A DONEGAL project working with Republican ex-prisoners and their families has been granted almost €70,000 by the International Fund for Ireland.
At the organisation’s recent Board Meeting in Fermanagh total funding of €244,000 was approved that will support five new projects which aim to address complex issues linked to the past and provide new options for marginalised young people.
Among the successful beneficiaries is Lá Nua who received €69,500 for a nine-month programme of accredited training and development work with the target group of republican ex-prisoners and their families. The project recognises that as a result of the Troubles and the on-going legacy of that period, these ex-prisoners and their families face major barriers which impinge upon and restrict their integration into society. The project will focus on counties Leitrim and South Donegal.
Dr Adrian Johnston, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, said: “For almost three decades, the International Fund for Ireland has advanced the push for peace by supporting communities to take necessary risks for peace and secure positive change in difficult areas. The eight projects awarded in this round of funding reflect the type of ambitious work that we are committed to supporting and our willingness to go where others cannot in order to help stabilise the Peace Process.”
He continued: “In less than two years, our Peace Walls Programme has delivered significant progress in terms of confidence and relationship building measures, and has begun a schedule of works to transform interface neighbourhoods. Similarly the Peace Impact Programme has encouraged communities to bring forward innovative solutions to complex issues like parading and interface tensions. Many are making the first efforts to engage with marginalised individuals – particularly young people – and groups who remain disconnected from government interventions.”
Dr Johnston concluded: “The need for more interventions like these at community level remains critically high. It is only right that groups who are willing to tackle the root causes of sectarianism and deliver stability and prosperity are properly supported to do so.”
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