The Irish American Unity Conference is proud to have made monetary grants to four human-rights NGOs in the North of Ireland
The Irish American Unity Conference is proud to have made monetary grants to four human-rights NGOs in the North of Ireland. The entities to receive the awards are Relatives for Justice, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, East Belfast Mission, and Border Communities against Brexit.
Relatives for Justice (RFJ) is a Belfast-based organization that provides support services to victims of the conflict and families of victims, regardless of affiliation, on an inclusive and non-judgmental basis. RFJ provides therapeutic and developmental based support for the bereaved and injured. It also seeks to examine and develop transitional justice and truth recovery mechanisms assisting with individual healing, contributing to positive societal change, ensuring the effective promotion and protection of human rights, social justice, and reconciliation in the context of an emerging participative democracy post conflict. The IAUC has worked with RFJ and assisted in their Washington visits. http://relativesforjustice.com/
The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), also based in Belfast, is an independent NGO affiliated with the International Federation for Human Rights. CAJ seeks to ensure the highest standards in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland by ensuring that the British government complies with its responsibilities in international human rights law. CAJ is firmly opposed to the use of violence for political ends. It works closely with other domestic and international human rights groups, publishes regular reports on human rights in the North, and makes regular submissions to a number of United Nations and European bodies established to protect human rights and provides testimony to Congress. The IAUC works with CAJ and relies on its reports to guide our work and strategies. https://caj.org.uk/
East Belfast Mission works for the renewal and transformation of the East Belfast Community to improve the spiritual and physical well-being of members of the community. The IAUC grant is specifically dedicated to EBM’s Turas project, which promotes and teaches the Irish language in a protestant/loyalist community. Turas provides workshops and presentations on the historic links between Protestants and the Irish language, as well as discussions around the relevance of the language in present-day society. The project also facilitates periodic talks on a range of other topics related to language and culture. https://www.ebm.org.uk/turas/
Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) is a group of farm families, commercial entities, and others living in close proximity to the invisible border between Ireland and the North. BCAB was formed in 2016 in reaction to the Brexit vote to mitigate any effects on border communities. BCAB advocates for special status for the North of Ireland to avoid a disastrous impact on farms, fisheries, tourism and all aspects of life along the invisible border. https://www.facebook.com/bordercommunitiesagainstbrexit/
The IAUC’s grant program is in its third year and previously has made donations to the Pat Finucane Centre, the Ballymurphy Families Campaign, Springhill Community House, the United Ireland Campaign, and the Portumna Workhouse Centre. We are glad to be able to support on-the-ground Ireland-based organizations advocating for justice, victims’ support, the Irish culture and language, and opposing Brexit.
