‘Children’s Friendship’ peace project to hold special reunion

A PEACE programme which saw over 2,000 Catholic and Protestant teenagers from the North participate in US peace-building projects are meeting next Saturday for an ‘alumni reunion’.

The Children’s Friendship Project for Northern Ireland (CFPNI) was formed amid the ‘Troubles’ in 1987 and sought to bring together young people from both sides of the North’s sectarian divide, including many from Tyrone.

As part of the peace-building project, the teenagers shared a summer together in the US, facilitated by a host family.

It aimed to provide the young people a shared learning experience to show that they had more in common than divisions and could co-inhabit peacefully.

The project took in children for 20 years before being succeeded by Creating Friendships for Peace (CFP) in 2007, which now brings together children in various conflicts across the world including Palestine and Cyprus.

The alumni reunion will be opened at the Ulster University Atrium in Belfast on Saturday, October 7 by former Omagh District Council chief executive, and current CFP board member, John McKinney.

This reunion opportunity offers former participants the chance to come together and reflect on their shared memories and experiences of the project from their youth.

Lilah Graham, former Northern Ireland coordinator, said that it was “wonderful” to have the participants reunite in the 25th year of the Good Friday Agreement.

She said, “Many of the teenagers kept in touch and some have since returned to visit their host families.

“It was such a rewarding time for all involved. There were several reunions, which were greatly attended and enjoyed by both the teenagers and their families.

“It’s wonderful, after so many years, to have this opportunity for another reunion and to celebrate the success of the program.”

CFPNI program alumni can register for information on the reunion at friendships4peace.org/cfpni- alumni.

Any questions should be directed to Meibh McKinney at MeibhM@friendships4peace.org.