Non-Violence Charter

This month the young people from the members forum who have been participating in design and launch of their Non-Violence Charter for the Youth Centre. The new charter is not only shared with the membership but is a requisite for all young people participating in the Youth Centre. The Youth People have worked with the Non-Violence Institute in Rhode Island and with Highlander High Schools to work on how young people can remove violence from their lives.

Common Purpose Partnership

Common Purpose is a project delivered by Youth Work Alliance and funded by Children in Need tackling violence in communities. Five young people from Lower Falls have been recruited as Peer Researchers and have undertaken not only a research pieve exploring the different typlkes of violence within their own community but how violence manifests itself in the lives of young people. The group of five then designed, created and delivered some projects for other young people to help share their new learning and help young people understand how violence disrupts their lives. The picture is from the presentation event at Jungle NI and was a huge success.

Rhode Island Exchange 2023

Together with Highlander High School and the Non-Violence Institute our young people undertook training in Kingian Non-Violence. This is a short synopsis of the young peoples time with the Institute and some of the learning they secured and bringing home to Lower Falls.

Ambassadors For Peace Programme

Sharing a little summation video of our cross community contact programme with Townsend Street Outreach Centre. The programme delivers a cross community contact programme across three age bands; 8-11, 12-14 and 15-17 years of age.

YWA Common Purpose Project

YWA together with a number of youth partners with the support of Children in Need are involved in delivering a research programme and project design to help tackle non-violence in Lower Falls and Shankill communities. With our partner Townsend Street Outreach we have recruited ten young people to undertake the research and create a project over the coming months.

Good Friday Agreement Anniversary Celebrations

The Ambassadors for Peace group with support of students from Lebanon College undertook a social action project to tackle the imagery of Lanark Way Gates, renowned for recent interface violence. The young people designed a new mural replicating the front page of the Agreement booklet but with their own silhouettes rather than the family picture.

Launching New Delivery Model

On Monday of last week the centre launched a new operational model for it programme of offer. The model focuses on relational, strength-based and trauma responsive youth work all embedded in a strong safeguarding and human rights frame. The model connects the young person with family school and the youth centres work and supports them through three key transitions in their lives.

All Ireland Women's Book Launch

A group of young women from the centre have been working with Prime Cut Promotions on a book articulating the voices of women from across the country. These ten young women have had their stories and issues highlighted and published. The book was launched in the Mansion House in Dublin and the girls had a great time on their visit.