The Corrymeela Community wish to:   

• Be a Christian community of reconciliation following the way of the gospel.          
• Be in positive relationship with people regardless of class, religious opinion or political conviction.
• Create safe spaces where people of diverse backgrounds can come and meet each other, where there is an atmosphere of trust and acceptance and where differences can be acknowledged, explored and accepted.          
• Work to realise a society whose priorities are justice, mutual respect, the participation of all, concern for the vulnerable and the stranger, stewardship of resources, and care for creation

Our Work:
In order to achieve our mission and aims, our work is focused on five main programme areas: Family, Community interface, Youth, Schools & Faith & Life.

Programme staff are working both at the Ballycastle Centre but increasingly out in the community.  We operate two residential centres (Ballycastle and Knocklayd) and an administration centre at Corrymeela House, Belfast.   The values of welcome, hospitality and ‘safe-space’ are expressed in our residential centres.

Residentials are more and more delivered as an integrated part of a wider community programme focus.   The Corrymeela Ballycastle Centre hosts approximately 5,000 people each year who take part in individually designed, residential programmes.  A further 1,500 participate in day programmes or come as visitors.  Around 900 people come to the Knocklayd Centre. 

These people are primarily from Northern Ireland but also come from the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain, America and different European countries.  Groups come from schools, local communities, churches, youth clubs; people come as members of families, carers, victims, prisoners’ families, politicians, ex-paramilitaries and citizens involved in work for reconciliation. 

These groups and people have the opportunity to engage in dialogue, be involved in building a sense of inclusive community during their programme, listen to different stories and perspectives, share their experiences, explore alternative ways of moving out of violence and finding new ways forward together.  With our staff, volunteers and members we all learn from one another and find support to continue the journey.  Our programme is enhanced significantly by the quality of our staff and their commitment to the work.

Corrymeela has for 41 years sought to address the overall aim of a Shared Future, i.e. “to establish over time a shared society defined by tolerance: a normal civil society in which all individuals are considered as equal, where differences are resolved through dialogue in the public sphere and where all individuals are treated impartially.  A society where there is equity, respect for diversity and a recognition of interdependence”.

Corrymeela has made a sustainable difference to community relations and reconciliation work over the last 40 years.  A lot of the ideas around the concept of reconciliation were pioneered in and through Corrymeela.  We have been a pioneer in the practice of reconciliation work and we continue to be innovative.  Many people first learnt about reconciliation at Corrymeela and they are now active throughout Northern Ireland.  

We see ourselves as enablers and catalysts, so that others may take reconciliation and community relations issues further (e.g. the Northern Ireland Mixed Marriage Association was founded as a result of a Corrymeela conference and used Corrymeela House as a contact point, the training agencies TIDES and Future Ways came out of Corrymeela).  

Corrymeela’s work and programme is concerned with the multiplying potential arising out of enabling and empowering individuals (staff, members, volunteers and programme participants), groups and organisations to ‘own’ their own community relations / community development concerns, agenda and issues.