The North Belfast Interface Monitoring Group is currently developing its “Keep Safe this Summer” campaign. Hoping to build on the successes of 2006-07 & 08, the NBIMG has been involved in a process of engagement with youth providers from across North Belfast from February this year, seeking to consolidate a unified approach to addressing the issues of youth and interfaces. This process has been paralleled with a series of engagements on a multi agency level with statutory organizations, the PSNI & Belfast City Council community safety teams.
The NBIMG has also engaged in a series of meetings with head teachers across North Belfast and has began a process of addressing school assemblies throughout the north of the city with a cross community delegation of interface workers informing young people of the issues and impact of interface violence. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Keep Safe this Summer!” and while it still maintains a primary focus on interface violence, it also seeks to highlight the other factors which can affect the safety of young people and residents during the summer in particular, Drugs, Alcohol and the growing number of incidents with knives also are issues for concern.
The message this year is very clear, drawing on the collective responsibility and powers of this multi agency approach the NBIMG are utilizing a two pronged approach to the campaign. Soliciting the support & resources of youth providers, schools and clergy, we hope to identify that there is a clear choice to make, young people can avail of support within the community and engage in the wide variety of summer programmes and activities available to them. We are relaying the message that there will be a renewed and vigorous effort to identify young people involved in risk activities. This process of identification will inform other agencies in addressing this activity, Social Services, Belfast City Council and the NI Housing Executive with the PSNI will be contacting the parents of anyone identified as being involved in risk activity and will take appropriate action. The message to schools and youth groups highlights the fun activities and summer interface intervention programmes available to young people and also focusing on the zero tolerance response to interface violence from community, statutory organizations and the PSNI. The NBIMG have also engaged with the tripartheid approach of Belfast City Council community safety team, NIHE & Youth Justice Agency to address interface violence as an equal priority to anti-social behavior.
Young people through the engagement of the NBIMG & youth providers have been invited to invent the strap line for the poster and to assist in its design. They have also been involved in discussion focus groups based on the development of the poster and its theme of “Keep Safe this Summer!” and will be a significant component of this year’s launch. The launch is planned for the 17th of June at 4:00 for 4:30pm at Westland Fire Station and head teachers and clergy will help to deliver the message.
This NBIMG initiative 2009 will (I) design, publish and distribute across youth clubs, schools and interface communities 20,000 leaflets that will highlight the options available to young people for a safe and fun filled summer while highlighting consequences of interface violence among young people and its impact on community. (An educational message will be mainstreamed and promoted at all other summer intervention events.) (II) Further highlight the “Keep Safe This Summer!” While still referencing the dangers of interface violence by advertising our message on all TRANSLINK buses that serve all North Belfast’s main arterial routes. (III) Request that OFM dFM host a symbolic Stormont reception for young people from across North Belfast to communicate a message of responsibility for the summers months and to launch the initiative. Such a high profile intervention would have the benefit of generating momentum and symbolically ensuring that our message is widely publicized and politically validated.
An Roisin Dubh
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