eNews: 26 June 2006

John McCormick

NICVA

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CONTENT

Lunchtime tomorrow
Civil Society review reveals Northern Ireland profile
Celebrating successful peace building
Setting the standards for fundraising
€1m reconciliation fund welcome up north
Cultural diversity in health
Elizabeth Finn is calling you
East Belfast urban regeneration - a chance to have your say
Human rights and freedom of speech
Neagh bother
VSO Information Day
Cross-border carer's study seeks submissions
Pick of the Websites
Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
Subscribe to eNews
Submit an Article

Lunchtime tomorrow

Yes, that’s the deadline to make a nomination to this year’s NICVA Link Awards, your ideal opportunity to demonstrate your appreciation to all the businesses and organisations that work in partnership with you and help you to achieve your aims.

What to do

Any voluntary and community organisation can submit nominations for the Awards. There are special awards for nominations made by small and medium sized organisations as well as large charities. Many smaller organisations may have limited resources and the support they receive can be of vital importance. The Link Awards also recognise the valuable support that comes from non-commercial organisations such as schools, clubs, colleges and societies. Over the last few weeks eNews has been profiling the different categories and if you’ve been inspired to make a nomination, then don’t delay.

What does your nomination achieve?

• Wider recognition for the work of your organisation.
• Strengthened relationship with existing commercial partners.
• Potential for further involvement or new initiatives.
• Enhanced profile for your organisation.
• Significant PR opportunities.

How to enter

Download a brochure and nomination form now from www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/Link2006.

The completed nomination should be emailed by 12 noon on Wednesday 28 June 2006 to link@creativeevents.co.uk.

Good luck!

Civil Society review reveals Northern Ireland profile

NICVA has just completed the final stage of the international CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) project with the publication of the first review of civil society in Northern Ireland.

The report, entitled Civil Society in Northern Ireland: A new beginning? was presented at a three day workshop organised by CIVICUS as part of its World Assembly in Glasgow and discussed with members from other national teams. The project, with participation from over 50 countries over the past two years, uses a comprehensive index of the state of civil society to produce a diamond to represent a score (0-3) on four main dimensions: Structure, Environment, Values and Impact.

The key findings were:

• most of the elements of civil society’s structure in NI are well developed but there is quite low participation in collective community and non-partisan political actions
• the environment for support of civil society is well developed but that tolerance of difference within society is relatively low and constitutes an area of weakness
• civil society values within NI are quite strong but that practices and campaigns to support and promote these values are lacking
• civil society organisations are quite active in society but that they do not have a great impact on the national budgeting process and are weak when it comes to holding the state and private corporations accountable

Find out more at www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/CivilSociety or contact Gordon McCullough at gordon.mccullough@nicva.org.

Celebrating successful peace building

The Special EU Programmes Body will host its third Peace II Celebrating Success event in the autumn when there will be an opportunity to highlight a number of projects for their exemplary approach to peace building and reconciliation.

All implementing bodies may nominate up to three projects that they think should be recognised for their work. Those involved in the management of the programme may also to nominate projects if they wish. The deadline for nominations is 11 July 2006, after which an independent panel will select the final shortlist of projects to be showcased at the event.

The Special EU Programmes Body will also host its first ever Interreg IIIA Celebrating Success event this autumn and up to four projects may be nominated for this.

Contact Amanda Roach to find out more on tel: 028 9026 6683, email: amanda.roach@seupb.org

Setting the standards for fundraising

The Fundraising Standards Board scheme was set up after wide consultation with many charitable bodies and the Government to promote excellence in fundraising and to listen to complaints from the public about fundraising activity. Its Donors’ Charter is a promise made to the public by charitable fundraisers in the UK, committing to the highest standards of practice, and ensuring that all their activities are open and fair, honest and legal. By signing up to the FSB self-regulatory scheme you will be agreeing to adhere to the Donors' Charter when raising funds.

The Board is keen to invite consultation on the Donors’ Charter from all parties in the fundraising sector. You can download the Donors' Charter is available to download from www.fsboard.org.uk/donors-charter.aspx. If you would like to comment please email membership@fsboard.org.uk by 1 September 2006.

To join the scheme or to find out more, please telephone 0845 402 5442 or visit www.fsboard.org.uk.

€1m reconciliation fund welcome up north

The Reconciliation Fund was established by the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs in 1982 to provide assistance to organisations involved in reconciliation work to create a better understanding between people on the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain. Since 1999, the Department of Foreign Affairs has awarded grants of approximately €18.63 million to over 544 groups involved in a wide range of cross-community and cross-border reconciliation activities.

Grants totalling €1.03m have just been awarded and more than 50 groups in Northern Ireland have benefited from the scheme.

Find out more at www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/21junereconfund.

Cultural diversity in health

Triskele Community Training and Women of the World have organised a Cultural Diversity Awareness Workshop at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen on 6 July 2006. It aims to give an understanding of cultural diversity as it relates to health care.

Participants will be able to identify areas where misunderstanding may occur due to cultural differences and how to prevent them, explain how stereotyping can have an effect on competent health care, and compare characteristics of culturally diverse groups to enhance understanding of cultural diversity.

The workshop will be of benefit to health care providers, health care support workers, service users and community groups with a focus on health.

Contact Colette at Triskele on tel: 00 353 42 966 3706, email: colettedowdall@triskele.ie if you would like to attend.

Elizabeth Finn is calling you

Elizabeth Finn Care helps people in need whose former careers have been interrupted or ended through physical or mental problems, loss of work and family breakdown or those struggling on low income in retirement. It can help the person who applies, their partner or their children.

Elizabeth Finn Care invites you to a presentation about its work at 12.30pm in NICVA Conference Room B, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast, on 5 July 2006. The organisation believes that there are many people in Northern Ireland who could benefit from its assistance and would like to reach them.At present, the majority of its clients are referred by professional agencies and other charities.

If you would like to reserve a place at the event or would like additional information please contact Finbarr Fitzpatrick, Regional Coordinator Ireland, Elizabeth Finn Care, 45 Mayfield Square, Belfast, tel: 0845 603 6516, email: finbarr.fitzpatrick@elizabethfinn.org.uk, www.elizabethfinn.org.uk.

East Belfast urban regeneration - a chance to have your say

Red Lead Arts is hosting ‘An exhibition on urban regeneration in East Belfast’, curated by Deirdre McMenamin. Guests are invited to an evening of presentations followed by a question and answer session by contributors to the exhibition in Connswater Shopping Centre at 7.00pm on 29 June 2006.

The event will explore and give a platform for discussion and debate on the regeneration of East Belfast including proposed builds and the development of urban spaces in the private and public sectors.

Please contact David Custy to find out more or to register on tel: 028 9045 4551 or email: redlead@btconnect.com.

Human rights and freedom of speech

Journalists at risk' Stanislav Dmitrievsky and Oksana Chelysheva of the Russian Chechen Friendship Society will give a talk, in association with the Human Rights Centre at Queen's University, on human rights and freedom of speech. The event takes place at 5.00pm on 4 July 2006 at The Institute of Governance, 63 University Road, Belfast.

This is an opportunity to hear from two inspirational journalists and human rights defenders who have been working, at significant risk, to expose human rights abuses in Chechnya.

Please contact Amnesty International at patrick.corrigan@amnesty.org.uk or telephone 028 9064 3000 to find out more or if you would like to attend.

Neagh bother

Lap the Lough is a 140k cycle challenge around Lough Neagh starting at 10.00am from Kinnego Marina, Oxford Island, Craigavon on 27 August 2006. It is aimed at cyclists of all ages and abilities. The web site is packed full of helpful ideas for anyone who hasn't attempted this distance before but would like to have a go.

If you feel you're not up to the full distance but would still like to get involved, Lap the Lough is also open to groups and individuals who might wish to take part as a relay team. You can split the distance and cycle either the first or second leg.

The entry fee for Lap the Lough will go to help Lough Neagh Rescue, RNLI, and Sporting Hearts, but you are welcome to take the opportunity to raise funds for your own group or charity.

Sponsorship forms and more information are available from www.lapthelough.org. Could you do it? Neagh problem!

VSO Information Day

International development charity VSO Ireland is holding an Information Day in Dublin on 22July 2006 for education and business professionals interested in becoming overseas volunteers. VSO works through professional volunteers who share their skills and expertise with colleagues in some of the poorest countries in the world.

Visitors will have the opportunity to hear more about VSO's work internationally, find out more about the types of jobs VSO can offer and meet former volunteers who can give a first hand account of life in a developing country. Volunteers live and work at the heart of local communities for a period of 12 to 24 months helping to tackle poverty by developing the ability of institutions, organisations and individuals to deliver services to the poor.

Attendance is free but by registration only, as places are limited. Call Rachel Flynn on tel: 00 353 1 872 7173, email: rachel.flynn@vso.ie to book your place.

For more information about VSO visit www.vso.ie.

VSO Information Day

Cross-border carer's study seeks submissions
Praxis Care Group is carrying out a cross-border study on what carers and health professionals think about the services available in their area. It seeks carers and health professionals who would be willing to participate in the research which involves a postal questionnaire with a potential follow-up interview.

Informal carers who live within 10 miles either side of the border and who care for someone with a learning disability are sought, as are health professionals that work with, or manage services for, carers of people with learning disabilities within the same region.

If you would like to take part please contact Joanne McDowell on tel: 028 9023 4555, email: joannemcdowell@praxiscaregroup.org.uk.

Pick of the Websites

Community NI

Belfast Interface Project

The Belfast Interface Project wants to uncover and document new research on Belfast's interfaces.

Community NI is one year old, and continuing to develop

Check out the new developments.

RPA Roundup

All the latest on the Review of Public Administration.

NICVA

Nominate for the Link Awards by Wednesday!

Don’t miss out …

Sign up for the Management Development Programme

The most popular courses get a final outing from September – get in quick.

SCOPE Award winners announced

Congratulations to all who took part.

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