A €4.7 Million funding programme under the management of the Donegal Peace and Reconciliation Partnership has recently opened with the objective of supporting activities and actions to advance peace building and the furtherance of reconciliation in line with the plan prepared for Donegal and which will cover the period up to the end of 2010. The fund is managed by Donegal County Council on behalf of the County Development Board Peace and Reconciliation Partnership which is a cross-cutting body aimed at ensuring that all target areas and groups which require support have an opportunity to make applications for funding to do so.
The first aspect of the programme, which is part of an overall multi-annual plan, is a scheme of small grants for cross-community peace and reconciliation work in Donegal and has opened for applications from Monday, 20th October 2008.
The Small Grants Scheme prioritises localised cross community and cross-border actions that brings people from various backgrounds together around issues of common interest. A fund of €660,000 has been made available initially for this element of the programme that aims, in the main, to address issues of sectarianism and racism in the county.
Welcoming the launch of the scheme, the Chairman of the Peace and Reconciliation Partnership, Cllr Francis Conaghan said
“I welcome the fact that our plan is now manifesting itself in a call for applications which will see a range of local groups in the main target areas having an opportunity to submit their proposals for activities and actions to cover activities between now and 2010. There is an emphasis on local activity as part of the small grant scheme and we welcome particularly actions that can show a demonstrable effect within the areas most effected by the conflict”.
Cllr. Conaghan continued by indicating that it was important for all potential applicants to note that these funds were specifically aimed at activities to support peace and reconciliation and that it did offer an opportunity for groups who had already established core competencies and skills in this area to build on work previously carried out in their areas.
The grant scheme is part financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and is part-funded by the Irish and British governments.
To assist potential applicants with queries and to assist in advising on the application process, the partnership are running a number of advice workshops for such groups who wish to learn more about the scheme.
These workshops are as follows:
- Tuesday 28th October 2008, at 2pm – Donegal Town Public Service Centre.
- Wednesday 29th October 2008, at 2pm –Castlefin Partnership Initiative Building
- Thursday 30th October 2008 at 2pm – Carndonagh Public Service Centre.
- Friday 31st October 2008 at 2pm – Letterkenny Public Service Centre.
The closing date for this scheme is 14th November 2008 and all applicants that wish to be considered for funding under the initial tranche of small grants must have full and completed applications submitted in the appropriate form by that date. Further information, Application Forms, and Guidance Notes are available on the website www.donegalcdb.ie or through the Special EU Programmes website (with regards to the application form itself) www.seupb.org or alternatively by contacting the Peace III office at Lifford on 074 91 72229 or email foboyle@donegalcoco.ie.