Civic Leadership Project Participants Visit Berlin

Local participants in a Civic Leadership Project have taken part in an educational visit to Berlin.

The scheme, which aimed to enhance the capacity of children and young people to form positive and effective relationships with others of a different background, was delivered by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in conjunction with the Education Authority Youth Service and supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The young people, who were aged between 16-18 years old, were from South Armagh. Once one of the most militarised areas in Northern Europe, the area still deals with its legacy and affects the lives of its young people.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey said, “The young people of this district are the leaders of the future and it is important that they build relationships with people from all different backgrounds. I am delighted that this project has given them the opportunity to make new friends, helping them to move forward in a more cohesive society.

“Visiting Berlin at this time comes at a particularly poignant time in the Northern Ireland peace process. Berlin highlights the effects of conflict, the devastation and how it and its people have learned to reconcile and build a diverse society.

“These are messages that all of us can learn from and it is important that our young people learn how to move to a more inclusive and cohesive society.”

A number of local Outreach Youth workers held workshops and seminars with the young people in the lead-up to the educational visit. The local group was also accompanied by a group from Dundalk Youth Centre. Living in the border area, these young people have experienced the same legacy issues as those in South Armagh. Delivering the project on a cross-border basis has enriched the experience and learning for both groups.

Match-funding for the project was provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland.