The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will arrive in Belfast tomorrow (Thursday, April 12) to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
He will join Journalist Maxine Mawhinney and former Priest and now Journalist, Dennis Bradley, for a conversation on ‘From Local to Global’ as part of British Council’s international Peace and Beyond Conference.
Taking place at Ulster University’s Belfast campus on the evening of April 12, the discussion will reflect on Northern Ireland 20 years on from the Good Friday Agreement – while also looking beyond 2018.
The discussion will cover issues including; the inter-relationship of politics and religion in Ireland, British and Irish relations, and the Archbishop’s current confidence in global peacebuilding – with the conversation then opened to the floor.
Speaking about the event was Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland.
He said: “We are delighted that the Archbishop of Canterbury will be joining Denis Bradley for our final day of the international Peace and Beyond Conference.
“Conference delegates will have a rare opportunity to hear from two speakers with enormous local and international experience reflecting on the pathways to securing peace and overcoming obstacles. Many of the themes of everyday peacemaking, discussed throughout the three-day conference will be addressed during this final session.’
Professor Duncan Morrow, Director of Community Engagement, Ulster University, said: “As Northern Ireland’s civic university with campuses enriched in our communities, and a key focus on peace, conflict and reconciliation research, Ulster University is a fitting location for the closing ceremony of the Peace and Beyond conference.
“It presents a unique opportunity to reflect on the insight, learnings and debate from practitioners, academics, policy makers and young leaders from across the world made throughout the three day event and build on the invaluable findings discussed.”
Also speaking about the event was journalist, Maxine Mawhinney, she said:
“The conference is not only a reflection on the progress made but also a moment to pause and look to the next 20 years. I am delighted to host the conversation which will close the conference and to hear the insights of the Archbishop of Canterbury on the relationship between politics and religion, what has been achieved locally and also his views on global peacebuilding.”
British Council’s Peace and Beyond conference will take place from April 10-12 2018 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement and will bring an exciting and diverse line-up of speakers to Northern Ireland in a bid to create international dialogue around peacebuilding.
For more information on the Peace and Beyond visit https://www.britishcouncil.org/peace-and-beyond. You can follow the conversation on Twitter through #peaceandbeyond or through following @BCouncil_NI.
About the Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was ordained in 1992 after an 11-year career in the oil industry. He spent his first 15 years serving in Coventry diocese, often in places of significant deprivation.
In 2002 he was made a Canon of Coventry Cathedral, where he jointly led its international reconciliation work. During this time he worked extensively in Africa and the Middle East. Archbishop Justin has had a passion for reconciliation and peace-making ever since.
He was Dean of Liverpool Cathedral from 2007 to 2011 and Bishop of Durham from 2011 to 2012, before being announced as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury in late 2012.
On 21st March 2013, he was installed as Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Canterbury Cathedral.
In 2017, Archbishop Justin was invited to join UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation – the only faith leader to be on the panel.
He has recently released a new book, Reimagining Britain: Foundations for Hope, in which he sets out to identify the values that might help us through the months and years ahead, a period he would rather describe as one of opportunity and challenge than of threat and fear
About Denis Bradley
Denis Bradley is a former vice-chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, which oversees the running of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in Northern Ireland. Born in Buncrana, County Donegal, Bradley is a freelance journalist and a former priest. He was formerly a member of the NI Drugs Committee and the BBC Broadcasting Council, he also helped set up the Bogside Community Association. In mid-2007 he was appointed co-chairman, along with Robin Eames, of the Consultative Group on the Past in Northern Ireland.
For further information please contact:
Claire McAuley, Communications Manager, British Council Northern Ireland
T +44 (0) 28 9019 2224 | M +44 07856524504 Claire.McAuley@britishcouncil.org Twitter: @BCouncil_NI Facebook: www.facebook.com/britishcouncilnorthernireland
British Council Northern Ireland creates international opportunities for the people of Northern Ireland and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. We are a Royal Charter charity, established as the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. Our 7000 staff in over 100 countries work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year through English, arts, education and society programmes. A quarter of our funding comes from a UK government grant, and we earn the rest from services which customers pay for, education and development contracts we bid for, and from partnerships. For more information, please visit: http://nireland.britishcouncil.org
You can also keep in touch with British Council Northern Ireland through https://twitter.com/BCouncil_NI, www.facebook.com/britishcouncilnorthernirelandand http://blog.britishcouncil.org.