The project will facilitate groups of hard-to-reach young people, involved in problem anti-social behaviour within their areas, as well as adult residents, from East Belfast protestant / unionist / loyalist (PUL) interface areas and Short Strand, Suffolk and Lenadoon areas to meet through a facilitated contact programme, to identify and exchange perspectives and attitudes regarding their identities, and to develop positive relationships.
The project aims to:
- Develop relationships across interfaces in Inner East and Outer West Belfast.
- Develop collaborative working relationships amongst community and voluntary groups across each interface and between areas, and with BCC's Youth Engagement Programme.
- Increase levels of mobility amongst project participants.
- Reduce levels of inter-community tension and violence at these interfaces
The project will create opportunities for interaction and discussion of issues relating to conflict and division on a cross-interface basis and 'East meets West' of the city basis, including opportunities to visit each other's area.
The Inner East Outer West Project has 6 key partner organisations:
- Ballymac Friendship Trust
- Exit
- Short Strand Community Forum
- Doyle Youth Club under the auspices of Short Strand Community Forum
- Suffolk Lenadoon Interface Group
- Belfast Interface Project
This project is supported under the Belfast PEACE III Plan by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the PEACE III Programme
