The Board and Staff of the Community Relations Council were saddened to learn that Derick Wilson has passed away. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues.
He touched the lives of thousands as a constant presence in reconciliation work and particularly associated with the Corrymeela community since the 1960s. He became Director of the Corrymeela Centre in 1978, remaining in that position until 1985.
Dr. Wilson was also an educator in formal and informal settings; co-founder of the Understanding Conflict Trust and a lecturer in youth and community work at the Northern Ireland Polytechnic and later the Ulster University, where he subsequently became a Reader Emeritus in Education. He was part of the Future Ways Programme which undertook community relations training with public bodies, churches and voluntary organisations and helped develop the important theoretical framework for community relations work, which is Equity, Diversity, Interdependence.
In the early years of his professional life, after undertaking a postgraduate diploma in Youth and Community Work at University College Swansea, Derick worked for the first N.I. Community Relations Commission from 1970-73. Over a decade later he was instrumental in formation of the Community Relations Council in 1990 as a member of an ad-hoc group in 1988-89.
In 2007 Derick received the Community Relation Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to reconciliation. Throughout his life Derick brought restless energy, challenge and inspiration to everything he did. He will be sadly missed by all of us.