Let's Move On

Last July I was asked to co chair a public meeting organised by CARA to discuss the twelfth parades past Ardoyne. The meeting was frank and sometimes fraught with tension and disagreement, but people were honest and expressed heartfelt sentiments. Being co chair I was unable to contribute to the discussion and in a way that enabled me to listen and reflect, more than I normally would, on what was being said rather than making sure that I got the opportunity to get my opinion across.
What struck me was the degree to which many of those present, in most cases confident, articulate and forward thinking people, elevate the Orange Order and give it a significance to which it is no longer worthy.
Gone are the days of, Where We Walk, We Rule. In its place are eleven bar one requests forms, submissions and negotiations. Not a perfect system or even a fair one, but a system that none the less places the Orange Order on the same footing as me and anyone else who is opposed to parades taking place where they are not wanted.
There is no longer an Orange supremacy or ascendancy. I will no longer be treated as a second class citizen, whether the Orange Order marches past Ardoyne on the 12th or not.
What attachments there are to the Orders in many working class loyalist communities is fed as much, if not more so, by Nationalist /Republican resistance to an outdated notion of the power of the Orange orders as by the values associated with ‘the brethern’.
Without our resistance to the Orange Order what is left but an archaic tiger rendered toothless and represented by costumed men in quaint bowler hats. We may not like what we view as triumphalist coat trailing but what if we were to view this as what it really is - the last gasping breath of times gone by. Without the oxygen of our ‘being offended’ the fuel for those who wish to assert their authority over us is denied.
If we agree that the Orange Order is not worth the effort of our resistance then it is not.
Threats of violence or potential violence not only detract from what should be the key issue, Orange Parades, but it also allows many of the less progressive elements of Loyalism to don their yellow bibs and transform themselves into the peoples protectors and guardians of their culture, at least until they get past Ardoyne, Duncairn Gdns or Springfield Rd. Their credibility is firmly tied into our behaviour. We give a lifeline to those within Loyalism who are coming under pressure from within their own communities because of their links with criminal behaviour and gangsterism
Imagine the Crumlin Rd with people shopping oblivious to the marching bands, who holds the power?
The future, whatever it is, will be defined by those who are forward thinking and who seek new ways to deal with old problems. Reverting to old outdated thinking keeps us firmly grounded in the past and unable to move forward.
North Belfast Interface Network

Not long now before the start of the marching season and already people are beginning to talk about how they will handle the ‘riots’ on the 12th, not how they hope to resolve the parading issue and find a long term solution to the problem of contentious parades and the problems associated with them

North Belfast Interface Network

To mark the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, NBIN & NBCDTG will host an electoral identification clinic. The event has been organised by Kate Clarke of the North Belfast Interface Network & Leanne Marshall of the North Belfast Community Development & Transition Group.

Kate Clarke states “ With elections coming up on the 5th of May, women have often been disenfranchised from their vote because they don’t have the correct identification, this event marking the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day will provide women with an official photo id issued by the NI Electoral Office. This is a cross community event, Women have an important voice and having the right identification to vote will be part of making that voice heard.”

Free of Charge the electoral office will take your photo and provide you with photographic identification which will allow you to vote in the upcoming elections.
The event is open to everyone but has a specific focus on women voters particularly young women who will be eligible for their first vote as well as senior women who may have lost out on previous votes because they do not have the correct identification.

An Roisin Dubh

Gerorge Best Trophy League launched by Celtic's Neil Lennon

The Ardoyne Marrowbone CEP has launched the George Best Trophy League along with Neil Lennon of Celtic. The Tournament runs from the 10th- 14th July on the Marrowbone Playing Fields. The tournament now in its 4th year is the first to be given the support and endorsement of the George Best foundation and Barbara McNarry (George’s sister) is one of the patrons of the event. The IFA Grassroots programmes are also partners. The event is a 7 a side league tournament and is specifically geared to provide a diversionary activity for young men from Ardoyne who have been affected by interface violence and the impact of contentious parades in their community. It has been a huge success and in its 1st year won an award from UEFA and the IFA for its impact on community relations. Registration forms can be got from the Ardoyne Youth Club or the Marrowbone Community House and Cliftonville community centre.

An Roisin Dubh

North Belfast Interface Monitoring Group Launch Poster for 2009

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

Living in an Interface Community

The “Living in an interface community” photographic project was designed to engage youth at risk from and affected by interface conflict and examine the images they felt represented their life experiences within the community.

This project has been a partnership with Ardoyne Marrowbone CEP, the North Belfast Interface Network & the Golden Thread Gallery funded by the NBCAU. The images and editorial decisions were made by the young people with the simple brief that they had to represent how they felt life in an interface community affected them.
The group of young males aged between 14 & 17 years of age were brought together by the AMCEP detached youth outreach workers who in turn facilitated a series of workshops with artists from the Golden Thread Gallery. It is of note that all the individuals involved have given a full commitment to the project and continued engagement with local youth & interface programmes.
The images reflect the youth themselves, sometimes in quite a humorous way but also demonstrating just how seriously they appreciated the opportunity to show how they felt about living in an interface area.

"Do Good Walls Make Good Neighbours?" You Tube July 2008

Seanchai47's Take on Interface walls dialogue which happened in May & June 2008.
To view video Click on Link

You can send photos or videos to Nb.movingon2008@gmail.com

An Roisin Dubh