Unheard Voices project holding special event to mark International Women's Day with special guests Bernadette McAliskey and Dawn Purvis

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, Creggan Enterprises Unheard Voices Programme is hosting a significant event on Wednesday 8th March from 12 noon – 2.30 pm in the Ráth Mór Centre.

Speakers on the day are Bernadette McAliskey who is a lifelong human rights and social justice campaigner and Dawn Purvis who was involved with various rounds of peace process negotiations before and during the Good Friday Agreement as well as currently devoting much of her spare time to community and voluntary initiatives aimed at tackling socio-economic disadvantage and exclusion.

The event also includes the showcasing of the Beyond the Silence video as well as with contributions from St Cecilia’s College who Unheard Voices currently partners with through delivery of Women’s Rights and Internet Safety programmes.

Creggan Enterprises is also pleased to announce that two of the staff from its Unheard Voices Programme have been invited to travel to the US next week to showcase the project’s work and build networks and partnerships with groups in the US and internationally.

The United States Institute of Peace and the International Fund for Ireland have invited Project Coordinator Carol Cunningham to Washington DC to speak on the lessons learned from the programme and how similar initiatives could be developed in Palestine-Israel.

There will be a number of high profile speakers at this conference, including George Mitchell who was instrumental in securing the Good Friday Agreement.

Conal McFeely on behalf of Creggan Enterprises said: “These invitations are recognition of our work and are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Carol and Barbara who have led the Unheard Voices programme. Both are honoured to represent Creggan and the city but more importantly all the women who’ve engaged in our programme over recent times.”

Mr McFeely said: “Creggan Enterprises was delighted that Barbara from the project would be taking part in the 12-day AMBIT Programme in the US, supported by the International Fund for Ireland and the Washington Ireland Programme.”

The AMBIT Programme encourages participants to build partnerships with their US counterparts, reflect on their own strategies and develop capacity for long-term sustainability. In addition, participants build long-term relationships with each other.

The study visit to New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC will provide unique opportunities to visit a diverse number of organisations that address a vast range of problems affecting disaffected communities, especially youth, along the east coast of America.

The Unheard Voices Programme was developed by Creggan Enterprises and is funded by the International Fund for Ireland through their Peace Impact Programme.