Future Relationship Conversations Project concludes with publication of new Project Summary Report & Podcast
Background to the Future Relationships Conversations Project
For the last number of years Holywell Trust has been actively involved in deepening the constitutional dialogue through the FRC project. As is stressed in all our documentation about the FRC project, Holywell Trust does not have a position or preferred outcome on the future constitutional arrangements for these islands.
Our rationale for being part of this work is simple. We want the conversation to be as open and accessible as possible. Our preference is that the discussion remains, as far as possible, fact-based.
As an organisation that is committed to peacebuilding we want to make the effort to facilitate challenging conversations that, unfortunately, have the potential to lead Northern Ireland back to a place where politically motivated violence is again to the fore. Being involved in the constitutional deliberation, and ensuring that our work is carried out in an ethical and non-aligned manner, is our effort to reduce the possibility of violence returning.
We are convinced that the constitutional conversation needs to expand and have already committed to sustaining this work through the Forward Thinking project.
Of course, others need to be part of this and to play a leadership role in ensuring that the discussion causes no harm and leads to increased understanding.
We are delighted with the outcomes from the project. A key success was our engagement with the members of the broader Unionist community and ensuring that their views and concerns were reflected in the research carried out. Our research and polling has also helped to shape the debate as we move forward and will continue to inform our efforts to further engage over the next number of years.
This report captures the complexity of the work delivered and of the engagement that we have had. Our small role in this work has started with the FRC project and will continue for some time. If there is ever to be a border poll we hope that our efforts will have helped to pave the way for an honest, mature and fact-based approach to an issue that could impact all of our lives in the future.
Today Holywell Trust published a new Summary Report that highlights the findings and next steps of the Future Relationship Conversations (FRC) project. We also have released a complimentary Podcast, where Holywell’s Director, Gerard Deane, and Programme Manager, Sara Duddy discuss the development of the FRC project, and next steps with Paul Gosling, who was instrumental in both the research and this report.
You can access more information about the FRC Project, including the new summary report, the podcast & the various FRC Research Papers here:
