=Volunteer now! tell us - we’ll tell others!

different voices

YOUNG people from the

Northwest tackled prejudice

'face on' at a recent confer-

ence organised by Derry City

Council.

While each of the schools in atten-

dance had taken part in six-week

projects examining different areas of

prejudice, such as racism, homopho-

bia and sectarianism, few felt that it

impacted on their daily lives.

Many of those interviewed by

Headliners felt that they had not

been subjected to prejudice, while

others opened up about their own

personal experiences.

Fergus from Foyle and Londonderry

College said: "Me and another boy

from my school were walking

through the town and some people

started shouting sectarian things at

us," leaving Fergus and his friend

with a bad feeling. Alanna (13) from

Park had been the victim of racist

name-calling. She said: "Whenever I

was in primary school, people would

call me ‘blackie’ and all that there

because I’m tanned."

Others said they had experienced it in

school, out on the street playing and

on the buses, where people thought

they were older than they are.

Between presentations from the vari-

ous schools, Headliners shared the

results of our on-going exploration of

the themes of homophobia, racism

and sectarianism.

In introducing the pieces, we said:

"While researching for our stories we

realised just how important young

people are in shaping a peaceful

future for all. After all, we are the

present and the future generation.

Possibly the politicians, decision

makers and leaders of the future.

“Sectarianism hasn’t gone away,

young people are still affected by

current and generational conflict.

Although we are growing up in a

much more peaceful environment

than our parents and grandpar-

ents there is a lot more work to be

done to keep progressing towards

achieving real peace and reconcili-

ation.

“In Headliners we seek to chal-

lenge politicians, church leaders,

community activists, the media,

government departments and oth-

ers to listen to and hear what we,

the young people of the future,

have to say on these issues."

Many of the young people we

spoke to at the conference believed

that sectarianism was the most

prevalent prejudice in the North

West today but all agreed that

prejudice in all its forms should be

stopped.

Fifteen-year-old Ashley, who

attends Oakgrove College, said:

"Make everything integrated so

Protestants and Catholics could

live among each other and every-

one could get used to it.”

While 14-year-old Jan from Foyle

and Londonderry College suggest-

ed: "Maybe organise some more

things like this, get all the schools

to try to come together."

Amanda, a 14-year-old pupil at

Lumen Christi College, thought

young people should take a practi-

cal approach to tackling prejudice.

"We can make up posters and stick

them up on walls in the city and

say we reject sectarianism and

racism," she said.

Andrew (14) added: "Don't let

anybody be left out."

Conor (14) from St Joseph's said:

"We could all try to change and

work with each other and by going

to courses, it helps when we talk to

each other about it."

This probably sums it up for all of

us. Even if we don't think we're

prejudiced, we could probably

make some changes to the way we

think or act towards others and by

getting to know one another better

through meeting up and talking,

we would be breaking down the

barriers that prejudice builds up.

By Aine Cronin-McCartney and Amy Coyle

Facing up to prejudice

=

Issue 3

Headliners reporter Saorla Boyle talks to pupils in the Northwest atDerry City Council’s Prejudice - Face-On conference.

A newsletter by Foyle

“Try to inspire

people not to be

prejudiced. If you

see people doing it,

try to stop them

because it’s just

stupidness.”

Paul (14)

Your views our news

Welcome to

different Voices

issue 3

This newsletter was published by Headliners Foyle, Suite 2, 23 Bishop Street, Derry, BT48 6PR, Tel: 02871309397, E:audrey.martin@headliners.org

contentS

2 Different Voices, Issue 3

Aoife O’Connell now volunteers with Headliners,

having been a member herself for three years. Here

she shares her experiences of the Foyle Bureau.

A friend who was already a member encouraged me to join. I

was quietly confident, was able to speak my mind amongst close

friends, but when it came to sharing ideas in a public setting like

in school, I would have left it to others to answer questions.

Headliners definitely improved my ability to speak in front of

groups of people.

I also became able to make friends with new people and I have

met people from different backgrounds. This has given me the

skills to accept people instead of judging them and in turn this

has improved my own development as a person.

Through being part of magazine production I learned the basics

of QuarkXpress and was able to design the pages that my writing

would be on. This gave me a sense of ownership of the piece

more than anything I had written before.

The skills I learned in order to contribute to the magazines

included, interviewing the public, vox pops and also brainstorm-

ing with a group. This increased my confidence further as I could

clearly see the input that I was giving was being acknowledged

and valued by my peers.

The recording equipment we used for interviewing was complete-

ly new to me, as was the software for the page layouts. Learning

to use these practically showed me that learning kinetically - is

actually how I learn best and this knowledge has helped me to

succeed in the engineering course I am doing now.

I took part in a residential which was based around personal

conflict. What I learned about myself in those 48 hours will stay

with me forever. All the residentials and trips we took for team

building were serious fun. They cemented the friendships I had

made.

Seeing my work in print and having someone compliment me on

a piece I had written was always nice.

Headliners has shown me how to prioritise what is important to

me and it has given me the confidence in myself to know that I

can do whatever I want. It provides a non-judgemental platform

for young people to talk about issues that affect them and com-

municate those views in an exciting way. I am now working on a

documentary with another former member as we have both con-

tinued volunteering at the bureau.

Headliners has been a major part of my development and the

support that I was given proved more helpful than the pastoral

care in my school as the bureau provided a more relaxed and

welcoming environment.

The only other thing I have to add is a big thank you!

“Headliners has

shown me how to

prioritise what is

important to me

and it has given me

the confidence in

myself to know that

I can do whatever I

want.”

PAGE 2 - Aoife gives the low-

down on Headliners - as a

member and volunteer.

PAGE 3 - Building Bridges;

how the city’s new bridge will

impact on the lives of local

young people.

PLUS - Speak Out: Isolated

young people in Letterkenny

tell their story.

PAGES 4 / 5 - Out and

About: A Photo Spread

Special.

PAGES 6 / 7 - In-depth look

at racism in the North West

and what young people think.

PAGES 8 / 9 - Get the

Picture? Young people explore

sectarianism through photog-

raphy in Strabane.

PAGES 10 / 11 - ‘The

Problem with ‘Peace’ - we look

at life for teenagers growing

up post-Troubles.

PAGE 12 - How to contact

and volunteer at Headliners.

Welcome to Issue 3 of Different

Voices which is bursting with

ideas and articles on issues affect-

ing young people in the North

West today.

In this issue, we bring you up-to-date

with the latest events that Headliners’

Foyle Bureau members have been

attending - such as our front page story

on ‘Prejudice: Face On’ - as well as

hearing what’s in the hearts and minds

of young people across the area.

We hear what young people in Derry

think of the city’s Peace Bridge current-

ly under construction, while others in

Letterkenny address the issue of isola-

tion.

Members get out on the streets to talk

racism while ‘SEEDS’ director Eddie

Kerr gives an indepth interview on the

issue in the North West.

The challenges facing teenagers grow-

ing up in this post-Troubles era also

come under examination.

Finally, you can enjoy the fruits of the

fantastic photo project which young

people in Strabane worked on as the

final show-piece of their study into sec-

tarianism. The pictures recently formed

an exhibition in the town’s library as

the centre piece of Community

Relations Week.

And, of course, our photo spread spe-

cial shines a light on the diversity that

forms the backbone of life in

Headliners!

We always want to hear your

views on what we’re doing,

find all our contact details on

the back cover.

We hope your enjoy catching

up with all our news!

Different Voices, Issue 3 3

DERRY boasts the

highest number of

under 16s in the UK,

according to the latest

census.

But having been brought up

in a city sometimes separat-

ed along sectarian lines by

the River Foyle, will the new

Peace Bridge being built for

pedestrians and cyclists

bring the young people of

the Cityside and Waterside

together or be seen as anoth-

er interface in a divided

city?

As the bridge increasingly takes

shape - work is expected to be com-

pleted by the end of the year - the

future generation of the city have

their say on the £13 million piece of

infrastructure from Ilex, Derry’s

urban regeneration organisatio. We

find out if they think it is wonderful,

or a waste!

Sarah (14) is hopeful for the bene-

fits the bridge will bring. She said:

“I thought it would be good because

then you could walk to the town.

Also, it will bring the two communi-

ties closer together because there is

a connection between them.”

The building of the bridge - between

the former army base at Ebrington

on the Waterside and the historic

Guildhall at the heart of the cityside

- has become an attraction in its

own right, with spectators gathering

day by day to witness each stage in

the bridge’s construction.

Seventeen-year-old Jennifer

Maguire believes the Peace Bridge

will boost interest in the city.

Jennifer said: “I think it is a really

good idea and it will bring a lot of

people from the Waterside to the

cityside and from the Cityside to the

Waterside. I think it will bring

attraction to Derry and bring the

community together and will make

things more convenient.

“I think it’s a really, really good

idea and whoever thought of it, is

really creative. I don’t know if

there’s a need for it but it will be a

good feature for the town,” she

added.

Joshua Anderson echoed this view.

“It will increase tourism in Derry. It

is a good idea. It will bring people

together,” said the 16-year-old.

But while many hope that the Peace

Bridge will be a way of uniting the

city’s citizens, not all the young peo-

ple we spoke to were convinced.

Both Sharon Hemphill, aged 17, and

Rachel Hurley, 16, branded the

bridge as ‘pointless’.

Rachel said: “There’s no need for

one when there’s already two

bridges with sidewalks. It won’t

have any effect because the city’s

too small.”

Seventeen-year-old Ryan Doherty

had mixed feelings. He said: “They

could probably have used [the fund-

ing] for something else for children

in the city, but it is handy.”

The people behind the Peace Bridge

see it as a symbol of the future - a

shared future.

Time will tell if it lives up to expec-

tations.

Building bridges...

THE North West county of

Donegal is one of the biggest

but also one of the most rural

in all of Ireland.

Young people from across the region can

often feel cut-off from friends because of

distance. But for those who are struggling

to come to terms with their sexuality, the

feelings of isolation can seem even more

heightened.

‘Break Out’, based in Letterkenny and

funded by PEACE III, offers a drop-in

service to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual,

transgender) young people in the Donegal

area, offering friendship and fun while

reassuring them that they are not on their

own.

Headliners asked some of the young peo-

ple involved how being part of a group

like ‘Break Out’ helped them find their

feet and their voice.

Chris (19) said: “I have had some isola-

tion, due to myself really, usually out of

paranoia, when I was younger I would be

a little bit distant with my friends at times

but the most isolation I’ve caused myself

is with my outer family, I never really

communicated with them that much,

mainly in fear of being judged or what

their opinions of me would be. Recently

it’s all come out but they’re all really

good with it. Now I don’t feel as isolated

as I used to but there was isolation when

I was younger.”

Eighteen-year-old Kevin agreed that he

had dealt with feelings of isolation before

coming to ‘Break Out’. He said: “It’s

stopped a lot in the past year thanks to

‘Break Out’. Before that I felt very isolat-

ed among my friends because I was the

only person who was gay and having to

sit for three or four years and listen to

them going on about their relationships,

breaking up and going out and snogging,

it’s like ‘OK, I can’t do that, I have to sit

here and watch you do that’.

He continued: “Recently thanks to ‘Break

Out’ I’ve met other gay people and it’s

nice to have gay friends and straight

friends. I feel much more part of the

wider gay community now, I think ‘Break

Out’ and going down to Dublin every so

often have helped that. Before ‘Break

Out’ there was nothing in Letterkenny.”

A 17-year-old girl added: “I think it’s

because they’re afraid of other people’s

reactions that they isolate themselves

almost, they might be afraid to come out

because they’re afraid of other people and

what they might think.”

The overwhelming impression from all

those we spoke to was that ‘Break Out’

plays an enormously important role in

raising their self-esteem and helping them

find like-minded friends to add to those

they already have, rather than replacing

them. Isolation is not necessarily about

being stuck out in the middle of nowhere,

it’s as much about being surrounded by

people who are not on your wavelength.

But thanks to ‘Break Out’, these gay

young people from Donegal find that iso-

lation of any kind is no longer an issue.

Read more about this Headliners

project in the next issue of

Different Voices.

SPEAK OUT TO BREAK OUT SPEAK OUT TO BREAKSPEAK OUT TO BREAK OUT

SPEAK OUT TO BREAK OUT

OUT

Derry’s Peace Bridge ... a waste of time or a great idea?TO

Young people from Break Out open up to one another.

4 Different Voices, Issue 3

Headliner members get in on the act at the Prejudice: Face On conference

organised by Derry City Council held in the City Hotel.

Headliner members join other young people from Donegal and Belfast for a tour of the Walls

of Derry ahead of their visit to Belgium.

Aine hears the views of one of the young people attending the Prejudice:

Face On conference.

Ready for action! Headliner members

take part in outdoor activities at

Gartan in Donegal.

Grace gets geared up!

Interviews on peace and reconcilliation with a group of young peo-

ple from Taughmonagh, Belfast.

Out and about with Headliners

Different Voices, Issue 3 5

Headliner members get in on the act at the Prejudice: Face On conference

organised by Derry City Council held in the City Hotel.

Aine hears the views of one of the young people attending the Prejudice:

Face On conference.Tola Stewart, Fiona Hall and Eimear Roddy present to young people from

Belfast and Donegal on the Headliners project.

Fiona is thrilled to receive her Millennium Volunteer certificate from

Project Manager, Malalachy Kyle and Geraldine (volunteer).

Out and about with Headliners

“Derry is not a racist

place but there are

racists who live here.”

These are the words of

Eddie Kerr, Director of

Seeds, an independent group

working in mutual solidarity

to promote and realise the

human rights, equality and

full integration in our society

of asylum seekers, refugees

and migrant workers.

Seeds is located in the One

World Centre in Derry where

people from multi-cultural

backgrounds are encouraged

to use the services offered by

nine organisations housed

there.

Headliners reporters spoke to

a few of the foreign students

at the centre and were glad to

hear that none of them had

personally experienced racial

abuse.

Eddie tells a different story:

“There are 59 nationalities liv-

ing in the multi-cultural cen-

tre of the city. In the last three

months there have been 17 or

18 physical attacks in the city

and there are certain hotspots

where racist incidents happen.

I try to advise people to stay

away from these hotspots –

some of them are in the com-

munities where they live so we

have to work closely with the

police.

“We have what’s called a

‘hate crime protocol.’ People

can come to us and we can

report the crime on their

behalf. If they don’t want to

pursue the crime then we will

pursue the crime. It’s almost

like a conduit on their behalf.

We challenge negatives in our

society by being proactive not

reactive. We go into schools

and community groups and

sometimes into places where

we aren’t wanted.”

Eddie added: “Reporting a

racist attack can be quite per-

sonal and difficult. No-one

wants to put their hand up

and say they were racially

attacked. People look at statis-

tics and may find that 10 or

15 per cent go through the

courts and 80 or 85 per cent

don’t get convicted.

“There are a lot of people who

just don’t want to lift their

head above the parapet. They

don’t want to draw attention

to themselves. I know mem-

bers of the black community

who just take verbal and

racial abuse as something to

be dealt with all their life.

“Derry people are quite sim-

ple in the way that they

analyse society. Anybody who

is white and speaks funny is

from Poland, anyone who has

a slant in their eyes is from

China and anyone who is

black is from Africa. In a way

I don’t know if that’s igno-

rance or convenience, pigeon-

holing or stereotyping, boxing

off or putting people into cate-

gories.

“We like to deal with cate-

gories because categories are

easier to work with. Is that

racist? I don’t know. It’s a bit

of ignorance, a lack of under-

standing, a lack of awareness,

a lack of comprehension of

ethnicity and differences that

exists in our society.

“I think it’s about adapting to

change – something different.

None of us were born racist.

We learn racist behaviour.

None of us are born with

racist tendencies –children

don’t know the difference

between black and white until

they are told. Once you learn

it you can unlearn it.”

Eddie assured: “Overall one

of the things people who move

here will say is that Derry is a

fairly warm and welcoming

city. But there are people in

the city who hate everyone, it

doesn’t matter what colour,

creed or gender you are. You

have that group that are just

haters. People who hate any-

thing different to themselves

and who fear change.

“When you exploit those dif-

ferences to be superior to

someone else then racism is

what happens. Some of them

want to pass blame onto some-

one else because they can’t get

a job or a house.

“They prescribe blame and

then mix it with hate.

Some people in 2009 don’t

even realise they have made a

racist comment. I have been

in the company of people who

tell racist jokes. People still

tolerate this.

“As for people who don’t like

their communities changing,

are they racist? Not all of

them. Some of them are igno-

rant.”

Contact: Seeds, One World

Centre, 7 Foyle Street,

Derry, BT48 6AL. Tel:

02871370989. Web:

www.seeds.ie

The times

they are

a-changingBy: Eimear Kerr, Rebecca, Fiona,

Clodagh, Eimear Roddy and Fearghal

“None of us

were born

racist. We

learn racist

behaviour.”“I know

members of

the black

community

who just take

verbal and

racial abuse

as something

to be dealt

with all their

lives.”

SEEDS director Eddie Kerr.

Racism - young people have their say

“ I had a friend who gotbeat up recently becausethey are dark- skinned.It’ s hard to say whatcauses racism. I supposea lack of understandingand general attitudestowards people’ s beliefsand cultures and I sup-pose the way people arebrought up.”Aaron (17), Derry“ I haven’ t really seen

much racism in the timeI have been here.”American female visitorto Derry (14)

“ I know people in America thathave experienced racial discrim-ination. I know a black man whowas shot at just for being black.Throughout his life he hasexperienced so much racismthat it has really weighed himdown and changed him.”American Male Visitor to Derry(15)

“ I do know one person.He was Korean and hegot stabbed and he diedin a small town where Ilive.”Emma, American visitorto Derry (13)

“I think in the community

there is a lack of projects

that reconcile black and

white people. I think at a

younger age the children

should be brought together

growing up knowing that

there isn’t a great difference

between people who have dif-

ferent skin colours. I have

been called a few names like

‘monkey’ and stuff and it’s

not fair at all.”

Female (15), Derry

“This girl was going with

some boy and her broth-

er told her not to go

with him cos he was a

‘paki’.”

Female (16), Derry

“ Ignorance and fearis what causesracism”Female (18), Derry

“ Ignorance and justlack of knowledgecauses racism. Theonly reason thatracism is around isbecause certain racesthink that their raceis better than anotherrace.”Male (14), Dungiven

“ I haven’ t heard of manyracist stories although I hadthis black friend and he isconstantly calling me nameslike white boy and cracker. Idon’ t know what to doabout that. Am I meant tosay bad things back to him?I mean is that racism? Idon’ t really know myself.”Male (17), Derry

“A lot of people used to pick

on my friend and say, ‘Why are

you black?’ I mean I don’t

understand it. It is really

wrong. I mean I really don’t

understand it. I am really angry

about that. My good friend he

was really affected by that.

He’s over it now but it happens

you know.”

Male (15), Derry

“I think what causes racism

is people not knowing that

people from different races

are just the same as us and

the recession. People come

over here to get jobs.”

Male (16), Derry

8 Different Voices, Issue 3 Get the picture?

Young people use photography to challenge others on the issue of sectarianism in Strabane

“In 10 years time I want to be a boxer or go to the Irish army. I want to be married, live in a big house Down South andhave two boys.” - Ciarnan

“In the future I’m going to live in a mansion in Florida with my wife and children.” - Darren“I want to be a farmer and a mechanic.” - Dennis

“In 10 years time I am going to be at university.” - Kirsten“I want to be a nursery teacher, get married and have four children.” - Louise

Different Voices, Issue 3 9Get the picture?

Young people use photography to challenge others on the issue of sectarianism in Strabane

“In 10 years time I want to be a boxer or go to the Irish army. I want to be married, live in a big house Down South andhave two boys.” - Ciarnan

“In the future I’m going to live in a mansion in Florida with my wife and children.” - Darren“I want to be a farmer and a mechanic.” - Dennis

“In 10 years time I am going to be at university.” - Kirsten“I want to be a nursery teacher, get married and have four children.” - Louise

THE NORTH West was oftenat the forefront of theTroubles in Northern Irelandbut now that young peoplehere are growing up in sup-posed ‘peace’, what is life likewithout the constant threatand fear of violence?

Some might think that life is nowfull of possibilities in this land ofnew-found freedom but it seems thatmany teenagers today are still livingwith troubles of a different type,with segregation still prevalent andever increasing outside pressuressuch as self-harm, suicide, bodyimage and binge-drinking.

Segregated communities and divided

schools are still very much the norm in

the North West. While many young peo-

ple recognise the need to mix – joining

cross-community organisations as well

as attending integrated schools - they

are fearful of the consequences.

They are well aware that sectarianism

will continue in their day-to-day lives

through part-time work and their social

lives, but these young people remain

determined to integrate and are hopeful

that more and more young people will,

in time, do the same.

Ben (15) said: “I have mates who are

Protestant and Catholic but some of

them have other friends who wouldn’t

want to hang around with people of a

different religion. They’d get stick at

home or school. I don’t understand it, if

someone’s a good laugh, it doesn’t mat-

ter to me what religion they are.”

Currently only around five per cent of

the school population attend integrated

schools, although statistics show that

approximately three-quarters of parents

support integrated education and would

choose an integrated school for their

children if one was available.

Of the miniscule percentage of school-

children attending integrated schools, a

study by McCully states: ‘93% felt that

integrated education had had a signifi-

cant positive impact on their lives,

mainly in generating a respect for diver-

sity and promoting a feeling of security

in plural environments. By supporting

this style of education we are by-pass-

ing the fear of the ‘other’ community,

which for some reason still exists

today.’

Public housing is another key area

where segregation is still rife with less

than ten per cent of public housing areas

integrated.

Jack (16) said: “Where I live, every-

one’s the same religion so everyone

goes to the same school, the same

church, the same shop. I only started

meeting people of a different religion

last year when I joined a cross-commu-

nity project.”

How are people supposed to be moving

on from the past if they don’t do it

together? We need to accept each

other’s beliefs and move past what hap-

pened in the past. We still have a long

way to go but at least there are young

people out there in the North West qui-

etly building bridges instead of walls.

The Walls of Derry are well known to

many young people but for all the

wrong reasons. They have become a

magnet for underage drinkers, the num-

bers of whom have swelled incredibly

since the start of the ceasefire. It seems

that while the Troubles were terrorising

Northern Ireland during the 1970s, it

was much more common for young

people to go to youth or sports clubs,

often run by the church, suggesting that

more young people took part in volun-

teer work and fundraising for their local

communities.

These days young people are more like-

ly to be found at home, with mobile

phones, X Boxes, internet, social net-

working sites and everything else keep-

ing them closer to technology rather

than the community.

This lack of involvement may explainwhy suicide levels have risen to a newlevel. A University of Ulster study intoany correlation between suicides and theamount of deaths by murder or organ-ised crime showed that the lowest yearfor suicides was 1972 when 47 peoplein Northern Ireland took their own life,yet this was also the height of the politi-cal conflict with 497 people murderedin that single year. To put this into per-spective, in 2008, there were 282 sui-cides were provisionally recorded forNorthern Ireland.

Likewise, a recent Church of Ireland

study carried showed a staggering 370%

increase in underage drinking in public

places in Ireland since 1996. Almost

80% of teenagers surveyed in Northern

Ireland claimed to have been ‘really

drunk’ before they were 16. Many of

the young people I spoke to admitted

they started drinking around the age of

14 or 15.

Molly (17) said: “I don’t go up the

Walls every weekend getting in a state,

but I would be a social drinker.”

Joe (16) added: “There’s nothing else

really to do so I started drinking a cou-

ple of years ago.”

Statistics show quite clearly that there

is a huge need for more youth clubs,

sports events and an altogether bigger

sense of community in today’s youth.

Ideally, these would all be integrated.

After all, if it means that we’re off the

streets, staying alive, isn’t it worth it?

The problem with ‘peace’By Paul Gillen (15)

Grace from Headliners joins the Mayor of Derry, Cllr. Paul Fleming, and other young people and community workers at DerryCity Council’s Community Relations Week launch.

10 Different Voices, Issue 3

Headliners member Grace speaking atthe Community Relations Week launch

THE NORTH West was oftenat the forefront of theTroubles in Northern Irelandbut now that young peoplehere are growing up in sup-posed ‘peace’, what is life likewithout the constant threatand fear of violence?

Some might think that life is nowfull of possibilities in this land ofnew-found freedom but it seems thatmany teenagers today are still livingwith troubles of a different type,with segregation still prevalent andever increasing outside pressuressuch as self-harm, suicide, bodyimage and binge-drinking.

Segregated communities and divided

schools are still very much the norm in

the North West. While many young peo-

ple recognise the need to mix – joining

cross-community organisations as well

as attending integrated schools - they

are fearful of the consequences.

They are well aware that sectarianism

will continue in their day-to-day lives

through part-time work and their social

lives, but these young people remain

determined to integrate and are hopeful

that more and more young people will,

in time, do the same.

Ben (15) said: “I have mates who are

Protestant and Catholic but some of

them have other friends who wouldn’t

want to hang around with people of a

different religion. They’d get stick at

home or school. I don’t understand it, if

someone’s a good laugh, it doesn’t mat-

ter to me what religion they are.”

Currently only around five per cent of

the school population attend integrated

schools, although statistics show that

approximately three-quarters of parents

support integrated education and would

choose an integrated school for their

children if one was available.

Of the miniscule percentage of school-

children attending integrated schools, a

study by McCully states: ‘93% felt that

integrated education had had a signifi-

cant positive impact on their lives,

mainly in generating a respect for diver-

sity and promoting a feeling of security

in plural environments. By supporting

this style of education we are by-pass-

ing the fear of the ‘other’ community,

which for some reason still exists

today.’

Public housing is another key area

where segregation is still rife with less

than ten per cent of public housing areas

integrated.

Jack (16) said: “Where I live, every-

one’s the same religion so everyone

goes to the same school, the same

church, the same shop. I only started

meeting people of a different religion

last year when I joined a cross-commu-

nity project.”

How are people supposed to be moving

on from the past if they don’t do it

together? We need to accept each

other’s beliefs and move past what hap-

pened in the past. We still have a long

way to go but at least there are young

people out there in the North West qui-

etly building bridges instead of walls.

The Walls of Derry are well known to

many young people but for all the

wrong reasons. They have become a

magnet for underage drinkers, the num-

bers of whom have swelled incredibly

since the start of the ceasefire. It seems

that while the Troubles were terrorising

Northern Ireland during the 1970s, it

was much more common for young

people to go to youth or sports clubs,

often run by the church, suggesting that

more young people took part in volun-

teer work and fundraising for their local

communities.

These days young people are more like-

ly to be found at home, with mobile

phones, X Boxes, internet, social net-

working sites and everything else keep-

ing them closer to technology rather

than the community.

This lack of involvement may explainwhy suicide levels have risen to a newlevel. A University of Ulster study intoany correlation between suicides and theamount of deaths by murder or organ-ised crime showed that the lowest yearfor suicides was 1972 when 47 peoplein Northern Ireland took their own life,yet this was also the height of the politi-cal conflict with 497 people murderedin that single year. To put this into per-spective, in 2008, there were 282 sui-cides were provisionally recorded forNorthern Ireland.

Likewise, a recent Church of Ireland

study carried showed a staggering 370%

increase in underage drinking in public

places in Ireland since 1996. Almost

80% of teenagers surveyed in Northern

Ireland claimed to have been ‘really

drunk’ before they were 16. Many of

the young people I spoke to admitted

they started drinking around the age of

14 or 15.

Molly (17) said: “I don’t go up the

Walls every weekend getting in a state,

but I would be a social drinker.”

Joe (16) added: “There’s nothing else

really to do so I started drinking a cou-

ple of years ago.”

Statistics show quite clearly that there

is a huge need for more youth clubs,

sports events and an altogether bigger

sense of community in today’s youth.

Ideally, these would all be integrated.

After all, if it means that we’re off the

streets, staying alive, isn’t it worth it?

The problem with ‘peace’

Grace from Headliners joins the Mayor of Derry, Cllr. Paul Fleming, and otheryoung people and community workers at Derry City Council’s CommunityRelations Week launch.

I don’t under-stand it, if

someone’s agood laugh, itdoesn’t matter

to me what reli-gion they are.’

Ben (15)

I only startedmeeting peopleof a different

religion last yearwhen I joined a

cross-communityproject.’ Jack (16)

Different Voices, Issue 3 11

This newsletter was published by Headliners Foyle, Suite 2, 23 Bishop Street, Derry, BT48 6PR, Tel: 02871309397, E:audrey.martin@headliners.org

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