The Five Demands

La conferenza rappresenterà l’ultimo atto del ‘From Prison to Peace Partnership’. Presenti i rappresentanti di tutte le principali organizzazioni paramilitari che hanno combattuto durante la ‘Troubles‘

Ex prigionieri di UDA (Ulster Defence Association), Provisional IRA, UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force), Official IRA e INLA (Irish National Liberation Army) si riuniranno il 3 e 4 novembre presso il City Hotel di Derry in occasione della conferenza “Working Togheter” organizzata dalla Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
L’evento rappresenterà l’ultima iniziativa del ‘From Prison to Peace Partnership’ finanziato dall’European Union’s PEACE III Programme.
Tra gli argomenti oggetto di discussione, le problematiche che affligono l’esistenza degli ex prigionieri politici, la trasformazione dei conflitti, il settarismo di cui ancora oggi gli esempi sono molti, la partecipazione dei giovani, come affrontare l’eredità dei Troubles e la sempre difficile situazione dell’interfaccia di Derry.
‘From Prison to Peace Partnership’ i cui lavori giungeranno a termine nel 2011, riunisce le organizzazioni a sostegno degli  ex prigionieri politici collegati ai cinque gruppi principali:

• EPIC,  (Ex Prisoners Interpretative Centre) in rappresentanza degli ex prigionieri affiliati all’UVF
• Charter Regional, in rappresentanza degli ex prigionieri affiliati all’UDA
• An Eochair, in rappresentanza degli ex prigionieri affiliati all’Official IRA
• Coiste na n-Iarchimi, in rappresentanza degli ex prigionieri del Provisional IRA
• Teach Na Failte, in rappresentanza degli ex prigionieri dell’INLA

Tra le opere portate a termine dal ‘From Prison to Peace Partnership’, riveste notevole importanza un pacchetto educativo progettato con la collaborazione della Queen’s University e dato in dotazione alle scuole locali.
Il pacchetto, sostenuto dal Ministro per l’Istruzione Caitriona Ruane e l’ispettore capo delle scuole a livello locale,  comprende un DVD concepito con l’intenzione di de-mistificare l’esperienza del carcere per i giovani che adottano comportamenti anti-sociali o partecipatono ad azioni violente di interfaccia.

Major peace conference for city (Londonderry Sentinel)
A major peace conference involving representatives of all the main paramilitary organisations who fought during the ‘Troubles’ is to be held in Londonderry in November.
Loyalist and republican ex-prisoners from the UDA, UVF, the Provisional IRA, Official IRA and the INLA will gather at the City Hotel on November 3-4 next for a conference entitled ‘Working Together’. Organised by the Community Foundation for Northern
Ireland, the conference represents the latest initiative in the ‘From Prison to Peace Partnership’, funded by the European Union’s PEACE III Programme.
More than 100 delegates will attend the conference which amongst other issues will discuss the issues faced by former political prisoners.
Also included in the crammed agenda will be discussions on conflict transformation, sectarianism, youth engagement and how to deal with the legacy of the past.
Also up for discussion will be a topic that is very pertinent to Londonderry-interface violence.
Programmes manager at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Cormac McAleer, told the Sentinel: “Working Together is the latest in a series of initiatives organised by the From Prison to Peace Partnership, which combines support organisations for political ex-prisoners connected to the five main groups identified with the conflict here.
“The Partnership is administered by our foundation. The Partnership has been very active in the peace-building arena and it’s work is due to run until 2011.”
Apart from the ex-prisoners groupings, others attending the conference will come from statutory agencies and Good Relations Officers from each of the 26 council districts in Northern Ireland have also been invited.
Existing work carried out by the From Prison to Peace Partnership includes an education pack for local schools which was developed in conjunction with Queen’s University.
The educational material, including a DVD, which was produced locally at the Nerve Centre, aims to de-mystify the prison experience for young people who may get involved in activities such as anti-social behaviour or interface violence. The pack has been supported by the Minister of Education Caitriona Ruane has lent her support for the educational pack as has the Chief Inspector for local schools.
A spokesman for the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland said: “Apart from the positive and groundbreaking work under discussion at the conference itself, this initiative will also provide a welcome boost to the North West economy.”
The groups involved in the Prison to Peace Partnership are-EPIC, representing former prisoners aligned to the UVF; Charter Regional, representing former prisoners aligned to the UDA; An Eochair, representing former prisoners aligned to the Official IRA; Coiste na n-Iarchimi, representing former prisoners aligned to the Provisional IRA and Teach Na Failte, representing former prisoners aligned to the INLA.