New cross-border PEACE Academy launched in Belfast
New three-year project led by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation (RFF)
Celebrities lend support to PEACEPLUS-backed programme
Initiative will use sport, art and music to drive peace and inclusion
An exciting three-year cross-border initiative developed by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation (RFF) and supported by PEACEPLUS – a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) – has been officially launched in north Belfast.
Led by the Foundation in partnership with community organisations on both sides of the border, the new PEACE Academy will empower young people aged 14 to 21 through sport, art and music, creating opportunities for learning, expression and personal development.
Operating through a structured pathway focused on employability and capacity-building, the initiative aims to build positive relationships in Belfast and Sligo, not only within but also between communities by creating opportunities for engagement, learning, cultural expression, and increased social action. Over the coming months, it is hoped the shared experiences of every single participant is going to contribute to long-term peacebuilding.
Tuesday’s launch event at Girdwood Community Hub in North Belfast was attended by Northern Ireland Executive Junior Ministers, Aisling Reilly and Joanne Bunting, SEUPB’s Corporate Services Director Paul Sheridan, and Linda Sheridan, Assistant Principal, Libraries Development and Community Policy Unit, Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with Responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, welcomed the announcement.
“I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to everyone who contributed to the development of the PEACE Academy project. It fills me with immense happiness that my Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in partnership with the Special EU Programmes Body and The Executive Office in Northern Ireland, will persist in providing support for this remarkable initiative.”
“This initiative embodies the key elements of the Building Positive Relations Investment Area through its diverse partnerships. It strives to foster positive relationships, celebrate cultural diversity and build a long-term response to racism and hate on a cross-community and cross-border basis.”
“The Rio Ferdinand Foundation PEACE Academy will give young people the chance to learn, to express themselves and to build new relationships in a safe and supportive environment. By bringing young people together using football and other activities as the medium, this cross-border project will inspire confidence and the skills they need to play a positive role in our shared future. We are pleased to support this work through the PEACEPLUS Programme and look forward to seeing the difference it will make in the years ahead.”
Ministers Bunting and Reilly were joined by KISS FM presenter Ellie Prohan, Dublin-based rapper Sello, Glentoran FC player Ciarán Coll, and Sligo Rovers FC’s Head of Academy Connor O'Grady who were part of a panel that shared their own backstories with guests and explored how the power of youth culture brings people together to build positive community relations. The floor was then opened by the panel who answered questions from young people from Belfast Boys’ Model and Fort Hill Integrated College.
Gary Stannett, the Chief Executive Officer at the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, explained the PEACE Academy has been created in response to issues that impact young people, especially those from under resourced communities and those marginalised because they come from minority backgrounds.
“We are living in uncertain times, and young people are increasingly facing an uncertain future.
We are seeing all time high levels of youth unemployment and those classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) is growing. Poverty levels are rising and the young people we work with often report they have a lack of confidence in their future, with few opportunities to build a career or a positive future for themselves.
It’s in this environment that racism and division can thrive, and young people can be pulled into negative behaviours. We can see that impacting on communities in Northern Ireland and the border regions of Ireland. Against this backdrop, the PEACE Academy will bring young people from all communities together through a mutual passion for sport, music, media and culture. It will offer personal development support, accredited and vocational training, work experience opportunities through volunteering to create cross community events and engagement with employers and education pathways.
In doing this we will create an environment that will challenge prejudices, foster inclusion, strengthen social cohesion and embed a sense of civic responsibility for participants, while building relationships and friendships across communities and creating pathways and opportunities for our young people to reach their potential.”
Between now and 2029, hundreds of young people in the Belfast and Sligo areas are set to have the opportunity to engage with the ambitious PEACEPLUS Programme, which is funded by the Special EU Programmes Body with extra support from Warner Music Group. Over this period, weekly sports sessions will run twice per week in Northern Ireland and Ireland, engaging up to thirty young people per session in a safe, inclusive space.
Quarterly community events for up to one hundred and fifty participants will foster cross-cultural understanding, while monthly personal development sessions are intended to build confidence, leadership skills and also cultural awareness among participants. The programme will award some one hundred and fifty annual qualifications alongside social action projects intended to tackle racism and sectarianism between 14 and 21-year-olds.
Speaking of the difference the PEACE Academy will make, former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand said:
“We live in a time where young people face uncertain times and an uncertain future. This programme will deliver activities through sport and culture to engage young people, help them build new relationships and skills, and bring people together to build a better future. I would like to thank SEUPB for having faith in us to deliver this programme and I’m looking forward to coming over in the future to meet participants and see the project in action.”
