University of Ulster – UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Centre
Education for Pluralism, Human Rights & Democracy
Research Project
This is a EU Peace and Reconciliation Programme-funded project looking at issues around education and reconciliation in 3 European regions that have experienced conflict. These are:-
- Basque Country in northern Spain
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Northern Ireland
The 18 month project (Jan 2007- June 2008) aims to investigate children’s, young people’s adults and educators’ (i.e. teachers’):
- awareness and understandings of the conflict in their region
- concepts of reconciliation; and
- implications for education in promoting the concept of reconciliation with different age groups in each of the 3 regions.
This will be done by interviewing children, young people and adults and consulting with educators in the 3 regions. This will hopefully highlight the important role that education can play in addressing the legacy of conflict and contributing to reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
UNESCO Centre is looking for 24-25 year olds in Northern Ireland, from a variety of social, cultural and educational backgrounds, who might be willing to be interviewed for the project and are keen to include the voices of people with different life experiences, for example:-
- victims of the Troubles
- people with connections to or family members in the security forces
- those with links to ex-combatants
- individuals who are in or whose parents were in inter-group relationships or marriages
- individuals from ethnic minorities
At this stage we are especially interested in interviewing 24-25 year olds who would self-identify as being from unionist or loyalist communities.
People will be interviewed at a time and location that suits them. Interviews will last approximately one hour and confidentiality, privacy and anonymity will be ensured.
If you know someone who is 24-25 years old and might be interested in taking part in this project, please ask them to contact Clare at the UNESCO Centre, University of Ulster, Coleraine, in confidence.
Clare Magill – cmagill@ulster.ac.uk
Tel: 02870.323593
