The IPI has contributed to peacebuilding in Ireland by promoting research, education and outreach through programmes of multi-track diplomacy and managed co-operation. These two terms were coined as a result of key initiatives set out by Dr. O'Regan in his early attempts to get people in the North and South of Ireland to begin a dialogue. The term multi-track diplomacy has been adopted by academics since its early use by Joe Monteville at a conference on peacebuilding run by the IPI.
The IPI has a long track record of contributing to peacebuilding on the island of Ireland and has managed to contribute in a number of meaningful ways. The IPI pioneered cross-border networks which continue to contribute to the process of peace and reconciliation between the peoples of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It established the first Chair of Peace & Co-operation Studies & Peace Research Centre on the island of Ireland, and continues to engage communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in peacebuilding projects for the past 20 years.
The IPI runs a series of International conferences on the role of Tourism in Peacebuilding and the role of Global Communications and Media in Peacebuilding. Speakers attending the conference include academics, government ministers and international advocates.
A major conference on "Education for Peace", opened by the then Minister for Education, Mary O'Rourke, was held at the University of Limerick in association with the Educational Studies Association of Ireland. It attracted over 300 delegates from the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the U.K. This led to the Publication of "Education for Peace", edited by Dr. Peadar Cremin, a Member of the Institute's Board. The subsequent publication of a Green Paper on Education by the Government highlighted the importance of peace education.
The Horizon Schools Programme operated on a series of different levels to cultivate bonds of friendship and understanding between schools of different religious and socio-economic backgrounds. It was an initiative of Alexandra College and was extended through the Irish Peace Institute's UN Concert Series. Horizon succeeded in attracting over 100 schools in both parts of the island of Ireland.
A historic 'first' for Limerick: an Irish Minister, Mr. Enda Kenny (Minister for Trade and Tourism) and British Government Minister, Baroness Denton (Minister for the Economy at the N.I. Office), jointly performed the official opening of a major North/South Economic Conference organised by the IPI and the Limerick Chamber of Commerce. The keynote speaker was Sir George Quigley, Chairman, Ulster Bank and N.I. Economic Council.
The North-South Concert Series celebrating the 50th birthday of the United Nations - with a children's choir of 350 mixed voices - was held in Limerick, Dublin and Derry/Londonderry in a single week. The highlight of the Series was the specially commissioned new music for choir and orchestra which was dedicated to the memory of the late Sen. Gordon Wilson of Enniskillen, an outstanding peacemaker whose untimely death was a source of great sorrow to all involved in the Irish peace process.
Launched by Dr. Mo Mowlam in Belfast and President Mary McAleese in Sligo, the Institute and Shankill PHAB (Belfast) combined to implement "Arts Focus", a North-South, dual purpose art programme for able-bodied and disabled children from Belfast, Limerick, Dundalk, Sligo, Cavan and Charleville (Co. Cork) involving over 200 children, teachers and carers. The inclusion of young people from disadvantaged areas followed on from the very successful pilot held in Limerick.
A Limerick Youth Band was invited to participate in the Maiden City Festival, organised by the Apprentice Boys of Derry, as part of the Institute's Festivals Exchange Programme. The Churchill Flute Band from Derry/Londonderry then participated in the Limerick International Band Festival.
First cross-border Youthcruise project, involving 18 young adults who navigated the Shannon-Erne Waterway from Killaloe to Belleek over a ten-day period. This unique project sought to bring youth, representative of the two main traditions on this island together in the day-to-day sharing of the workload, learning and social programme.
A party of 35 from the Ulster Society visited Finner Camp.Co. Donegal, base of the 28th Infantry Battalion. The programme included a talk on the history of Finner and its Boer War and WW1 associations with the Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers.
Communities in Lower North Belfast and the parishes of St. Mary's and Southill, Limerick initiated a two-year joint exchange project named "Belink".
"A Tale of Two Walled Cities" was performed before a large Limerick audience in the courtyard of King John's Castle. The Derry/Londonderry based Crimson Players staged a re-enactment of The Siege of Derry and The Limerick Rakes complemented the presentation with their version of a 17th century act relating to the Cromwellian Siege of Limerick (1650).
The Institute organised the first and only joint peace concert by the Bands of the RUC and Garda Síochána held in the Republic of Ireland. A capacity audience attended the concert which took place at the University Concert Hall in Limerick and involved over 100 participants.
The Chairman of the Institute was invited by the Apprentice Boys of Derry to chair a seminar themed "What the Boyne Means to You" when their members visited the 'Boyne Battlefield' to discuss the subject of the Boyne and meet local organisations.
Invited to observe the celebration of The Twelfth in Enniskillen representatives of the Institute's Outreach Committee attended as official guests of the local District Lodge along with a large group of other interested individuals. The overall festival's programme also included cultural events, exhibitions and seminars.
A significant event in the musical history of these islands when the Ulster-Scots Fowk Orchestra made a first visit in the Republic of Ireland to Limerick and joined forces with the University of Limerick based Irish World Music Centre in a programme combining presentation, performance and discussion at the University and at other venues in the area. This event and the development of future events have wider political and social implications, but at musicological and educational levels it was significant, and is indicative of what could be a major shift in the understanding of the music of these islands.
The Victims of Conflict Programme continued with another five-day residential in Ballyvaughan (Co. Clare) for families of victims from the South Armagh area. The programme evolved as an effort to assist the healing process and support reconciliation in light of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
The IPI acts as 'honest broker' in a series of meetings between the Paul Partnership in Limerick and the Newtownabbey Partnership. The meetings are designed to exchange ideas on best practice between the two partnerships. |
