Celebration event marks conclusion of Youth Cohesion project
Tue, October 25, 2016
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council recently held a reception in their civic headquarters for a number of local young people to mark the completion of “The Journey” project.
Participants aged 14-17 from across the Borough took part in a five-day programme designed to build leadership skills and provide opportunities to develop friendships with people from other geographical and cultural backgrounds.
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Maura Hickey, said: “The project required the young people to take a risk that would bring them into contact with people they didn’t know; that would take them on an adventure to Rathlin Island, where they would have to survive the outdoors together and depend on one another as they undertook various challenges. The courage and trust that they have shown in this is an example to us. I think we often underestimate the vital and spirited role that young people can play in peacebuilding.”
Joy Wisener, Good Relations Officer for Council added: “The Journey is one of our Good Relations projects which specifically targets young people as a key priority under the Executive’s strategy ‘Together: Building a United community’. Our aim is to build a community where our young people can play a full and active role in building good relations, and we trust that this is just the beginning of some important friendships that will continue. Our hope is that we would all be as willing as these young people to break down barriers, meet new people and extend the hand of friendship across traditional divides – in order to build a more cohesive community for the future of our Borough”
This project has received financial support from The Executive Office.