PEACE IV

Project completion

We held the closing event for our PEACEIV funded Good Relations Initiative on International Volunteers Day, Monday 6th December 2021 at 7pm. The project as a whole saw over 140 participants from Cooley, Drogheda, Ardee and South Armagh recruited and 18 programmes delivered. The project's success saw new connections made at a very difficult time, life and leadership skills learned and new cross border and cross community friendships blossom.

 

Empowering You Certificate Presentation & community networking event

Participants of our Empowering You Empowering Our Community programme, delivered through the Good Relations Initiative were presented with certificates of completion by Mary Capplis, European Projects Officer, Louth County Council at a Community Networking Event held in O’Connell’s GFC, Castlebellingham on the 5^th November 2021, International Volunteer Managers’ Day. Programme participants, who had undertaken an online programme had the opportunity to connect with one another and over 30 Community and Voluntary sector organisations.

YOUTH VOLUNTEERING VIDEO

With funding provided by SEUPB, Louth County Council and Louth LCDC through PEACEIV a group of young people came together in September 2021 to create a video showcasing the value of volunteering for other young people. Check it out at this link. A huge thank you to the fantastic Droichead Youth Theatre participants for their contribution to the video. 

International women's DAY CELEBRATION EVENT - #CHOOSETOCHALLENGE

The Good Relations Initiative hosted an online event celebrating International Women's Day on Monday 8th March 2021. This event focused particiularly on celebrating the role of women in border regions, with particular emphasis on their roles as community leaders and volunteers. The event was also structured around the international theme for the day - #ChooseToChallenge. 

The programme for the Choose to Challenge event included a presentation from local historian Úna Walsh on the roles of women in border communities which explored, acknowledged and celebrated the role women played in border communities over time. Attendees then entered into a series of round table discussion exploring five main questions: What roles have women played in the border region? What roles have you played in your own community. 3. What are the challenges / issues you or other women face living in a border area? 4. What would you choose to challenge in the coming year? 5. What would you need to help you to achieve your challenge? 

The Good Relations Initiative team produced a report on the event and outcomes of these discussions which provides for very interesting reading, click on the image below to download:

 

 

Building Our Future Programme 

 

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COOLEY CONNECT WELL: CROSS BORDER LETTERWRITING PROJECT 

 

 

Cooley Connect Well's Cross Border Letter Writing Project was a successful initiative focused on improving intercommunity connections between group members north and south of the border.

The COVID19 crisis initiated new challenges nationwide. Our ability to meet or gather physically was no longer viable, but, with a little bit of ingenuity the cross border letter writing project became a successful alternative.

Group members on both sides of the border were encouraged to write letters to one another. Sharing their experiences of the COVID19 crisis, the impact it had on their lives and how the national response in the north and south differed. In essence, the use of a classic format, letter writing, to build and create new connections.

 

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GOOD RELATIONS INITIATIVE: PEACE IV PROJECT LAUNCH

The launch of our Good Relations Initiative took place in the Dolmen Centre, Omeath on 5^th December 2019, International Volunteers Day. This programme is funded by PEACE IV under the Building Positive Relations strand, which seeks to promote positive relations characterised by respect, where cultural diversity is celebrated and people can live, learn and socialise together, free from prejudice, hate and intolerance.

The focus of IVD 2019 was Volunteering for an Inclusive Future, marrying the goals of PEACE IV Building Positive Relations and the objectives of Louth Volunteer Centre’s Good Relations Initiative which is focused on Building Community Connections.

 

  

 

The project is supported by the European Union’s PEACEIV Programme, managed by the Special European Programmes Body (SEUPB) and supported locally by Louth County Council and Louth Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)