Peace III - Dealing with the Past

• Peace building
• Peace III
• Community Relations Council
• CRC
• conflict
• mediation
• History
• reconciliation
• Border Action

Community Relations Council has opened measure 1.2 of the Peace III Programme named Dealing With the Past. This objective aims to provide advice, counselling and support services for victims, their relatives and those who care for them.

This element of Priority 1, will build the capacity of individuals to deal with the transition to peace and reconciliation and ensure that victims and survivors of the conflict are able to deal with the past on their own terms. In this regard, the Priority will build on the important work already undertaken in PEACE I and PEACE II in providing support to those most affected by the conflict. In particular, it will build on the experience of PEACE II and complement the work of the new Commissioner for Victims and Survivors and the Victims and Survivors Forum.

With a view to developing a comprehensive approach to the provision of services, the Priority will provide support for improving the accessibility of conflict related services including, counselling, befriending and other community based services.

In addition, the Priority aims to exchange different views of history, culture and identity and different conflict and post-conflict experiences among relevant groups and individuals at the local level. This will focus on changing the awareness of the past and understanding different roles and experiences of the conflict, promoting cultural diversity, developing long term strategies that promote peace and reconciliation

This Priority will target areas showing the effects of conflict and/or community polarisation as a result of the conflict. Such areas might typically include:

• Sectarian interface areas where segregation is high and inter-community conflict and dispute is high and community relations are correspondingly poor;
• Disadvantaged areas suffering the effects of physical dereliction as a consequence of the conflict;
• Areas that have experienced high levels of sectarian and racial crimes, incidents and tensions;
• Areas isolated by border closures and limited economic and social cross-border
• linkages;
• Areas where social and economic development has been inhibited by the conflict and problems of exclusion and marginalisation exist, illustrated by low levels of income, skills and qualification and consequently display high levels of multiple deprivation;

How to Apply

This Priority will be implemented through 3 strands

• Strand 1: Addressing the Past in Public Memory (to be advertised by Public Tender)
• Strand 2: Promoting Participation (Opening June 2008)
• Strand 3: Securing the Future (opened 14 April 2008)

The application process requires completion of an online Part A which is available at www.eugrants.org

The Part B and accompanying Guidance Notes will be available in hard copy or electronically by contacting the Community Relations Council.

Patricia Armstrong, Community Relations Council, Glendenning House, 6 Murray Street , Belfast , BT1 6DN, 028 9022 7500, parmstrong@nicrc.org.uk

www.community-relations.org.uk