Article written by Migrant Centre NI.
The Migrant Centre NI’s "Migrant and Ethnic Minority Peace Builders in Northern Ireland” project launched on 18 June 2024 in Belfast Castle with “Colours of Peace: Moving Beyond Orange and Green”. The event was attended by 25 participants with lived experience as members of migrant and ethnic minority communities in Northern Ireland. The day began with some reflections on peacebuilding and inclusion from Dr Avila Kilmurray, the Migration and Peacebuilding Executive at The Social Change Initiative. Dr David Mitchell of Trinity College Dublin delivered a lecture on the Northern Irish Troubles and Peace Process, touching on increasing demographic diversity, terminology debates, and current challenges to peace.
Attendees then split into breakout groups to discuss different themes around peacebuilding and diversity. One group, chaired by Dean Lee of the Rainbow Project, looked at minority ethnic contributions to Northern Irish peace, focusing on the complexity of intersecting layers of identity and difference. Darren Ferguson of Beyond Skin facilitated a workshop on the role of art as a unifier, disruptor, and healing agent in peacebuilding. The final group, chaired by David Holloway of Community Dialogue, identified capacity-building needs and priorities for a peaceful future, such as narrative change and comprehensive implementation of equity policies.
The group reconvened after lunch for a workshop on conflict handling skills, delivered by Laurie Randall, Director of Development at Mediation NI. Participants learned about different models of conflict resolution and explored how to apply them constructively in situations of personal and social conflict. The day ended with a policy presentation and Q+A from Ricky Irwin, The Executive Office’s Director of Racial Equality and Communities in Transition.
We were delighted with the level of engagement and nuance displayed by the event’s participants. The discussions illuminated several key themes which will inform the project’s evolution, such as the barriers newcomers face integrating into divided communities, and the expertise which is missed by not involving diverse perspectives, especially of people from postcolonial and conflict-affected regions, in peacebuilding structures.
The feedback from attendees at Colours of Peace was very encouraging, with participants describing it as a “major learning experience” about “the nature of conflict and how to build capacity for peace”, with “thought provoking workshops and fascinating conversations” providing an “opportunity for folks active in the minority ethnic sector to come together to discuss, share and connect with each other”.
If you are interested in learning more about the Migrant and Ethnic Minority Peace Builders project, please contact julia@migrantcentreni.org to join the network mailing list.