Memorandum submitted by the Tim Parry
Johnathan Ball Trust
1. THE TIM
PARRY JOHNATHAN
BALL TRUST
We are an educational peace charity which aims
to inspire and enable people to lead more peaceful lives by helping
them understand the nature and causes of conflict.
The Trust was formed after the IRA attack on
Warrington which killed 12 year old Tim Parry and three year old
Johnathan Ball. Based in a purpose built state-of-the-art "Peace
Centre" we are dedicated to working with adults, children
and peace organisations which aim to resolve conflicts at a local,
national and international level.
Our vision of "promoting peace and building
a better future" is achieved through our mission to "develop
peace building skills and change lives". We do this by delivering
educational peace programmes and youth exchanges which challenge
perceptions and prejudice and aim to encourage tolerance and the
acceptance of diversity.
The Trust also recognises the need to learn
from past conflicts through a unique "Legacy Project".
This project is the only work in Great Britain that aims to address
the needs of victims and survivors of the "Troubles"
who live in Great Britain.
2. TERMS OF
REFERENCE
In answer to the Committees' request for input
into the inquiry into "Reconciliation: Ways of Dealing with
Northern Ireland's Past", the Trust is providing information
on the learning gained from its three year Government funded Legacy
Project which was set up to identify and meet the needs of Great
Britain based victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland "Troubles".
The aim of providing this information is to
offer the Committee an overview of the findings of Legacy Project's
needs analysis launched at Westminster in 2003, which in essence
is about how we can deal practically with the impact of the past.
In addition, we will give more detail about what we believe needs
to be addressed when considering how to deal with the past in
terms of a broader Northern Ireland perspective, inclusive of
all those affected.
3. THE LEGACY
PROJECT
3.1 BACKGROUND
The Legacy Project was established to identify
and meet the needs of victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland
"Troubles" who live in Great Britain. The project is
aimed at those individuals and communities affected by bereavement,
injury or trauma that are directly related to the "Troubles".
This includes former soldiers, victims of bombings in Great Britain,
their families, bereaved families of soldiers killed in the conflict,
emergency services staff who assisted victims, and exiles—those
forced into exile in GB as a result of paramilitary intimidation.
The Trust launched this "stand alone" project in November
2001 and has since developed a national and international reputation
as a leading player in the field of victim support, advocacy and
direct services for victims of the "Troubles" in Great
Britain.
The Trust has now secured additional funding
to consolidate the unique position of the Legacy Project to ensure
sustainability and continuing impact, whilst simultaneously concentrating
on further partnership and strategic relationship development
to reach wider groups of victims/survivors. It is the aim of the
Trust to provide long-term services and support to all victims
based in GB of global terrorist activities. By utilising the best
practice and knowledge developed through the Legacy Project this
will widen access to relevant specialist services and support
for victims/survivors. The strategic development of the Trust
will also ensure that any subsequent work carried out by the Legacy
Project will coherently dovetail and complement existing and future
Trust programmes.
"I was very apprehensive about coming this
weekend—it has changed my mind and helped put me back together—I
just hope I can go on staying involved and contribute."
Anonymous participant in the Legacy Project's first
residential, September 2003.
The Trust commissioned a Needs Analysis Report,
into the support needs of GB based victims/survivors of the "Troubles",
the results of which were launched during a dedicated Westminster
reception in November 2003. The Trust's Legacy Project is now
implementing the specific recommendations contained in the report
for the period November 2004-November 2007, concerning the direct
services and advocacy development needs of GB victims/survivors.
These recommendations are contained in Annex I.
3.2 Identified Needs
Many of the needs identified by the Needs Analysis
Report are similar to those faced by other victims of crime. The
project therefore aims to facilitate a culture shift to get victims/survivors
of the "Troubles" recognised as victims of crime generally.
However the context of how or why they became victims is central
to the particular needs for victims of the "Troubles".
People in GB, like those in NI, do not feel they have received
any recognition and acknowledgment for what they have experienced,
either from the Government, paramilitaries, the criminal justice
system or the general population. It is only through the work
of the Legacy Project that they are being offered the opportunity
to tell their story, be listened to and heard for the first time.
These events need to be documented as reconciliation includes
acknowledgment of the past. This will then facilitate validation,
recognition and the ability to learn from other people's experiences.
The lack of information about where people can
go to receive help and information is impacted by the lack of
communication and joined-up working between agencies themselves.
This is symptomatic of a general lack of understanding and awareness
in GB. The context of the "Troubles" is vitally important
in the treatment of victims and their reactions to the events.
Many people in GB don't feel a connection to the "Troubles"
due to a lack of education and general awareness of GB's role
in the conflict. As such, the perception of the "Troubles"
and the cause behind them is very different in GB compared to
that in Northern Ireland. This leads to an apathy concerning the
conflict, which in turn results in victims' feeling they have
been catapulted into a conflict that had nothing to do with them.
The Legacy Project therefore is providing informal learning opportunities
during its residentials concerning the effect that the "Troubles"
has had on victims to enable them to gain an insight into the
history and impact of the conflict.
Victims and survivors have an array of medical
and health related needs, ranging from counselling to hospital
care. Psychological needs include PTSD, depression, insomnia,
panic attacks and relationship difficulties. Unmet social needs
amongst victims have affected victim's personal lives, work and
employment opportunities and contributed to criminal behaviour,
terms of imprisonment, homelessness, social isolation and the
inability to form and sustain relationships.
Financial needs are exacerbated by a benefits
system that has repeatedly proven not to acknowledge or cater
for the unique situation of victims, and compensation in lieu
of victims' plight has not been forthcoming. The unsatisfied financial
needs of the victims are compounded by the effects of their social
and health related needs.
The medical, social and financial needs above
will be partially addressed by the project through assisting victims
to access information via signposting to more appropriate and
specialist provision/support. The project is also working with
other agencies and government departments to raise awareness of
those needs and work with them to improve existing provision.
The Legacy Project has also uncovered stoicism
within victims, where people seem to have accepted what happened
to them as an unfortunate part of modern life. Overall they have
managed to "cope" and mask their feelings. They do,
however, feel let down by the lack of support, care and consideration
offered by the Government.
4. RESPONDING
TO DEALING
WITH THE
PAST
The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Trust is suggesting
three other ways of dealing with the past, which link in to the
identified needs above, but also form part of our opinion on what
should happen. These are:
1. A Truth and Reconciliation Process.
2. Storytelling opportunities.
3. An archive of experiences.
4.1 Truth and Reconciliation Process
We believe that at some point in the future
there should be a process available for people to come to terms
with the past and what has happened. This requires a number of
different approaches, but essentially a mechanism for people to
find out what and why events happened during the course of the
"Troubles". This would allow many affected people to
be able to live a more functional life.
Many societies emerging from conflict have used
truth recovery processes and learning from these would be useful
in the Northern Ireland context. However, any truth process would
need to be unique to Northern Ireland, building on the good practice
and experiences of other models, such as in South Africa and Chile.
Our view is that such a process could be helpful
in the recovery of victims and survivors from all sides in the
conflict. Many people's lives have been damaged and they are unable
to function properly without knowing the details of what actually
happened to their loved ones or themselves, and often they need
to understand why it happened. With 1,800 unsolved murders during
the "Troubles" and countless other unsolved crimes,
many people have had little or no criminal justice outcomes which
has had a big impact on their lives.
Any such truth process would need some fundamental
precedents, in order for the whole of society affected (including
people in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland)
to move forward. These are:
— The conflict needs to be fully over—a
fact that has to have been openly agreed by all sides.
— The truth process needs to be victim
centred—the needs of the victims as a priority over the
needs of the perpetrators, although in keeping within human rights.
Victims should be involved in the negotiations of any agreements
prior to a commission being set up.
— Voluntary participation—ie
when people are ready to participate. Further trauma could be
caused if participants are not ready to talk. Not all victims
and survivors would be prepared to participate, and also not everyone
needs this kind of process in order to move on.
— Support structures need to be in
place for all those testifying, and for any commissioners and
support staff such as those in administration.
— Justice and amnesty issues need to
be explored and victims need to be involved in the set up of any
overall amnesty agreements.
— All parties need to be involved both
in the design of and participation in the process, including:
— Those who have been affected
in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
— The British and Irish Governments.
— All political parties in
Northern Ireland.
— Veterans of the conflict.
— Paramilitary groups from
all sides.
— Former police officers.
— Victims and survivors from
all sides and jurisdictions
Without all parties involvement such a process
would be unlikely to work. It may be some years before society
is ready to trust such a process, and this is why it's vital that
the conflict is considered by all to be over.
4.2 Storytelling opportunities
Through its Legacy Project the Trust offers
opportunities for victims and survivors to come together and share
their experiences. This is enabling victims and survivors to come
to terms with their past, by providing the opportunity for those
affected to tell their story and be heard and acknowledged by
other victims and survivors, which was one of the central needs
identified in our report. We also work with many organisations
in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who offer similar
programmes, but with a wider range of participants. These groups
can consist of victims from all sides, but also include opportunities
where victims and survivors can share experiences with former
combatants in the conflict. Many single identity workshops are
held to help people to engage in these kind of processes with
their peers, to assist them to wider dialogues. We recently held
a weekend for Northern Ireland veterans and we believe this was
the first of its kind for this group. Feedback from our workshops
is attached in Annex II.
Our programmes have been developed following
models of best practice from the South Africa and Israel/Palestine
conflicts and also work with children of Holocaust survivors and
Nazi perpetrators. We have previously participated in these programmes
and have adapted each programme to the context of the "Troubles",
and then to the context of GB victims and survivors.
In South Africa, Father Michael Lapsley established
the "Healing of Memories" storytelling programme, which
ran alongside the TRC, and is still continuing to address the
needs of those who never had the opportunity to testify. Visit
the Institute for Healing of Memories website for more information.
http://www.healingofmemories.co.za/index.php?about
Similarly, Professor Dan Bar-On established
"To Reflect and Trust" in 1993, bringing together children
of Holocaust survivors and Nazi perpetrators to help address some
of the intergenerational trauma issues following World War II.
The learning gained from their experiences was vital in the development
of their organisation and has now extended to include participants
from other conflict zones, such as South Africa, Israel/Palestine
and Northern Ireland. See Annex III for more information and contact
details.
We feel these programmes have been beneficial
in dealing with the past and that more of these opportunities
should be available to help Northern Ireland to deal with its
past. Although not everyone would want to engage in this kind
of process, it would be helpful if this type of support were available
in the long term when people are ready.
4.3 Archive of Experiences
We strongly advocate the need for public recognition
of what has happened. With any Truth processes and storytelling
opportunities only a section of the people affected will have
the chance to participate. Therefore we are suggesting that a
public archive of experiences should be set up. This would be
a public space where people could add testimonies of what happened
to them, which could be viewed and acknowledged by the general
public. Obviously there are many considerations in terms of security
and safety of personal information, and how and where it is recorded,
but we believe it would be an important and historic documentation
of what happened in the conflict. We are currently developing
an archive project for our user groups to have a space to record
their experiences. Many other organisations have also done this
or are currently planning this kind of project. We feel there
should be a centralised space provided where all sides of the
conflict can come together and acknowledge each others hurt and
pain. It would have an educational value for many people and could
dispel many myths about the "other" sides in the conflict.
The archive could be a collection of pictures, stories, poetry,
news clippings and videos that would lead to a valuable collection
of history for our society, and could be made available internationally.
The benefits of such an archive are far reaching.
Not only would it be a historical collection, but it would be
useful for the wider public who have been affected to be able
to learn about each sides point of view, this in turn helping
with longer term healing.
5. SUMMARY
In summary, the Trust has suggested some ideas
for ways of dealing with Northern Ireland's past by providing
information on the learning gained from the Legacy Project which
was set up to identify and meet the needs of Great Britain based
victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland "Troubles".
We have also given suggestions on other ways of dealing with the
past, including the use of Truth Processes, Storytelling opportunities
and a proposed Archive of Experiences. We feel that through the
identification of the needs of people on this island, we have
suggested some creative ways to address the problems facing all
those who have been affected by the conflict, by showing what
we are doing to meet the needs here, and by talking about some
models of practice from other conflicts.
Our main point to make is that when looking
at ways of dealing with Northern Ireland's past, all of the people
who have been affected need to be taken into account, regardless
of their geographical jurisdiction, and the creation of any healing
processes need to involve all those affected in order for them
to be successful.
ANNEX
I—LIST OF
RECOMMENDATIONS
THE LEGACY—A STUDY OF THE NEEDS OF
GB VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND "TROUBLES"
ISBN: 0-9546378-0-1 (2003) TIM PARRY JOHNATHAN BALL TRUST
PART ONE—THE
NEEDS OF
GB VICTIMS AND
SURVIVORS
Recommendations for Central Government
Strategic Co-ordination
R1. In the continuing Peace Talks in Northern
Ireland the needs and human rights of victims of the "Troubles"
in Great Britain are formally recognised.
R2. The remit of the Commissioner for Victims
and Witnesses in England and Wales includes acting as a voice
to promote the interests of victims of the "`Troubles' and
terrorism" living in England and Wales in Government, the
criminal justice system and more widely. The Scottish Executive
should also take this report into consideration when reviewing
its "Strategy for Victims" in 2004 to ensure that victims
of the "Troubles" who live in Scotland receive the same
treatment as their fellow GB victims.
R3. Victims of the "Troubles"
in Great Britain are co-opted onto the Victims Advisory Panel,
which advises the Government on the delivery of the national strategy
to deliver improved services to victims, "A new deal for
victims and witnesses".
R4. An Interdepartmental Group is set up
by the Home Office Victims' Unit, which should take the lead in
co-ordinating a government response to the needs of victims as
identified in the report. Victims of the "Troubles"
and terrorism in Great Britain should be included in the "A
new deal for victims and witnesses" national strategy.
R5. The Victims' Liaison Unit, in conjunction
with the Legacy Project and other stakeholders, should organise
a conference by the end of this financial year to share best practice
and experiences from Northern Ireland. The budget for the conference
is likely to be in the region of £25k including the dissemination
of the conference report on the Internet.
PTSD and Health Needs: Department of Health
R6. The findings from this report should
be fed into the NICE Guidelines on PTSD. The Legacy Project should
send a copy of the report to the project team for the PTSD guidelines.
R7. NHS Direct should act as a principal
gateway to information and advice for victims of the "Troubles"
and terrorism. Victim Support and the Veterans Agency should also
be asked if they would be prepared to offer secondary gateways.
The Legacy Project is also a key means of signposting those individuals,
who present to it as having support needs, to these services.
Emergency Planning
R8. In planning for emergencies arising
from a terrorist incident there should be guidance on responding
to and meeting the needs of victims and for following victims
up over time. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat at the Cabinet
Office is asked to take this report into account when it updates
the guidance "Dealing with Disaster".
Military Issues
R9. The Veterans Initiative Working Group
on veterans' needs should consider this report alongside others.
R10. The Ministry of Defence, in conjunction
with the Veterans Initiative, should continue to investigate the
most appropriate mechanisms for following up and facilitating
support to the bereaved families of military personnel, and for
the sharing of good practice.
Recommendations for The Legacy Project
R11. The VLU considers a funding application
from the Legacy Project for the development of services to victims
(and the delivery of recommendations 12 to 16 below) based on
a strategy drawn up before the end of this financial year.
R12. With the support of the Tim Parry Johnathan
Ball Trust, the Legacy Project develops a communication strategy
for disseminating key findings in this report to selected professional
audiences who are in a position to develop or improve access to
services in response to them.
R13. The Legacy Project brings together
relevant agencies and professionals to develop services based
on models of best practice to meet the needs of victims, so that
within a year an inter-agency group is established and self-supporting,
with one of the partner agencies agreeing to take on the administrative
role for a year at a time. Travel expenses for attending meetings
would be met by each of the individual partner agencies.
R14. The Legacy Project brings together
groups of victims and survivors to tell their stories, be listened
to and supported (it may need sessional workers to help to facilitate
these events and this should form part of its post-conference
submission to the VLU).
R15. The Legacy Project should establish
an archive for victims on the Internet and by other means, alongside
other organisations, and should explore its use for education,
research and knowledge sharing in line with the philosophy underpinning
the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Trust.
R16. The Legacy Project should establish
an independent group to develop a support network, inclusive of
all groups affected by the Northern Ireland "Troubles"
in Great Britain for advocacy and support. The Legacy Project's
role should be to support this group for the first two years with
the aim of enabling it to function as an independent group and
assisting it in finding its own funding.
PART TWO—THE
NEEDS OF
EXILES
Exiles & Human Rights
R1. In the continuing Peace talks in Northern
Ireland the needs and human rights of exiles are publicly recognised
and that paramilitary organisations and the parties that represent
them agree to an ending of the practice of exiling.
Routes into Exile
R2. Where an exiled housing applicant is
accepted as homeless because of housing intimidation in Northern
Ireland, he/she is entitled to an emergency payment provided they
were a public or private tenant at the time of the intimidation.
The receiving local authority housing office in Great Britain
should be authorised by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
to make this payment on its behalf. If it were estimated that
up to four exiled households might present to housing authorities
as homeless in Great Britain per month, this would cost £9,571
at the current emergency payment level of £199.40.
R3. NIACRO continues to place a high priority
on Base 2 staff assessing the needs of exiles and their families
before they leave Northern Ireland.
R4. Base 2 considers making a proposal for
funding from the Strategy Implementation Fund through the Department
of Social Development, for a Contingency Fund to assist Base 2
in accessing appropriate services to meet the assessed needs of
exiles and their families.
R5. The Department of Social Development
in Northern Ireland together with the Social Security Agency issues
guidelines clarifying that it will meet the transport costs for
those going into exile who are in receipt of benefits and that
the Social Security Agency will consider making a non-refundable
community care grant to meet these travel costs in cases of emergency
need, where someone is being forced to leave Northern Ireland
through paramilitary intimidation. In these cases the verification
of intimidation by PSNI, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
or BASE 2 should be accepted by the Agency. It is estimated that
this could cost the Social Security Agency between £5,000
and £7,000 per annum.
Housing & Accommodation
R6. The Department of Social Development
in Northern Ireland draws up guidance for the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister in England and Wales and the Scottish Executive
to issue to local authority housing departments on which agencies
to contact to verify that intimidation has taken place in Northern
Ireland and the circumstances which may have led up to someone
being forced into exile. The guidance should clarify that where
intimidation has taken place and has resulted in that person and/or
family being forced into exile, local authorities have a duty
to regard that household as being homeless and to provide temporary
accommodation whilst their housing needs are being assessed. Information
should be made available within this guidance to local authorities
about relevant contact agencies in Northern Ireland including
BASE 2.
R7. Local authority housing departments
and RSLs should be required by the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister in England and Wales and the Scottish Executive to safeguard
and restrict access to personalised information relating to exiles
in all cases where there has been verification of intimidation
from either the PSNI, Northern Ireland Housing Executive or BASE
2.
R8. The Voluntary and Community Unit within
the Department for Social Development reviews the level of funding
it provides towards the Home Removal Scheme administered by Bryson
House to ensure that the full costs of removal are able to be
met for those exiled to Great Britain. The Unit should also review
the full contract with Bryson House.
R9. The Department of Social Development
in Northern Ireland review the arrangements under the Scheme for
the Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings to establish what mechanisms
may be put in place to expedite valuations and purchase in the
case of exiles.
Welfare Benefits & Finance
R10. In all cases of people being exiled
through paramilitary intimidation as verified by the PSNI, Northern
Ireland Housing Executive or BASE 2, social security records should
be treated as nationally sensitive.
R11. The Department of Social Development
and the Social Security Agency undertake an urgent review of the
system for transferring benefits for those forced into exile through
paramilitary intimidation.
R12. The Social Security Agency works with
its colleagues in the benefit system in Great Britain to provide
information and advice on dealing with cases involving paramilitary
intimidation.
Psychological Factors & Responses to Exile
R13. The findings of this report should
be fed into the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
Guidelines on PTSD.
R14. The Department of Health should consider
highlighting the particular sensitivities and needs to be taken
account of when dealing with victims and exiles.
Medical Needs
R15. The Department of Health raises awareness
with Primary Care Trusts (and within existing guidelines) of the
difficulties exiles have with admission onto GPs waiting lists.
Support Needed and Provided
R16. BASE 2 and Maranatha consider forming,
together with other relevant helping agencies, an inter-agency
group to co-ordinate and promote best practice in responding to
the needs of exiles. This group should be encouraged to liaise
with the inter-agency group for victims of the "Troubles"
that the Legacy Project is to establish.
R17. BASE 2 and Maranatha promote the needs
of exiles in journals for social and welfare professionals and
encourages the relevant professional bodies to develop training,
guidance and awareness-raising on this issue.
R18. Maranatha consults exiles on the potential
for the development for self-help and mutual support for exiles
by linking individuals or families with those "further down
the line".
Annex II
QUOTES FROM PARTICIPANTS IN STORYTELLING
RESIDENTIALS
Participant expectations at the outset of the residential:
"To learn & understand more."
"Being able to tell my story and hear others
in a safe supportive environment."
"To gain confidence and respect."
"That I would share my story and hear others
in a safe way and this would give me opportunities for transformation
and healing."
"To take another step down the long road
to understanding my problems."
"To meet, hear and have dialogue with a
group of ex-British soldiers. To relate to the group by listening
to their story on how they coped with their time in Northern Ireland
and since they became a civilian. The key to this is to relate,
to repair and reflect and to be respected and recognised."
The extent to which participant expectations were
met:
"My expectations were met, because a number
of veterans talked about their tours of duty and about their problems
afterwards."
"Yes my expectations were more than met.
We achieved a lot because we all had a lot in common with each
other but it was also achieved by each individual's truths in
their story."
"Yes, to relate to other people that have
suffered in the same way, which I did."
"Yes I met and shared experiences within
a group and felt very moved by other stories."
"Yes. To hear others to place my problems
were I now believe they now lay."
Feelings regarding the small group storytelling experience:
"I find it very moving that people openly
share so much of themselves."
"Very beneficial to me and the rest of the
group."
"This was the most important aspect of the
weekend, because the veterans clearly had memories of incidents
and issues from the conflict that have affected their lives ever
since—and still do so today."
Most memorable aspect:
"The veterans telling their stories in such
a vivid way about events that happened decades ago."
"I would like to take part in future residentials,
to be able to take part in helping by my story and experiences.
This would help me to go further ahead towards the Legacy Project,
understanding and healing."
"We have now established that many NI veterans
have memories and issues to do with the conflict that still haunt
them today. But we were only a small group at the weekend and
we need to go on and explore other veteran's experiences and also
document their problems and start to formulate solutions—and
take all of this to the authorities."
Annex III
INFORMATION ABOUT TO REFLECT AND TRUST
TO REFLECT
AND TRUST
(TRT)
Background to the Project
The TRT original grouping is composed of descendants
of Holocaust survivors and descendants of Nazi perpetrators who
have been meeting annually since 1992.
It focuses on dialogue in which participants
share their personal stories, thereby enabling them to reflect
on their personal and collective histories as victims and victimisers.
This process was initiated by Professor Dan Bar-On (an Israeli
psychologist and a specialist in intergenerational transmission
of trauma), who developed a socially and historically contextualised
approach to group interventions.
In 1998 a new phase of the TRT group started
when, during its Hamburg encounter, it brought together professionals,
who are working with victims and victimisers in current conflicts:
South Africa, Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestinian National
Authority. As a result of the networking, important spin-offs
have included:
— Representatives of TRT have participated
in "Towards Understanding and Healing" residentials
held in Northern Ireland, and have adapted aspects of the methodology
for the work they carry out within their own settings.
— Professor Dan Bar-On has made several
trips to Northern Ireland and delivered talks and workshops on
his own research and work.
— Samson Munn (committee member/organiser
of TRT) is coming to Northern Ireland in June 2002 (brought over
by WAVE) to give a talk/workshop on transgenerational impacts
of conflict.
— A representative from an Austrian
Dialogue Group (which emanated out of the TRT) has visited Northern
Ireland and is now seeking funding for a residential to be held
in Northern Ireland.
— Through the networking, an architect
specialising in architectural memorials is travelling with the
TRT group in August to offer support and advice—an itinerary
will be arranged to accommodate the needs of interested parties.
The Northern Ireland TRT representation has
grown as different individuals attended annual residentials organised
by TRT since 1998. Members include: Eamonn Deane, Maureen Hetherington,
Martin Snoddon, Barney Devine, Andrew Parke, John Lindsay, Jeanette
Warke, Yvonne Stewart, Sandra Peake, Joseph Peake. (The residential
in August will include a number of the above participants (for
continuity) and invite a number of other individuals who are interested
in taking this work forward.)
Each year the TRT (1992) Core Group seek funding
to hold a residential in a different setting. The TRT body expressed
a particular interest in coming to Northern Ireland (as a result
of meeting delegates from NI) to examine and explore how the conflict
has impacted on the community, the methodologies adopted to cope
with conflict resolution and peace building, and the progress
that has been made towards healing of individual and collective
hurts of the past thirty years of conflict.
Contact Professor Dan Bar-On by email on danbaron@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
A news account of one of his speeches can be
found at: http://www.nahost-politik.de/psychologie/bar-on.htm
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