On Street PEACE IV Youth Project comes to a successful end

A PEACE IV Project bringing together young people from all over Ireland to engage in a range of peace building and learning activities has successfully concluded.

The On Street Youth Project is part of Derry City and Strabane District Council's 'One Community' programme and was supported by the European Union's PEACE IV Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body under the Building Positive Relations Theme of the PEACE IV Programme.

Tina McHugh, Youth Worker with On Street Community Youth commented:

"Our young people have had a great experience on this programme and have learned about Good Relations issues and work towards healing the divide".

The young participants from both communities visited Dublin and took part in guided tours of key historical sites such as Kilmainham Gaol, the GPO and Arbour Hill. 

They also visited Belfast and had guided tours of Crumlin Road Gaol and the Falls and Shankhill areas and the PEACE Lines with talks from local community leaders.

The participants learned from first hand sources much about how the Troubles impacted on the Nationalist and Unionist communities in Belfast and how the communities were rebuilding in the aftermath of many traumatic events in this period. 

Nearer to home, the group also visited the Tower and Siege Museums in Derry where they were given guided tours of the facility with detailed accounts of the Siege of Derry and of the general history of Derry since its founding, at the respective facilities.

Towards the end of the project the young people undertook an OCN course in personal development which they completed Covid safely with communication through Zoom.

Martin Gallagher, Good Relations Community Planning Co-ordinator with Derry City and Strabane District Council added: "This has been one of our most successful One Community Programme projects.

"It has enabled young people to look at Good Relations issues and learn about how communities are dealing with them in a very positive manner".

For more details on Derry City And Strabane District Council's Good Relations strategy and initiatives visit derrystrabane.com/goodrelations.