Peace Foundation Scores a First in International Peacebuilding

The first two-day international conference organised by The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace, takes place on 27 and 28 January at the Peace Centre, Warrington.

The conference, International Approaches to Building Peace: from Global to Grassroots has attracted speakers from across the world, including South Africa, Norway and Northern Ireland.

Founded in 1995 following the tragic deaths of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball in the IRA bombing of Warrington in 1993, the Foundation aims to promote the understanding, management and non violent resolution of conflict.

Presentations will address a range of issues facing both Governments and communities worldwide including violent conflict in Africa and the implementation of peace building and mediation programmes in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Israel-Palestine. A Eurasian perspective from the International Alert will highlight initiatives in the Caucuses which support civil society in building peace and responding to conflict. Speakers will include Roelf Meyer, the former Minister of Defence for South Africa and Dr Neil Ferguson, Associate Professor at Liverpool Hope University.

Day two of the conference will focus on the Foundation’s work with victims of conflict through its Survivors for Peace programme. This offers survivors of political violence the opportunity to undertake training to develop leadership skills enabling them to become positive role models within their communities.  Workshop sessions will explore the use of storytelling and dialogue and shared experience in effective peace building. Also, the why’s and the how’s of peoples’ involvement in conflict.

Speaking about the conference, Foundation Chief Executive, Clare White said: “We are delighted to be able to host this conference which has attracted such high calibre speakers. The conference is the first time the Foundation has been able to bring representatives from across the world together to learn from each other in this way. It also marks the culmination of 3 years BIG Lottery funded work through our Survivors for Peace programme, which has enabled many victims and survivors of conflict to undertake positive activities back in their own communities.”