Supporting Minorities in the Border Region
Background
Cavan Family Resource Centre (CFRC) Ltd was founded in 1997 and is managed by a voluntary management committee. The Centre recognises the many diverse forms of family today and reaffirms the value and uniqueness of each human being. Cavan FRC embraces all people irrespective of age, race, class, religion or politics. The Centre has developed a panel of approximately one hundred trained volunteers who offer a range of programmes across counties Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and other neighbouring counties. Areas covered include a community mediation service, parenting, counselling and psychotherapy, Rainbows for children, addiction counselling, Cruse Bereavement Care, Suicide Bereavement Support etc. Cavan Family Resource Centre has been involved in delivering peace projects under Peace I, Peace II and currently under Peace III and is widely recognised for the special and in-depth peace building work engaged in over the past 12 years.
Training Day for Members of Mediation Border Counties
Peace work
At the end of 2002 we were approved for funding from the European Union’s Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, to develop and promote a project “Supporting Minorities in the Borders Region”. The aim of this project was to provide support services, training & opportunities for dialogue for Protestant communities and for political ex-prisoners in the Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim & Fermanagh area. This was a first in the region: hitherto these two communities worked separately; now they were coming together committing to dialogue together. The project was also to provide opportunites to look at issues of diversity, conflict transformation and social reconciliation. There were three strands to it: Inter- Faith, Deep Dialogue and Mediation training and service.
Early in 2003 we began to engage with representatives of the Protestant minority and of Republican ex-prisoners in discussions and activities targeted at peace building in the border region. Previous to this a survey carried out by CFRC for this project helped identify the needs of both the Republican and Protestant communities. An Advisory Panel that included representatives from all sections of the community met for discussion regularly as part of the project.
To help meet the needs expressed by these two communities Cavan Family Resource Centre organised a range of training and personal development courses and services, including mediation training, trauma awareness and one-to-one counselling.
Protestants in east Cavan now had a forum to consider aspects of their identity in the context of our Irish citizenship. Talks and workshops focused on the contribution of Protestants to society, conflict resolution and inter-faith groups. They challenged themselves to move away from negative thinking and focus on their belonging to the wider community. These meetings were very much about wishing to participate in and contribute to this society, based on healed and enhanced relationships in which we learn from and support one another as we seek to address the challenges of the future. Through these meetings the group felt more ready for the kinds of conversations which can enable this to happen and hoped that there could be the opportunity for same.
Cultural events also took place as part of the project work, including for example a cross-community celebration of 350 years of Presbyterianism in the Bailieborough area, Thomas Wood music summer school in Armagh, a church service as Gaeilge with An Tor ar Lasadh (The Burning Bush logo of Presbyterians) from the greater Belfast area.
The group spearheaded a programme for immigrants called Welcoming the Stranger. Unfortunately recession began to bite and most immigrants left the area.
It was a Republican group who saw the need for mediation skills to help those prisoners released after the Good Friday agreement to adjust to family and community life. The request led to a Mediation Course Part 1 being run for Republicans, Protestants and others over five consecutive years, followed by further training. We now have a bank of twenty trained mediators providing a service in these border counties.
After a few years of dialogue between Republicans and Protestants we had come a fair way in breaking down people’s preconceptions but we knew we had to be real about peace building. We had not yet reached a level where the group could talk openly about the conflict, but the potential to reach this goal was there because people were committed to meeting in dialogue. This commitment was essential because this was a big challenge: Republicans and Protestants engaging in deep meaningful talks
But it was the Residentials in Draperstown, Cookstown and Cavan that moved us forward. Here, away from home and work, participants were facilitated to focus on real issues that cause division. All were live, most were very deep. When a story hits you at gut level you know you know it’s genuine. Respect had already been gained and given, but now a delicate shoot that had been emerging from early seeds began to sprout -Trust. With the rain of experience-sharing, warmed by the sunshine of social interaction it grew and thrived.
Parallel to the dialogue was the Inter-faith group. In this we were partners with Glencree Churches Forum. With regular facilitated meetings of Christian leaders in the Cavan-Monaghan area, sharing of Christian values and spiritual discussions bonded the group. We were not an ecumenical group. We had no aspiration to work towards becoming one, but rather to get to know, understand and appreciate each other as fellow Christians. In the process we were often challenged to the limit. Our relationship with Cookstown Churches Forum – tentative at first – grew into an informal association that we both value greatly. We’ve had many weekend get-togethers hosted alternately by Cavan and Cookstown at Doneen, Co Fermanagh, Moneymore, Kilmore/Cavan, Clonmacnoise and Scotland. These ranged from barbeques and concerts to study visits, discussions and personal sharing at a deeply spiritual level.
Inter Faith Clonmacnoise
Now we are continuing to work under a new project name Breifne in Transition in these three strands but decidedly going deeper and aiming at a higher bar.
· Inter Faith ~ encouraging cross community and cross border networking and supporting the ongoing development of an Inter Faith group of all denominations, which will have the potential to develop into a long lasting partnership
· Deep Dialogue ~ the facilitation and nurturing of respect, trust and understanding through Deep Dialogue between Republicans, Protestants and others affected by the conflict
· The establishment of a confidential and professional Mediation service which will be accessible and widely available in the county. The Mediation service will promote reconciliation by helping those who have been affected by the conflict to manage difference in ways which promote human dignity and mutual respect.
Inter Faith Study Visit, Cookstown Churchs Forum
The Inter Faith group has twenty five members, men and women, and meets on a monthly basis in a facilitated manner. Members of the group hold leadership positions within their own churches and are a mix of clergy, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, and lay people. The lay people are involved in a diverse range of activities within their own church communities including Lay Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Sunday School teachers, organists, youth leaders, members of the Mothers’ Union and the Presbyterian Womens’ group. An interesting feature of the Inter Faith group is that there is a strong evangelical voice which is represented from participants from Baptist, Faith Mission and Free Presbyterian backgrounds.
Activities include sharing of personal stories from the various faith backgrounds with the wider group to promote understanding of difference and respect for individual points of view and diversity within Co Cavan. Members of the group have undertaken a residential with their cross border partners, Cookstown Churches Forum last June to the ancient monastic site of Clonmacnoise in Co Offaly and a day trip together to Co Armagh to examine Orange culture and religious beliefs within the Orange Order. This visit included a tour of Dan Winters Cottage, birthplace of the Orange Order, a tour of Carleton Street Orange Hall in Portadown, proceeding to Drumcree and the Garavaghy road where talks were given by people from both sides of the divide. New links were formed during this visit with County Armagh Community Development, a single identity Protestant organisation, whom Cavan Inter Faith group will be welcoming across the border in the month of April. The group is going from strength to strength and outreached to the wider community with the gospel of peace and reconciliation by holding a special music night this month, with musicians from both main traditions on the island playing together. Over a hundred people attended this event in Cavan town. Opportunities for cross border networking are continuing to be developed with an invitation for eight members of Cavan Inter Faith to join with members of Cookstown Churches Forum on a study visit to Glasgow and the Island of Iona in May.
The Deep Dialogue group has twenty members and meets on a regular basis in a neutral venue with project facilitator Martin Kennedy. Members of the group are drawn from a mix of Republicans, including ex-prisoners; border Protestants; members of the Orange Order, and victims with backgrounds from both sides of the community divide. The format for meetings includes storytelling from group members, and as trust and respect for the other is gradually being developed and explored, members are more willing to engage in deeper dialogue and ask the hard questions from each other. This work is both confidential and sensitive.
During the past year members of the group have taken part in a residential weekend in association with The Junction, Derry using the programme Towards Understanding and Healing which has been developed by The Junction. This was held in Lusty Beg in Co Fermanagh. Members of the group are drawn from counties Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and Fermanagh and are representative of many diverse backgrounds. Guest speakers are also part of the format of the Deep Dialogue group and have included representatives from the PSNI and from Loyalist and Republican ex-combatants.
The group recently moved out into a community setting for the first time and were the guests of Aughakillymaude Community Association, Derrylin, Co Fermangh. The programme for the evening included a miming display, music and dance followed by a lovely supper. Members of the group remarked on how much they enjoyed the evening and more events like this are planned including a visit to an Orange Hall. Going forward, members of the Deep Dialogue group are keen to examine the subject of ethical commemoration as we approach a decade of special anniversaries in our country including The Signing of the Ulster Covenant, World War I, the 1916 Rising, etc.
Mediation Border Counties has a bank of twenty highly trained volunteer mediators. The service empowers people to manage their own problems and uses only trained mediators who are certified and accredited by the Mediation Institute of Ireland (MII). The MII is the professional association for mediators in Ireland. Our mediators are bound by the MII Code of Ethics and are committed to delivering a high standard service. Our service is free, impartial and confidential.
Mediation is offered in the areas of community/neighbourhood conflict, peace related issues between groups or individuals that may stem from the recent conflict or issues of diversity, family issues or the workplace.
Through the life of the project the volunteer mediators have received training in continuous professional development. Links have been developed with Mediation Northern Ireland, Belfast and our members have travelled there to hear about their work in conflict situations first hand. Members of Mediation Border Counties have hosted Mediation Northern Ireland in Cavan to outline the nature of the work in this border region.
Project II Buandóchas (enduring hope)
Cross Community Cultural Night
1. Befriending
When asked to promote a project for those directly affected by the troubles we felt greatly challenged. It was difficult to identify such people in the Cavan-Monaghan area since those directly affected by the violence were now elderly and some had chosen to forget and move on. Nearly all said there was no help offered at the time, now was too late. But we found enough to run a viable project. The aim of the project was to ensure those affected by the conflict were facilitated to engage as fully as possible with the community.
Volunteers were trained in Cootehill, Cavan and Ballyconnell and about thirty five of these were each assigned to befriend one of the target group. The co-ordinator first visited the prospective Befriendee, chose a Befriender that would suit the particular person and then went again to Befrienee’s home, this time with the Befriender to introduce the two. The co-ordinator monitored the situation on a continuous basis while supporting the Befriender. There was a programme of Story-telling for Befriendees by way of getting to know each other and gentle integration into community. Story telling was not just verbal but was done through bead work, games, art etc. Social events for both Befrienders and Befriendees proved very popular and individuals came forward to sing or do a party piece as they became more at ease with each other.
2. Bereavement Care
It was apparent to us through the network that Bereavement in the Border area needed to be addressed. Before Christmas 2010 twenty new bereavement support workers completed bereavement care training and almost all are now working with clients, with regular supervision.
3. Farmers
Another strand of the project focused on Farmers. It provided a forum for the Ulster Farmers Union and The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) to meet, network and find common ground. Sometimes peace is built indirectly by parties talking, planning and working together. These two groups did just that through coming together occasionally and visiting together The National Ploughing Championship in Leinster on two occasions. Through facilitated dialogue on this new forum they were able to address issues of concern to both parties with one voice.
This project had potential but unfortunately it ended in July 2011.
The work of the Breifne project continues. Surprisingly perhaps, we find there is still fear and prejudice and hurt in persons along the Border who have directly experienced the troubles. But there has been a lot of healing, too. It has been tremendously interesting and fulfilling to be involved in peace-building. I’ve been inspired.
Eileen Brady rsm
Northern Province
