Away from Violence

Our largest youth work programme is the Away from Violence project, and the smaller but related Breaking the Cycle project.  Away from Violence is supported through funding from the International Fund for Ireland's Community Bridges Programme. 

This project was developed due to increasing concern amongst our staff, board and volunteers about the high levels of violence experienced by young people and how this culture is normalized and accepted.  After doing some initial research, there appeared to be a lack of significant initiatives addressing the impact of violence on the lives of young people.


Four trainee Civic Educators have been employed to deliver the project across Northern Ireland.  They are based with local partner organisations, and supported by local volunteers and training developed specifically for this project.  They will work within the host community, and also with neighbouring communities on a cross-community basis.  Young people spend time exploring the nature of violence and how it affects them and their communities, and then choose an issue to develop into an action project.  Examples of projects completed to date include: a film on sectarian rioting, an information leaflet on personal safety and a heritage exhibition.
                                                                                                             
North Belfast
Project partners include Mount Vernon Community Development Forum, White City Community Centre and Westland Community Centre.  There is at least one group running in each of these areas addressing issues of violence that the young people are facing in their own communities.  In Mount Vernon the young people have completed an exhibition project on the heritage in their area.  There is also a lot of activity in the White City and Greencastle areas at the moment, where young people have made films about the impact of 'peace ines' on their lives as part of the WIMPS 'Peace Channel' project.  The group in Westland are in the process of producing a short film on the dangers of sectarian rioting in their local park. Brenda Dowie is the Civic Educator in North Belfast, so if you want to find out more, click on her name to send an email!

West Belfast
Our West Belfast Civic Educator is Conor Captain who is based at Corpus Christi Youth Centre.  Current projects include the Heritage Group where the young people involved created an exhibition on the heritage in their local community.  As part of the WIMPS Peace Channel project the young people from the West Belfast groups in Springmartin and Ballymurphy have been working on a New Belfast Community Arts project called, 'This Is Me' to design a piece of art based on their different cultures for display in their centres.  Conor has also been working on a project with Saints Youth Centre in Twinbrook in which the young people are looking at issues affecting them in their area in order to design and deliver an action plan. If you want to find out more click on Conor’s name to send an email.

Claudy
The Inside Out project hosts Away from Violence in the North-West of Northern Ireland where Julie Davis is the Civic Educator.  The project works with young people in rural communities in County L'Derry.  The past year has been a busy one for the members of Claudy Away from Violence group who have completed an Exhibition on their Heritage as young people local to the Claudy area. The project has been very exciting with trips to Corrymeela, sessions about issues that matter to the young people, and many photography sessions.  Meanwhile, a new girls’ group has been established in Claudy to look at gender-specific issues including domestic violence and self-image as part of the Breaking the Cycle project. The girls are lively and confident. If you are aged 16 plus and are interested in these issues, please give Julie a shout!  We also work in partnership with the YMCA in Drumahoe where the boys’ group has been looking at negative stereotyping and perceptions of young people, and the girls’ group have been exploring the environment and conflict management. These groups are working on the production of a DVD and a Peace garden respectively.

Portadown
Our Civic Educator Jason Williamson co-ordinates the project in the Portadown area where partner organisations include the PLACE Initiative and St Mary's Youth Centre.  Young people from Corcrain and Redmanville participated in the Heritage project completing an exhibition which was on show in the local Town Hall.  Young people from St Mary’s have been focusing on the issue of drugs as part of their action project.  Work is being pioneered with the Y Zone youth centre in the town and staff are also working to set up a project in partnership with members of the community policing team in Cocrain/Redmanville/Rectory Park.


This page will be updated regularly with examples of the projects young people are running in these areas. Please check back to see progress on the project.  If you would like more general information about Away from Violence or would like to get involved, please contact Deborah Erwin our Youth Work Manager at the Public Achievement office.