Posted 8 June 2021
The partition of the island of Ireland and the creation of the state of Northern Ireland a century ago, it is fair to say, is as contentious an issue today as it was back in 1921. This highlights the need for diverse voices from this part of the world to come together to share their opinions, hopes and fears around these matters, and to approach any form of marking the events of 100 years ago in a sensitive and inclusive way.
To address this, Rural Community Network (RCN) in partnership with The Junction devised a series of engagements designed to approach the Centenary of the State of Northern Ireland in an ethical and shared manner. RCN invited members of the Beyond Belfast Rural Contested Spaces Forum (practitioners, their colleagues, board and volunteers) to come together and explore “NORTHERN IRELAND’S CENTENARY: AN ETHICAL & SHARED REMEMBERING APPROACH”, as part of RCN’s “100 Years of Change – Rural Shared History” Programme.
The Northern Ireland wide, 4-part programme, was delivered online via zoom and offered participants the opportunity to train, discuss and support each other, as well as others in the community, on how think about commemorative events in new ways, how to run such events in an inclusive manner and how to design and implement ethical and shared principles for commemorative events.
This project has been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.
