NICIE AGM

We went up to Hazelwood Integrated College to attend the AGM of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. It was an inspiring night, with an address from Ciarnan Helferty, an Old Scholar of Oakgrove Integrated College, who shared his experience of going on to university from an integrated school rather than a segregated one. He made a persuasive case for the value of integrated schools, and pointed out that it is only later, when you realise there are still so many young people in Northern Ireland who never meet anyone from the other community. The second presentation was by Tony McCauley, who has led our training days in Shimna. He presented his very practical plan for bringing down the Peace Walls in Belfast, with community support. As he pointed out, the Peace Walls in Belfast, and all the other divided towns, have survived the Berlin wall. Within the integrated community, Hazelwood Integrated Primary School has ended up with a Peace Wall right through its grounds. An inspiring night.