Comments on: An unsung hero of cooperation from East Belfast

By: Peter Mc Kee

Peter Mc Kee — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:29:46 +0000

There area much good work in the community that dioes not easily fall into funding categories, especially work that centres around individuals. Funding packages do not accommodate this kind of work. There are many unsung heroes who fall into this category and it is the fault of funding that they are not easily accommodated. George obviously falls out of the net. Also the concentration of funing with ‘large organisations’ mitigates against local initiatives such as the work carried out by George Newell. The need to ‘move on’ from the troubles represents a sort of denial that is potentially dangerous for the future. Historically does anyone ask the question whay sectarianism and our new found racism is cyclical. We have a widow of oportunity to do something about our cycle of troubles. Are we going to squander that opportunity? Georges situation raises these questions and unfortunately we don’t sit easily with unconfortable questions in this area of the world-too painful?

By: Jean Ware

Jean Ware — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:56:16 +0000

Thanks for this Andy, and for your many other inspiring pieces over the years- though I’m now back in Wales I still look forward to your ‘notes’ they have something to say to us here too. Do hope that George Newell and the dozens of unsung heroes in other places whose work you have highlighted in the past get the support they need to continue their work. – and Norman I do agree with you, we all of us need to know our own history and that of the guy next door so we can build a future which celebrates the diversity of humankind, includes rather than excludes

By: Mel Mc Conville

Mel Mc Conville — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:32:12 +0000

Excellent article and one of the few I have witnessed that actually addresses the reality of where we are at. Too many funding organisations believe that the problems related to the conflict are gone and that we are living in rosy times. The danger remains that we are sleepwalking into another nightmare if we do not continue to confront the past to build the future in a forthright, uncomfortable way instead of the wishy-washy fashion that some believe will achieve great outcomes.

By: Norman Richardson

Norman Richardson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:30:51 +0000

Once again, Andy, you have hit the nail on the head! We already have a generation of people who did not experience the years of sectarian hatred and violence, and many of them seem to want to know little of what happened. – It was the past; it’s not an issue any more; it’s boring … This afflicts many people from all walks of life. It’s another expression of our culture of avoidance and denial. I see it evidenced, for example, in too many of the student teachers with whom I work and in too many other places. Funding for community relations programmes in education could well be under threat in the near future, and some of the reasons have to do with the expression of this avoidance or denial by some of our politicians who fail to appreciate the importance of long-term continuity in work of this kind. I’m glad we don’t have to live through those awful times again, but we should never be complacent. If we want to be able to handle things better in the future, we need to know our history and our corporate failings of the past, and to share them honestly and hopefully with younger generations.

Thanks, Andy, for highlighting the work of George Newell, whose work clearly should be supported. If we fail to support and encourage such work by remarkable individuals, we will all the poorer and there may be a very hard price to be paid!