Children for Peace in Ireland in Kansas City
Once again it’s that time of the year when Irish young people get to go on holidays to Kansas City and the surrounding burbs.
Children for Peace in Ireland takes a group of teenagers from Northern Ireland, of both Catholic and Protestant persuasions, and mixes them all together away from their homes where they’re not used to being mixed up all together. When I say Northern Ireland, it’s specifically Belfast, and working class Belfast, that the program tends to relate to.
It’s an AOH program that’s being going on for 9 years now, and as it’s over 10 years since peace, well, was more brokered out than broke out, in the form of the Good Friday Agreement, it’s the life of segregation in Belfast, heightened during Marching season that is the focus.
You can see a 90-second video with KC’s Tom Quinn speaking and some of the kids too on KansasCity.Com.
There’s also a story on the 2008 CFP program in the Kansas City Star by Kate Cerve:
The program was started by people on both sides of the Atlantic, and Kansas City residents depend on fundraising to pay for much of the trip. This year, it cost about $100,000 to bring the 16 teens and their chaperones to Kansas City, said Tom Quinn, the program’s executive director.
Quinn said he hopes the program will soon grow into an exchange so Kansas City teens can visit Belfast and better understand the division there.
And there are already pictures from the 2008 trip posted on the official website
See Also:
• The Greatest Day to be Irish in Kansas City
• Bobby Sands
• Bertie Ahern on the the North
• Reluctant Irish Optimism: An Agreement Coming?
• Irish Press Banned as Irish Independence Revoked
• I’m Reminded of the British Police by Valentine’s Day in the USA
• Why Won’t Unionists Agree (This Time)?
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
hey im conor im from ireland i was on the children for peace prograhm this year.
I had a realy good time in Kansas City and i want to thank everyone who was involved in the prograhm this year and thanks you for welcoming us into ur homes. i have never meet a nicer group of people in my life.
I hope to get involved with the prograhm again in the future maybe go as a shapron.
This is an amazing prograhm and id advise anyone who gets the chance to get involved with the prograhm to take it because it is the experiance of a life time.
thank you.
Conor Mc Neice