Peacemaking Programme

History of the Programme

The promotion of peacemaking within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is not a new phenomenon. The work of the Peace and Peacemaking Committee can be traced back to the General Assembly in 1986 when an Ad hoc committee (later made permanent) was established "to examine issues concerning peace and peacemaking locally and internationally in order to educate our own denomination on them and to call the church to constructive action where possible."

From the outset it was not so much the task of this committee to do peacemaking on behalf of PCI but to encourage, challenge, equip, support and resource the congregations, Presbyteries, boards, agencies and members of the Church to do so. In June 2004, the Committee was renamed the 'Peacemaking Panel' operating under the Global Concerns Committee of the General Board. Reporting to the General Board provided the Panel with a connection to all other boards and to all Presbyteries.

The Peacemaking Panel has natural overlaps with the work of the Church and Government Committee as well as the Inter-Church Relations Board, particularly the Irish Inter-Church Relations Committee. It has been understood therefore that peacemaking has a broader remit than inter-church relations and need not necessarily proceed along efforts to resolve matters of doctrinal difference, or questions of Christian unity.

PCI documents including the Coleraine declaration in 1990 and the Mission Statement exert in 1992 provide the context, rationale and support for the work of the Panel. Significant achievements include the adoption of the Church's Peace Vocation statement in 1996 and subsequent dissemination work to encourage understanding and ownership of the challenge to building peace in our community. The structure of Presbytery and Congregational Peace Agents as well as local Peacemaking Groups has been developed to insure the integration of peacemaking into all areas of church life. Prayer and resource materials have also been provided to aid the study of peacemaking issues and to equip Peace Agents with training and support. An annual Peacemaking Conference takes place every autumn, where topical issues relating to peacebuilding are addressed.

Youth and Adult Initiatives

Peacemaking and reconciliation work with young people through PCI's Board of Youth and Children's Ministry can be traced back to a similar period of time as the initial Peace and Peacemaking Committee. Originally this work was supported through the Nexus Ireland project at the Lucan Youth Centre in Dublin providing residential opportunities for young people from Northern Ireland. A Reconciliation Programme, which was run through Youth Fellowships, was also developed and the Reconciliation Working Group was established in 1995 to support this work and the development of Preparing Youth for Peace which was launched in 2001.

Following this, the Youth Board commissioned an audit in response to a request from the major funding partners of the Preparing Youth for Peace (PYfP) Project. The results of this audit published in 2001 developed and further refined the PYfPprogramme (now entitled Preparing Youth to be Peacemakers, PYP). In the intervening period (2001-2005) PYfP was positively received and the evaluation of the programme highlighted its many benefits to over 1,000 young people who participated. The PYfPprogramme was facilitated in churches, schools and youth groups throughout Northern Ireland and supported by the former PYP Officer, David Smyth.

As a result of a review conducted by the Peace and Peacemaking Committee in 2003, there was an identified need to develop 'capacity building' work with adults in PCI similar to that of PYfP. It was agreed to apply for funding for a joint adult and youth peacemaking programme.This application received funding from the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) to support and develop the work of the Peacemaking Programme [also funded by: Community Relations Council (CRC), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), PCI Incidental Fund, PCUSA, Kennedy Charitable Foundation, Columbanus Trust and Inter-Church Reconciliation Fund].

A Joint Management Committee comprising representatives of both the General Board and Youth and Children's Board was established to manage the Programme. The Reconciliation Working Group supports and steers the development of PYP whilst the Peacemaking Panel supports the work with adults. The funding enabled PCI to employ two staff for this programme each appointed for three years.Laura Coulter was appointed as Peacemaking Programme Officer in January 2006 and Deborah Erwin was appointed as Programme Officer for PYP in June 2006.

The Management Committee commissioned an evaluation of the Programme in 2007. This is now complete and the recommendations are being considered by the Peacemaking Panel.