Council’s “Exploring Cultural Diversity” workshops are held annually in local primary schools, providing an opportunity for pupils to meet people from other countries, find out about other cultures and have the opportunity to ask questions in a safe environment. These workshops raise awareness of other cultures and traditions that add to the richness and diversity of Northern Ireland.
Participating schools enjoy a 4-week programme where someone from a different country/ culture, now living locally, will visit the school each week for a session lasting about one hour. Each session provides a presentation by the facilitator, time for questions and answers, and an interactive activity to experience something about the culture of that person.
14 schools are participating this year, with a total of 56 workshops. 8 of these will take place during GR week 2025.
The “Different Ball, Same Goal” project has been running for many years in the Causeway Coast and Glens area. It provides an opportunity for pupils in Post Primary schools to experience sports and leisure activities together, and to introduce them to the diversity of sporting heritage traditions.
Year 8 pupils from 4 Post Primary Schools come together to engage in Football, Gaelic Football and Rugby sessions, culminating in a finale event, allowing pupils from diverse backgrounds to try sports that they would not normally experience within their own cultural tradition, and to make friends with pupils from other communities.
The sessions are timed to coincide with Good Relations Week, Hate Crime Awareness Week, and the “Show Racism the Red Card” / Wear Red Day campaign in October.
The World of Stories project was a collaboration between Council’s Museum’s team and Good Relations team which culminated in an exhibition exploring the stories of people from around the world who have made the Causeway Coast and Glens their home.
It showcases the personal histories of people who have come to the area as students or economic migrants, some in the pursuit of love, and others fleeing
wars and persecution, and aims to highlight that there is a whole world of stories within our borough, and every story is worth telling.
Some of the people profiled in the exhibition have also facilitated diversity workshops in local primary schools.
Thursday 16 October | 7.00pm-9.00pm
45 full, £40 concession<Erin Bunting>
< Learn the art of balancing flavour, texture and colour in Vietnamese cooking. A sensory celebration of fresh, vibrant cuisine.>
Shared Housing, Shared History: Belfast Troubles Tour for Antrim and Ballycastle Residents
Join us for a Shared Housing, Shared History Tour, where residents from Fennel Drive in Antrim and Dunineany View in Ballycastle will come together for a meaningful exploration of Belfast’s historical landmarks. This joint Troubles Tour will cover significant sites, including Falls Road, Shankill, and the Peace Wall.
Guided by Dr. Tom Thorpe, the tour will offer insights into the complexities of our shared past, fostering a deeper understanding of the Troubles and their impact on our communities.
Reflecting the theme of ‘OpportUNiTY’, this event provides a unique opportunity for residents from different areas to connect through a shared historical experience, promoting dialogue and mutual understanding. By engaging with this history together, participants will explore the ways in which our collective past can inform and enrich our current relationships and community dynamics.
Dalriada Shared Music Programme: Exploring Diversity Through Traditional Music
The Glens of Antrim Comhaltas, in collaboration with the Good Relations Team at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, is excited to present the Dalriada Shared Music Programme at the Old Church Centre. This program provides a unique opportunity for young musicians to engage with and explore traditional music, song, and dance from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
In line with this year’s theme of ‘OpportUNiTY’, the Dalriada Shared Music Programme aims to celebrate and harness the power of cultural diversity through music. By bringing together diverse traditions and fostering collaboration, this initiative highlights how shared musical experiences can bridge cultural gaps, promote mutual understanding, and build stronger community connections.
Join us to witness the vibrant fusion of traditional music from different backgrounds and experience how coming together through artistic expression creates new opportunities for unity and appreciation.
In celebration of Good Relations Week 2024 and its theme of ‘OpportUNITY,’ Ballymoney Library, in partnership with the Northern Health & Social Care Trust and as part of the Causeway Loneliness Network, invites you to experience the Human Library Project. This unique event encourages community members to connect with individuals they might not typically engage with, promoting tolerance, celebrating differences, and fostering understanding across diverse cultural and lifestyle backgrounds. Join us to explore and appreciate the richness of our community through meaningful dialogues and personal stories.
Building Resilient Island Communities: harnessing social value for sustainable investment
Islands are small, unique, and often overlooked. They face unique challenges that are not always understood by more centrally based governments and organisations.
This webinar will explore how islands can utilise and maximise social value to improve the resilience of their communities.
Join us for a collaborative learning experience that will cover:
- Ways to address the unique challenges that islands face, now and in the (not too distant) future
- Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) and its significance for social value assessment
- Understanding and increasing social return on investment (SROI) with the Social Value Engine
- Best practices for creating partnerships and collaboration, using the lessons learned and a case study from North Ronaldsay
Agenda:
- Understanding resilience in island communities – Anna Whelan, Burton Whelan/Rose Regeneration
- Valuing the invaluable: the importance of transparent social value and outcome sharing across the island community ecosystem, with a demo of the Social Value Engine – Maddie Kortenaar, Social Value Engine
- Case study: North Ronaldsay – North Ronaldsay Trust/L & L Fraser Ltd
- Getting started with social value – developing proxies and outcomes that matter – Luke Fraser, North Ronaldsay Trust/L & L Fraser Ltd
- Interactive Q&A session
