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Integrated Education featured at the Peace Summit 2023

Representatives of civic society gather at Magee Campus to consider the unfinished business of the peace process.

March 8, 2023

Events

The Integrated Education fund were delighted to partner with the John and Pat Hume Foundation, the Holywell Trust, Ulster University, Community Dialogue, the Glencree Centre for Peace & Reconciliation, International Fund for Ireland and Youth Action NI to participate in the Peace Summit 2023: The Unfinished Business of Peace and Reconciliation.

In the lead up to the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/ Good Friday Agreement, the Peace Summit looked at how far we have come in building peace.  The Summit also challenged the many complex issues that continue to cause division, reminding us that peace and reconciliation require ongoing action and change.

As part of the five month long process nearly 600 people were consulted through:

  • Youth peace summits
  • Peace practitioner workshops
  • Community dialogues
  • Citizen assemblies

One of the important 12 ‘Calls to Action’ within the Consultation is in support of more Integrated Education.

  • Integrate Education: The consultation endorsed the need to integrate education.  Separate schooling creates division and does little to change social and political perspectives.  There were different views on how to do this, and concerns about the impact on smaller schools for example.  But greater educational integration, done in a considered way, is important to break down barriers.  How we learn about the past is also critical.  The amalgamation of all teacher training is critical to integration within the education system.

The Peace Summit Consultation Document is available here, and responses are invited to be submitted by before 7 April 2023.

“It’s the people’s Agreement; we must take it back. ”

— Community Dialogue participant

“Speaking to each other and not judging someone for the way they speak, finding they come from another country, not judging them straight away, you get to speak to them and see where they’re from and what their experience is in life, they might have some of the same experiences to you. You never know, you might make a new friend or a best friend.”