T: 028 9035 1450
E:
W: www.communitydialogue.org
Dear Colleague
Please find attached our application pack for:
1. A panel of Facilitators
2. A panel of Specialists
This pack contains:
a) Brief summary of Peace III project ‘2 Steps into Dialogue’
b) Terms of reference for each
c) Expression of interest form for each
d) Background information about Community Dialogue
Panel lists for both Facilitators and Specialists will be held on file until 31st December 2010. Community Dialogue reserves the right to appoint a single facilitator / specialist to carry out all their work for the year, or appoint different applicants for different elements of work.
We will advertise again in January for facilitators and specialists to be held on a list for the following year.
Yours Sincerely
Maura Deconink
Senior Project Administrator
Peace III project Summary – Securing Our Future: 2 Steps into Dialogue
Community dialogue’s ‘2 Steps Into Dialogue’ project’s overall goal is to use dialogue as a mechanism that allows victims / survivors of conflict to deal with and address their past and to begin to respect and understand the views and past of others.
There are two tiers to this project:
1. The first is about achieving dialogue on the ground to improve trust and respect between diverse groups and individuals.
2. The second tier relates to the specialists that we currently require on ‘Unravelling the Jargon’.
1. Dialogue on the Ground:
To provide opportunities for individuals to engage in dialogue and discuss contentious issues of the past so that people can deal with these and move forward together (range of target individuals and groups including, former paramilitaries, ex-prisoners, families affected by troubles, women, young people, border communities and people living at interfaces). Community Dialogue recognises that new opportunities to engage people in dialogue are coming to the fore as fear levels lessen and confidence grows with the evolving post-conflict society.
We will be holding single dialogue sessions, 6-week programmes and residentials throughout the year. Examples of our work can be found on our website www.communitydialogue.org under ‘Past Events’.
2. Un-ravelling the Jargon:
Aims to take governmental policy and strategy and simplify these documents into ‘layman terms’. Pamphlets will be produced and workshops held to help the community at large understand the basic components and assist them in making informed choices about their future. Also aims to develop leaflets looking at landmark events from the past in partnership with people affected by the violence and conflict.
We will be printing various types of booklets on policy documents or shorter leaflets on different questions that people may ask. Examples can be found on our website www.communitydialogue.org under ‘Publications’.
Terms of Reference for Facilitators (tier 1)
The facilitation process is about achieving dialogue on the ground to improve trust and respect between diverse groups and individuals.
This is a co-facilitation approach and may take a number of different formats, including:
- Half day dialogue sessions
- 2-day residentials
- Series of dialogue sessions on a weekly basis (up to a maximum of 6 weeks)
We will be creating a panel of sessional co-facilitators which will be held on file until 31st December 2010. Invitations to participate will be based on experience and skills as required by the project.
Terms of Reference for Unravelling the Jargon Specialists (tier 2)
The aim of the second tier is to ensure and develop integration in this new inter-cultural Northern Ireland by ensuring those groups most affected by the conflict and those marginalised groups in society are able to read and understand the strategic policy that forms their future. This involves enabling groups to overcome the political jargon and complicated statements contained within those documents into a user friendly and accessible pamphlet.
Applicants who are successful will be included on a select list of specialists which will be held until 31st December 2010. Invitations to participate will be based on experience and skills as required by the project.
Expression of interest Facilitator – Community Dialogue
Address
Telephone number
Mobile number
1. Please state if you have expertise in some or all of the following subject matters and add other subject areas below if appropriate
Subject Area / Y/N / DetailsIntercommunity Work
Experiential Learning
Cultural Diversity
Peace and Reconciliation
Focus Groups
Nature Based Activities
Use of the Arts
Churches/Faith Groups
Peace and Conflict Training
Community Consultation
Good Relations (Community Relations)
Social Inclusion and Reconciliation
Other (please provide details)
2. Please demonstrate relevant experience in the following:
a) At least two years’ experience in facilitating groups with a range of issues
b) Experience in working with groups across a broad section of the community
c) Work with respect for diversity and be willing to actively encourage cross-community and wider good relations activities as integral aspects of the project
3. In which counties / geographical areas are you available to work?
(Please note travel expenses are not paid)
Antrim Armagh Down
Fermanagh Londonderry Tyrone
Belfast Cavan Donegal
Leitrim Louth Monaghan
Sligo
4. When are you available for group sessions?
(Please tick one or more boxes)
Morning Afternoon Evening Weekend
5. Please give contact details for an organisation(s) for which you have provided facilitation.
NameOrganisation
Address
Phone number
Signature ______
Date ______
Please return this expression of interest to or post to:
Community Dialogue
LINC Resource Centre
218 York Street
Belfast, BT15 1GY
Expression of interest Specialist ‘Unravelling The Jargon’ – Community Dialogue
Address
Telephone number
Mobile number
Please state your experience and expertise in the following areas:
1. Good literacy and communication skills
2. Ability to interpret complex policy documents into easy to understand language
3. Familiarisation with issues relating to the aftermath of the conflict
4. Ability to work to tight deadlines when required
Signature ______
Date ______
Please return this expression of interest to or post to: Community Dialogue
LINC Resource Centre
218 York Street
Belfast, BT15 1GY
BACKGROUND TO COMMUNITY DIALOGUE
In the summer of 1997 an Irish Republican Army cease-fire was followed by inclusive multi-party negotiations which led to the Belfast Agreement. This was a time of tension in Northern Ireland as our future was negotiated behind closed doors with many fearing the outcome.
In this context a number of people of diverse political and cultural backgrounds, rooted in community work throughout Northern Ireland, met to explore their understanding of the situation.
Agreement was reached on one key thing - The need to develop a broad process of dialogue on the critical issues affecting our future because they are too important to leave solely in the hands of political leaders. Without inclusive dialogue at all levels of society there can be no lasting settlement that we can all buy into.
Community Dialogue formed as a result of this agreement, with an Executive Committee drawn from its diverse membership and, today, a staff of several people.
What We Do
1. Promote dialogue about our future, encouraging people to take ownership of the process.
2. Promote dialogue to develop greater understanding of our diverse positions on the grounds that without such understanding an agreed future is impossible.
How We Do It
1. We produce discussion documents on issues critical to our future.
2. We facilitate dialogue on issues critical to our future.
What We Don’t Do
We don’t pursue a party political agenda or tell you what to think.
The Dialogues
We have a saying in Northern Ireland: “Whatever you say, say nothing.” This attitude motivates the avoidance of conflict at all levels of society. We routinely practice denial, avoid responsibility and maintain an artificial appearance of normality. As a consequence, while we exist side by side, we don’t understand other.
When people do engage with each other on divisive issues they normally become embroiled in heated shouting matches where positions are stated and restated in a series of circular arguments. They leave with their views of the other side reinforced and their positions unchallenged.
Dialogue is simply a process that facilitates better understanding of each other’s, and our own, positions. That process may:
· Lead to trust, respect and the building of a shared future in which we all belong.
· Clarify our disagreement and our need to follow separate paths to separate futures.
Either way, dialogue enhances our ability to make informed decisions and we think that is good.
The Dialogue Process
In the dialogue process we ask people to:
· Question their own positions and look at the needs underlying them.
· Question the positions of others and look at the needs underlying them.
· Explore how to meet those sometimes shared and sometimes conflicting underlying needs.
We encourage a re-examination of stated positions, based on the assumption that we all want something different and we are all unlikely to get what we want. We ask:
· What do you want?
· What do you really need and why do you need it?
· What could you live with, given the needs and hopes of others may differ from yours?
Some Difficulties with Dialogue
· It needs genuine commitment from the participants to make the process work and is vulnerable to wrecking.
· It can involve dealing with people you cannot respect.
· It demands acceptance of the right of others to hold views you may not agree with.
· It demands trust of those you are unsure of.
· It can mean becoming vulnerable by revealing personal information.
· It is not a negotiation, mediation or a problem solving exercise. It is an unfolding process of understanding and the outcomes may be unclear.
Some Rewards from Dialogue
· You may understand more clearly where someone else is coming from.
· You may clarify your own position.
· You may develop a new insight into the issue and its solution.
· It may provide the basis for new relationships from which come new solutions.
Where Do Our Dialogues Take Place?
We organise residentials, one-day seminars, morning, afternoon and evening dialogues throughout Northern Ireland and beyond.
Who Is Involved?
People from all walks of life are involved. We particularly encourage those who have not engaged in dialogue before and those who may be uneasy about dialogue.
Is It Always Cross Community?
No, we organise both cross community and single identity events.
What Topics Are Explored?
Our dialogues arise from issues within the peace process but they are not only about Protestants and Catholics in conflict. We look at the issues you feel are important to you. These include health, dealing with the past, education, paramilitaries, policing, drugs, racism and others.
Quotations from Participants
· “I emerged with new perceptions of the problem.”
· “I was encouraged that other communities were in the same position but came through.”
· “It gave ordinary people the chance to express their feelings on the effects the Troubles had on them; this was empowering.”
· “Some people were dismayed at comments others made, but I thought the honesty was powerful.”
· “I got to engage with people I wouldn’t normally meet. It was interesting to listen to their perceptions of the Troubles and the future.”
· “It was a safe space to be open and honest in. The facilitators really looked after us”.
· “Wherever the discussion went was okay. We had the power and ownership, which was good.”
· “There was a lot of shared understanding between diverse people.”
· “I will use a lot of what I learned in my everyday life.”
· “I’ll be more open to people I would hitherto avoid or not be honest with.”
Vision
“A vibrant, just and inclusive society, informed and empowered through dialogue”
Mission Statement
“To engage people at all levels in open and honest dialogue that facilitates better understanding”
Strategic Aims (currently being updated)
Aim 1:
1.a) To promote dialogue, create awareness and develop understanding on political issues among and between groups in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, so that people can examine the consequences of the positions they hold and make informed choices about their political future
1.b) To promote dialogue, create awareness and develop understanding on the issues (such as racism, sectarianism, homophobia etc.) that affect society, and create division in order to decrease levels of mistrust, intolerance and hatred among and between groups in Northern Ireland
Aim 2: To analyse, research and understand the contribution of dialogue in conflict situations and place in peace building, in order to inform the work of Community Dialogue and peace building work more broadly
Aim 3: To undertake education and training work in order to ‘skill up’ individuals and groups in Dialogue
Aim 4: To broaden and deepen the reach of Community Dialogue, and proactively increase the inclusion and participation of prioritised groups (i.e. Northern Ireland Act 1998 relating to Equality as defined in Section 75 [1] and [2][1]) within the work and activities of the organisation
Aim 5: To develop the international work of Community Dialogue in order to enhance the practice of the organisation through learning from other conflict situations, and to contribute to peace building in other conflict areas through the application and utilisation of Community Dialogue’s methodology
Aim 6: To create a reflective and learning culture within the organisation that ensures the ongoing strategic development of the work of Community Dialogue, its staff, systems and operations
The Special EU Programmes Body is the Managing Authority for the European Union’s PEACE III Programme
[1] Although this Act applies to the operation of Public Authorities, Community Dialogue aims to be proactive and embrace the inclusion of all communities.