by Barry Fennell, Project Director, Co-operation Ireland

Both my colleague Alan Largey and I are very excited about the prospect of returning to Jersey City, NJ in November on behalf of Co-operation Ireland and in partnership with Global Peace Foundation as part of our ongoing Cross-Community engagement (CCE) work with young people.

(right) Barry Fennell, project director of Co-operation Ireland and (left) Alan Inman, president of Global Peace Foundation USA during the first facilitator trainings in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

The developmental work that is taking shape within Jersey City is based on our ‘managed contact’ model which we tested and applied in Belfast, Northern Ireland with local communities and those from the military/services’ community as part of our Family and Community Engagement (FACE) project. The FACE project was designed by us to help integrate military families with their respective neighboring communities over a two-and-a-half-year period and was a significant part of grassroots peace building within our evolving peace process here.

Women participants and young people were able to transform attitudes, perceptions and feelings of isolation and mistrust of one other. Over the period of the project FACE participants were able to overcome feelings of apprehension and were equipped to build meaningful friendships based on trust and by working together collaboratively on common issues.

(fifth from center) Dr. Alan Largey, Alan Inman and Barry Fenell with local Jersey City stakeholders representing the board of education, law enforcement and others of the community at the close of the facilitators training program.

This model is what our colleagues in Jersey City will be following and we look forward to supporting them in partnership with Global Peace Foundation.

Read more about the launch of the Cross-Community Engagement pilot program in Jersey City.

Read more about the FACE project and Co-operation Ireland.