Cross-Border Youth Conference Focuses on Building Better Future
Forty-five young people from both sides of the border recently gathered in Dundalk for a Cross-Border Youth Conference, marking the culmination of an 18-month International Fund for Ireland (IFI) project. The project primarily focused on encouraging and developing positive relationships and deeper engagement among young people from cross-border communities across Louth, Down, and Armagh.
Participants, from Drogheda, Dundalk, Ardee, Newry, Warrenpoint and Crossmaglen shared personal experiences, discussed breaking down stigma and combating inequality, and explored opportunities for stronger cross-border relationships. The project featured nine dialogue events, 15 community meetings, and the creation of films highlighting young people’s stories from both sides of the border.
Organised by Louth Comhairle na nÓg, Dundalk Youth Centre, the Newry and Mourne Youth Council, and the Education Authority Northern Ireland, with support from the IFI’s Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP), the initiative’s goal has been to build progressive partnerships and contribute to peacebuilding efforts.
Young participants also engaged with local political representatives from Louth, Newry and Mourne, and visited both Dáil Éireann and Stormont. IFI Chair Paddy Harte highlighted the fact that the project “has gone a considerable way to fostering meaningful engagement between young people from across the participating communities.” He added, “It has also provided participants with the knowledge and skills to be agents for change and to influence the type of future they wish to create.”
