Press Release

The Mayor’s ‘Good Relations’ Initiative 2005-06.

Monday, 21 November 2005

The response from local secondary schools to the Mayor’s Good Relations Initiative has been extremely positive. The theme for this year’s event is “Prejudice – Face On” and is an annual Community Relations Initiative run by Derry City Council, funded through the District Council’s Community Relations Programme (Community Relations Unit OFMDFM). It is run in conjunction with The Junction (Community Relations Resource Centre) and Children in Crossfire.

The Mayor, Councillor Lynn Fleming said she was delighted to be associated with the project. “The promotion of Good Relations is of critical importance to the Council and we feel it is vitally important to engage with local schools on the key issues involved to challenge prejudice and to get their views on these important themes.”

Sue Divin, Community Relations Officer with Derry City Council explained that the two previous initiatives, with themes of ‘Give sectarianism the red card’ and ‘Equality and Good Relations’, had a very positive uptake from over 10 local post-primary schools and she is confident this year’s event will be an even greater success.

”Principals and teachers have been enthusiastic in their support for the programme which is designed to fit in with Local and Global Citizenship and EMU within the curriculum. There is a long history of Community Relations work in the local council area and a general recognition that there is a moral imperative behind the work to move our society out of conflict and towards peace and reconciliation,” she said.

The annual Mayor’s Good Relations Initiative brings different sectors and people together to work towards a positive Shared Future. The initiative brings together Community Relations facilitators from a wide range of Community Relations organisations to deliver a series of six free workshops in participating local schools. The workshops, delivered from December to March, cover themes such as ‘What is Good Relations?’, ‘Prejudices – Racism, Sectarianism, Homophobia’, ‘Dealing with Difference’ and ‘Working towards an inclusive society.’

The year 10 pupils participating will also have a ‘Face on Encounter’ which them to spend time interacting with a person representing a community whose ideas, beliefs, or background differ from that of the school’s typical student body. Groups will be asked to reflect personally and engage in critical thinking about what their previous perceptions were, what happened during the ‘Face on’ encounters and what they have learnt from their workshops.

Feedback from all schools will be collated into a booklet for distribution to all participating schools as an educational resource for citizenship.

Photo Opportunity:

The Mayor, Councillor Lynn Fleming will officially launch the programme on November 21st at 12.30 at the Junction, Bishop Street.

Ends

For additional information contact:

Press Office

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