KELLY AND DONALDSON WELCOME NORTH BELFAST MLAs' COMMITMENT TO INTERFACE PEACE

Junior Ministers Gerry Kelly and Jeffrey Donaldson have welcomed the statement from North Belfast MLAs calling on young people to 'Say no to interface violence.'

Minister Kelly said: "Earlier this week I and my ministerial colleague Jeffrey Donaldson hosted the launch at Parliament Buildings of a poster campaign designed by young people and aimed at young people with the clear message Wise up M8. Say no to interface violence.

"These young people have shown commendable leadership and I am delighted to say that the unique statement of support which has come from all six local MLAs further endorses that message."

Junior Minister Donaldson said: "There has been a tremendous amount of work undertaken in recent times by all sections of the community in North Belfast to ensure a more peaceful summer on our streets.

"The benefits of this are obvious to all and I welcome both the initiative of the recently launched poster campaign and the statement issued by the local MLAs."

The six north Belfast MLAs are: Fred Cobain (UUP); Nigel Dodds (DUP); Gerry Kelly (SF); Alban Maginness (SDLP); Nelson McCausland (DUP); Caral Ni Chulin (SF)

The statement from the six North Belfast MLA's reads as follows :-

Say No to Interface Violence

As elected representatives for North Belfast, we want to send a very strong message of support to this year's poster campaign. We believe it is our responsibility to exercise positive political leadership by clearly encouraging our young people to say no to interface violence.

It is of great significance that the campaign has been shaped, the posters and leaflets designed and distribution carried out by young people from our part of Belfast. It is these young people who are saying to their peers "Wise Up M8 (Mate). Say no to interface violence." We agree wholeheartedly with that message.
North Belfast is a fast improving part of the city. This campaign has in recent years been a vital part of a range of initiatives which involves everyone in the community working together, which have seen summer months becoming increasingly peaceful. We don't take this improvement for granted and we don't underestimate the amount of work which has been done by many people to have achieved what we have now in North Belfast.
In making this statement of support we would want to add our challenge to everyone in North Belfast. As we see our young people take a positive stance against interface violence, we must all get behind them in agreement and support.
Everyone, say no to interface violence this year and every year.

" The historic significance of a joint statement from cross party Mla's must not be underestimated, this is the first statement of its kind and hopefully sets a precident for the future of working together in North Belfast. The work that has gone into this initiative is incredible and the message from young people is worth more than the countless volumes of rhetoric from adults on the issue of addressing interface issues in North Belfast. Let's all look forward to a peaceful and fun filled summer."
An Roisin Dubh

Dialogue is Priceless

Dialogue is key to a peaceful summer; Tour of the North resolution welcomed.

(is this an image that can hopefully be consigned to the past!)

The recent developments and decisions made on this year's Tour of the North parade are a positive step forward. The Tour over past years has been one of the most highly contested and volatile of the Orange marching calendar and has often brought with it some of the most violent interface clashes seen in North Belfast. I would applaud the work & the engagement that has led to this resolution and would hope that this will become an expected normality in how the parading issue must be addressed. Entrenchment, belligerence, demands and immobility must be replaced with constructive & sustained dialogue. Parades are a massive influence on the climate of interfaces in North Belfast & hopefully a peaceful Tour will prove as a positive litmus for the summer.

The issues of addressing interface conflict must be similarly approached, sustained & constructive dialogue must be sought, brokered & fostered by those with influence in their community and encouraged between residents living across the interfaces.

Direct engagement between residents on both sides of the interface in Ardoyne, Woodvale, Glenbryn, New Lodge, Tigers Bay, Clifton Park Avenue, Lower Oldpark is central to unlocking the myths of the "Otherside" that allow interface violence and tension to fester in North Belfast. Talk may be said to be cheap, but when constructive & sustained, dialogue is priceless.

An Roisin Dubh

First Minister Paisley; Leaving on a positive note?

On the 12th May 2008 during question time, First Minister Paisley responded to the request from North Belfast MLA, Caral Ni Chuilin, for the establishment of a specific North Belfast Task Force which would address issues of interface and conflict resolution.

The First Minister (Rev Dr Ian Paisley): The future that we look forward to will be one without barriers, in which society is characterised by respect, tolerance and interdependence, while sectarianism and racism are consigned to the past. In that context, significant progress has been made in the past three years to improve relationships. The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) wishes to ensure that those improved relationships in the community continue.

In his closing statement in the 22 April Adjournment debate on the interfaces in North Belfast, the junior Minister Mr Donaldson confirmed that the Member’s proposal of creating a task force for the North Belfast constituency would be considered

(The First Minister also responded to the remarks of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg re: Interface walls being a barrier to international investment);

The First Minister: During the US-NI investment conference last week, Mayor Bloomberg called for the removal of peace walls if Northern Ireland is to become a leading hub for global investment. Although I welcomed his remarks, any plans to remove peace walls must be primarily community-driven. The people must act. Outsiders pulling down walls will accomplish nothing. However, when those living on either side of the wall agree to take it down, we will have won a great victory. I look forward to that victory being sealed over and over again in the areas where there has been great trouble in the past.

(Will the N. I Assembly, the future First & Deputy First Ministers and North Belfast MLA's continue to work on MLA Ni Chuilin's proposals?)











An Roisin Dubh

Opportunity wasted to regenerate North Belfast interface.Dunne’s Stores closes on Crumlin Road.

The failure of the Hillview retail park on the Crumlin Road in North Belfast is an example of how not to regenerate an interface. The site which has in the past five years only had one long term tenant, may well have, with the right consultation & vision become a vibrant and sustained example of real shared space.

How would you even begin to advertise for prospective tenants, spacious modern retail outlets, ample parking, ideally situated in prime high density residential area, complete with own interface gate and segregated community.

It should also be considered that there is not a reluctance to use the site, or to spend money here, ironically the car boot sale that runs in the car park every Sunday is jammed to capacity by people from both sides of the Crumlin Road and traders and shoppers from across Belfast and farther afield.

No strategy was considered or implemented to address the sectarian conflict which had created this interface and saw the permanent closure of Flax Street since the 1980’s, or to allay the fears of residents on both sides of the interface as to the potential impact of the effective reopening of the interface via a side door.

Local politicians, Nigel Dodds, MLA, MP and Investment minister, Alban Maginness, Councillor, MLA & Local Councillor Margaret McClenaghan have all collectively expressed dismay, Irish News may 9^th, at the failure of the retail park.

Perhaps now that the site has failed in its present incarnation, a consultation with residents on both sides of the Crumlin Road may provide an effective answer as to how best utilise the site as it stands.

The fact that we have heard a collective response from local political representatives toward the site may serve to solicit the right conditions to revision and reuse the site to meet the needs of the community. The recommendation before the Assembly on the 12^th of May for a North Belfast Task Force to address interface issues is a significant step and will hopefully bring us closer to resolving this issue.

An Roisin Dubh

Take down peace walls, NY Mayor

Belfast has more than 40 peace lines

A plea for the demolition of Belfast's 40 peace-lines has come from the Mayor of New York.

Michael Bloomberg said Northern Ireland had much to offer, but suggested that "another important step was needed".

He said it was "in the interests of peace and prosperity" to remove the barriers.

The mayor made his remarks while addressing the First and Deputy First Ministers, assembly members and American visitors at Stormont.

Speaking on the benefits of partnership between Northern Ireland the United States, he said:

"The historic cultural barriers between the two communities here are slowly coming down," said Mayor Bloomberg who was in Belfast for the investment conference.

"And the sooner they do, and the sooner the physical barriers come down as well, the sooner the flood gates of private investment will open." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7390938.stm

An Roisin Dubh