Memorandum submitted by the Tim Parry
and 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 recognizes 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 "Hate Crime" in Northern
Ireland, the Trust is providing information on the learning gained
from working with young people from Northern Ireland, the Republic
of Ireland and Warrington as well as work which is currently being
piloted with primary school children in Oldham, itself a city
suffering racial tensions.
The aim of providing this information is to
offer the committee an overview on how these types of programmes
can help dispel myths and stereotypes about culture and race and
enable young people to meet others who have opposing views to
themselves, in order to teach tolerance and acceptance of diversity.
With regard to the specific terms of reference
dealing with effective measures and changes to current legislation,
the Trust does not believe it appropriate to comment in any detail.
3. WORK WITH
YOUNG PEOPLE
ON ACCEPTANCE
OF CULTURAL
DIVERSITY
3.1 The Tim Parry Scholarship
The Tim Parry Scholarship began in 1996 and
is a cultural youth exchange, which targets gifted, talented,
and successful "high-achievers" who have demonstrated
leadership skills within their own schools and communities. The
project aims to improve Anglo-Irish-Northern Irish (both communities
in Northern Ireland) relationships and foster friendships between
the young people of Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland.
The participants live, learn and socialise together,
whilst exploring the differences and similarities of their respective
communities and cultures. The scholarship raises participants"
self-awareness about their prejudices and how this can lead to
conflict.
Personal conflict in the home, at school and
in the wider community, is explored and examined along with global
international conflicts. The participants understand the nature
of each other's conflicts and discuss its wider consequences.
Innovative learning methods are used and strategies
are examined to resolve and manage conflict non-violently. Formal
and informal learning activities are the basis of the programme,
which aims to be a fun event with serious educational inputs in
the field of conflict resolution. (Details of the programme content
are attached in Appendix I).
On completion of the programme the participants
re-enter their communities with new skills and knowledge that
will enable them to act as peer educators, mediators and "Ambassadors
for Peace".
The Trust believes that if we invest in young
people now, we can persuade them that they can make an effective
difference to their own lives, by contributing to ending all forms
of conflict and violence and by becoming "Children for Peace".
The next programme is due to begin in November 2004.
(Feedback from the programme evaluation forms are
attached in Appendix II)
3.2 Young Citizens for Peace Programme
This programme commenced in March 2003 and is
aimed at disadvantaged young people aged 14-16 years who have
demonstrated leadership potential and who come from areas of deprivation
and community conflict. It is a three-centre youth exchange programme
focussing on issues of conflict, its consequences and conflict
resolution. It is facilitated and hosted by: The Tim Parry Johnathan
Ball Trust at the Peace Centre, Warrington; the Conflict Trauma
Resource Centre, Belfast and the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation,
Co. Wicklow, Republic of Ireland.
24 young people, made up of eight participants
from each community, spend three weekends together exploring both
the causes and consequences of the "Troubles" but also
looking at conflict globally. The programme, while including social
and cultural elements to aid relationship building, also includes
workshops with training and personal development elements.
It is designed to give young people an opportunity
to learn about conflict and its consequences on a personal, community
and global level. It takes the form of learning sessions, group-work,
discussions and debates, learning games and role-plays which are
all designed to give participants an awareness of issues such
as identity, rights, discrimination and conflict resolution. The
programme also incorporates informal activity and entertainment
sessions.
The next Young Citizens for Peace Programme
is due to begin in September 2004. The first leg is at Glencree.
3.3 The Johnathan Ball Tiny Steps for Peace
Programme
Racism and intolerance is growing and emerging
amongst ever younger groups of children. We have developed a programme
of learning that can be delivered to a wide range of children,
particularly in areas of disadvantage, to arrest this trend.
"We know that children as young as three
can hold strong, prejudiced views…which can seriously effect
our children's development, growth and self-confidence."—Dr
Paul Connolly, University of Ulster, "Fair Play" June
2002
Tiny Steps for Peace is a pilot project to develop
and test learning resources which will celebrate the concept of
diversity, through learning and play. It encourages young children's
personal and emotional development, physical and mental well-being
and full social inclusion regardless of ethnicity, culture or
ability. The project is groundbreaking and innovative as it is
aimed at children ages 4-7 years. It will be delivered across
racial, cultural, class and religious divides, in partnership
with parents and teachers, in the children's own schools and communities.
""Issues of racism need to be tackled
in all schools, in particular at the primary level."—Oldham
Independent review "One Oldham One Future" Panel Report
11.12.01 p79
The philosophy behind this violence and conflict
prevention project is to increase mutual understanding, encourage
tolerance, friendships and acceptance of all others as equals
through learning and play. The project will focus attention on
identifying similarities and differences, and will encourage children
to react positively to conflict. This in turn will have a direct
impact on the lives of children, families and the wider community.
It aims to reduce the level of aggression, bullying and violence
in the playground, classroom, family units and wider community
leading to greater socialisation and development opportunities
for children and their parents/guardians.
The Project will support The UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child, Article 2
"You have the right to be protected from
discrimination, whatever your race, sex, colour, religion or anything
else about you."
Aims of the Project
The project has three principal aims:
1. To research and develop learning resources
which celebrate the concept of diversity using drama as a learning
medium.
2. To encourage young children's personal,
social and emotional development, physical well being and full
social inclusion, regardless of ethnicity, culture or ability.
3. To lay foundations for any subsequent
work designed to reduce barriers to inclusion and equality of
opportunity.
Programme delivery will begin in October 2004
through to June 2005 and results of the programme will be evaluated
by Dr Paul Connolly from Ulster University at that time.
SUMMARY
In summary, the Trust has found that by bringing
young people from opposing sides together to explore their differences
and recognize their similarities, an understanding of the other's
viewpoint can be reached. This does not necessarily mean that
participants are "converted" to each other's viewpoint,
but more that they begin to understand that violence is not the
answer to conflict and they are open to engaging in discussions
on how more meaningful ways to solve differences can be achieved.
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