NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday 3rd May 2007
FAO News Editor
Outside In – launch at Waterfront at 5.30pm – 7.00pm 3rd May 2007
Corrymeela’s Community Partners Project launched its innovative and creative new resource called Outside In at the Waterfront Hall on Wednesday evening. This project is now in its third year although Corrymeela as a charity has been an active force within peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland for over forty years. This valuable guide has been supported by Community Relations Council, Sir Halley Stewart Trust and United States Institute for Peace. The launch was attended by many guests including Duncan Morrow of the Community relations Council and Eileen Bell, Speaker of the Assembly.
These unique materials go on to explore Living in Northern Ireland – and what does it mean to you? For each of us the answer to this is complex and reflects the diversity of our experiences and encounters with those around us. Our values and attitudes have been influenced by our childhood, family, education and community; each play a role in forming who we are and what makes us tick. The resource helps guide group participants through these and many more questions. The resource is made up of two parts; Through the Green Gate provides a model where participants meet first with those from their own tradition before engaging in an intercommunity context. The Pilgrim Trail provides a model that brings people from different traditions together from the beginning.
Susan McEwen Corrymeela Project Manager said “Central to this approach of working has been the idea of creatively recording the sessions and encouraging the participants to contribute to the learning by bringing in items representative of the stories that they might share. It has been wonderful to see three exhibitions emerging from this project. These exhibitions have been displayed around the world from New York to right here in Belfast.” She went on to say “To be able to pass on our learning through this unique creative resource gives me and the project participants’ great satisfaction.”
The Chair of Corrymeela, Kate Pettis said “It is always hugely satisfying to see how work undertaken and knowledge gained by Corrymeela whilst out in the Community can be shared locally, nationally and internationally. Through this unique resource Corrymeela continues to be at the forefront of reconciliation and community development.”
This resource is firmly rooted in practice and its aim is to create a framework whereby participants have the opportunity to explore the question: What makes me tick? The pack provides the tools for facilitators to encourage participants to look at how life experiences inform who they are and how they think. For further information concerning the resource and how to access a copy please contact: Susan McEwen, Community Partners Manager, Corrymeela, Tel 028 9050 8080 susan.mcewen@corrymeela.org
Ends
For more information, please contact Fundraising Director Jo Watson on 020 9050 8080 (day), 07866824889
(mobile), 02891 274 671 (evening), jowatson@corrymeela.org (e-mail).
Notes for Editors
Corrymeela is an ecumenical community of people committed to reconciliation and peace-building through the healing of social, religious, and political divisions in Northern Ireland. Our residential centre on the North Coast of Antrim has been a safe space for meeting, encounter, and dialogue for thousands of families, school children, youth groups, churches, and community groups for the last forty years. In addition Corrymeela has hosted numerous conferences with participants that are local, national, and international. 7000 participants visit Corrymeela every year.
Corrymeela – a few facts and figures Founded in 1965 by Rev Ray Davey, now over 7,000 people participate in Corrymeela programmes every year, with over 400 part-time volunteers who are local, national, and international and support Corrymeela work – giving a weekend, a few days, or a few hours every month.