Breif Intro

Our Project originated in 1988 when the committee of the Ainsworth Community Centre, situated in Mayo Street on the periphery of the Shankill (Protestant) and Springfield (Catholic) Roads, began to question the effectiveness of some of the cross community work it had been involved in for the previous twenty years.

This work had entailed cross community contacts through the provision of children's holidays and "ghettoway days": adults and children were taken away for the day to give them a break from the pressures of living in areas of high tension. This also gave them the opportunity to discuss issues of common concern with people from the "other side".

While friendships were established between some individuals from both sides it seemed that, despite all the efforts and considerable expenditure over the years, the "peace-wall" was growing longer and higher and tensions between the two communities were worsening daily.

Concern at the increasing tensions coupled with an ever contracting labour market, with all its attendant consequences, led to the view that there was a need for a radically new approach which would address the totality of problems facing the communities on the interface.

While accepting that existing cross community work had an important role to play in certain situations the committee began to examine the potential of a community development approach within both communities and in particular to address the conflict between them.

Funding was secured from the International Fund for Ireland in the spring of 1990 to employ a project director. The director's role would be to:

* Co-ordinate the inter communal activity currently undertaken by Ainsworth Community Association in partnership with other groups.

* Devise and direct a programme, which would include implementation of a new community development strategy

* Research the totality of problems, which affected the quality of life for all sections of the communities in the catchment area.

Billy Hutchinson was appointed project director and Frances Dunseith was appointed as administrator. In 1992 Tommy Gorman was appointed as development worker for the Nationalist side of the interface and the following year Irene Murphy was appointed to work with the Unionists community.

In 1997 the project was involved in raising funds to run a Community Leadership Programme. Tommy O'Reilly was appointed to organise and co-ordinate the training programmes for local community groups. In partnership with seven other community groups and the Ulster People College.

The initial Aims of InterAction:

1. To advance our understanding of the causes of, and test new responses to, deep rooted violent conflict.

2. To facilitate social, political, cultural and economic regeneration within the specified target areas.

3. To promote new approaches, which may assist movement toward the resolution of our conflict to government, statutory agencies, institutions, groups and individuals, without distinction, as and when appropriate.

4. Support, and initiate where necessary, community development practice and structures designed to respond to the needs and the potential of the project communities.

The aims were achieved by:

1. Engaging in a community development strategy in each community in support of existing groups where this was appropriate and by initiating new responses where necessary.

2. Meeting with representatives within the project area to identify the way to establish an appropriate standing conference as a forum of joint planning and action. This conference was set up in 1992

3. Encouraging the development of inter-community action on issues of common concern, promoting longer-term inter-community responses to collective needs, and responding to friction during periods of tension within and between communities.

4. Creating awareness among those in positions of power about the perceptions of all those involved in the ongoingconflict.

5. Encouraging debate and discussion on issues relevant to the conflict, across a broad range of individuals, groups, and organisations. This was assisted through running think tanks and their subsequent publications.

6. Identifying needs and opportunities for appropriate training through the Community Leadership programme