter-church Housing Association and Fort Dunree Remembrance Project, used the day effectively to highlight the ‘best practice’ work they have been doing and to showcase the output of their projects over the past 18 months. “The overall objective of the PEACE III Programme is to challenge attitudes and to support mediation. Our vision is to make Donegal a county where sectarianism and racism no longer exist.

“It’s an ambitious aspiration and that’s exactly what a vision should be. Events such as Showpeace are essential in enabling us to disseminate this message.”

The event was compered by Councillor Dessie Larkin and keynote speaker, Denis Bradley, delivered a compelling speech encouraging people not to hide from the past.

Presentations were also made by representatives from a variety projects funded under Phase I of the PEACE III Action Plan, including Anna Murray from the Peace & Reconciliation Group, who talked about the ‘9,000 years on an island’ project delivered in partnership with the Donegal Education Centre.

Sarah Thompson from Donegal County Council spoke about the One Donegal Initiative, informing delegates that the project’s message is that Donegal is a county where we embrace, celebrate and respect diversity.

Avril Sweeney from the Donegal County Childcare Committee showcased the organisation’s innovative children’s education programme, which originated from a need being identified for a programme to encourage a sense of belonging in early childhood.