Saturday, December 22, 2012

Peace initiative for Irish churches

A NEW peace project supported by the largest Christian denominations in Ireland is currently recruiting senior staff with the aim of publicly launching the new initiative in the springtime of 2013.

Entitled the ‘Irish Churches Peace Project’ the programme is a partnership involving the Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Methodist Churches, the Church of Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches.

It will be funded through the EU’s PEACE III Programme which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. 

Additional funding is being provided by the Northern Ireland Executive through the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) and by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLD) of the Irish Government.

Aimed at promoting good relations, reconciliation and peace work at both strategic and grassroots levels across Northern Ireland and in the border counties, the £1.3m project has placed ads seeking to appoint a director and two support staff for a temporary period up to June 2015. It is also expected that six field staff will be recruited early in 2013. 

Since 2008 discussions have been taking place between the various denominations as to what the peace process in Ireland requires to ensure its continued success and what unique contribution the churches could make to that.