By James Laverty from NICVA
Published on 09 Feb 2006
Three seminars in Belfast, Lisburn and Derry to find out what the voluntary and community sector wants and expects from PEACE III
Tuesday 14 March 2006
Tuesday 14 March 2006
Start Time:
Various
Location:
Belfast- Lisburn and Derry
Cost:
Free
It has recently been announced that a total of €200m will be allocated for the Third PEACE programme for the period 2007-2012 under the European territorial cooperation objective (PEACE III).
Following the announcement, NICVA is organising three seminars, in conjunction with North-West Community Network and Lisburn Community Network in the Belfast, Derry and Lisburn areas to find out what it is the voluntary and community sector wants and expects from PEACE III.
A short history
Beginning in December 2003, NICVA in Northern Ireland and the Community Workers' Co-op in the Republic began a consultation process on the way forward for a possible PEACE III. Participants then expressed the opinion that the development of PEACE I and PEACE II had presented unique opportunities to promote peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties, but that there was still much to be done. They agreed that the focus, moving forwards, should be on activities that promoted peace and reconciliation, with less emphasis on economic interventions. The system of administering money through IFBs and the further development of partnerships was broadly supported. There was much talk about the levels of bureaucracy surrounding PEACE II and agreement that changes were needed in the measuring and presentation of outcomes.
Designing PEACE III was published jointly by NICVA and CWC in April 2004 after intense consultation with the voluntary and community sector on both sides of the border. At the time, before the PEACE II Extension was announced and with no certainty of more PEACE money from Europe, there was widespread agreement that another programme should be designed to run alongside the next Structural Funds programme period (2007-2013). The document made a number of recommendations on areas such as design, applying the lessons from PEACE II, delivery, focus and criteria and administration of a new programme, including:
LISBURN, 7 March, 7.00pm-9.00pm, Beechlawn Hotel, Dunmurry
BELFAST, 8 March, 10.00am-12.30pm, NICVA
DERRY, 14 March, 10.00am-12.30pm, The Junction
- strong support for continued European involvement in peace and reconciliation work;
- strengthening the commitment to peace and cementing the progress already made;
- extensive local consultation for PEACE III;
- the establishment of a Directory of Learning from PEACE II, with application of lessons a specific mandate of the design team;
- the retention of present criteria, but greatly simplified where possible;
- the repatriation of purely economic activity to mainstream government and structural fund programmes.
It was felt that any new programme should:
- have a strong international dimension and links, informed by and informing reconstruction and reconciliation in conflict zones in Europe and further afield;
- promote citizenship;
- have scope for innovation, risk and creativity;
- seek to build social capital;
- seek to involve women in the peace settlement;
- take on board difficult issues arising from the conflict and its legacy, such as in the areas of victims, violence, truth, justice and policing;
- meet the needs of excluded young people at risk of exposure to violence;
- tackle social inclusion, poverty and inequality in areas affected by conflict;
- develop cross border linkages;
- build in systems for mainstreaming once it is over.
A limited future?
Having had the extension period of two years to PEACE II we once again find ourselves in a position to have some input into the design of PEACE III funding. Perhaps this time, with far more limited funding, getting it right is even more crucial. With roughly £20m per year available, going on current information, the focus needs to be very clearly on work which demonstrates a direct link to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties.
We ask you to think about:
- what the priorities should be
- what the money should be spent on
- what should not be included this time around
- whether previous recommendations are relevant in today's sector
Hear the views of others and have your say. Book now, as places will be limited.
To book please contact: Cathy Breslin, NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast BT15 2GB by
Friday 3 March 2006.
028 9087 7777
028 9087 7799
cathy.breslin@nicva.org
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