Citizens Forum
YES! Publications along with our colleagues in Holywell Trust and The Junction have established a consortium for a new piece of work. Drawing on the success of our Citizens Forums Project we have developed a series of forums to explore the concept of a Wall City Neighbourhood. The Citizens Forum project was developed by Yes! Publications in order to expand opportunities for local people to actively and creatively contribute to debate & dialogue on local, national and indeed international issues. The consortium will host a series of Citizens Forums exploring the concept over a two and a half year period beginning April 2006.
The Walled City Neighbourhood
The Walled City Neighbourhood – is the name of a concept originally described as An Intentional Community, proposed by Holywell Trust. All of the organisations in this consortium believe that this concept/proposal provides our organisations with a strategic framework for peace building work in Derry/Londonderry.
What is the Walled City Neighbourhood?
Derry/Londonderry has become an increasingly segregated city. The west bank of the River Foyle is now almost exclusively inhabited by people from the Nationalist/Republican/Catholic Community, with only the small enclave of the Fountain representing the Unionist/Loyalist/Protestant tradition. Symbolically the city is of great significance for people from all sides of the cultural/political dispute and this is an important element in any future developments for the area. We propose to develop the city centre within the walls as a Walled City Neighbourhood in which people choose to live together as a model for the development of the type of future society which the city might become. The development of this Walled City Neighbourhood requires:
- Consultation and consensus of the people of the city
- Co-operation and collaboration between politicians, statutory and voluntary organisations
- Central government support and funding
This consortium has successfully secured funding from the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland Under Peace II Extension Programme, Measure 2.7 to deliver the consultation stage of the Walled City Neighbourhood project to the wider community in Derry/Londonderry using our Citizens Forum model. Over the period of the project we will hold 9 Forums exploring The Walled City Proposal with specific target groups.
1st Forum Event will be held on Tuesday 17 October @ 10am in The Junction for Community and Voluntary Groups - Everyone Welcome. Contact Fionnuala for more info.
