Grassroots Work with Children Supports Peace in Northern Ireland
While political leaders are preparing to re-instate the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont the week of May 7, 2007, peacebuilding continues at the grassroots level with preschool children in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through a unique program called the Media Initiative For Children* (MIFC). Initiated in 2003 by an American charity called the Peace Initiatives Institute (Pii), MIFC combines short TV cartoons with classroom instruction to teach preschool children the benefits of respecting others who are different from themselves physically, racially, religiously or in other ways that might provoke bullying or discriminatory behavior. Pii is a non-profit organization that is now expanding its grassroots peacebuilding work with preschool children to other countries and media, including the Internet.
Boulder, CO (PRWEB) May 8, 2007 -- Political leaders are preparing this week to re-instate the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, thus ending years of political and social conflict in that country. At the same time, peacebuilding continues at the grassroots level with preschool children throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through a unique program called the Media Initiative For Children* (MIFC).
Since its launch in 2004, the MIFC has combined short TV cartoons with classroom instruction to teach over 9,000 preschool children the benefits of respecting others who are different from themselves physically, racially, religiously or in any other way that might provoke bullying or discriminatory behavior.
The Media Initiative For Children was initiated in Northern Ireland in 2003 by an American charity called the Peace Initiatives Institute (Pii) and developed jointly with NIPPA-The Early Years Organization in Northern Ireland. A group of Advisors -- who are thought-leaders from across Ireland -- helped to shape the program as well.
Research conducted by Dr. Paul Connolly of Queens University on more than 1,000 children involved with the MIFC program since its start in 2004 has shown that the program is working -- research confirms that children exposed to it are more aware of the negative emotions experienced by someone who is excluded because they are different and subsequently, children are more willing to accept and include those different from themselves.
Extensive training of over 450 preschool teachers has been a critical part of the program's success in helping teachers to examine their own personal histories and to become better prepared to teach the MIFC curriculum.
A new MIFC module on Anti-Bullying was jointly sponsored by The Northern Ireland Commissioner of Children and Young People (NICCY) and the Ombudsman For Children in the Republic last November, making the MIFC a cross border program.
About Peace Initiatives Institute:
Peace Initiatives Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is now expanding its grassroots peacebuilding work with preschool children to other countries and media, such as the Internet. The Peace Initiatives Institute welcomes and greatly appreciates supporting alliances and any financial donations and aid in this mission. For more information on peacebuilding work with preschool children and the Pii and MIFC organizations, please visit www.pii-mifc.org or contact Theresa Szczurek, Development Director, or Paul W. Harris, Executive Director.
Contacts:
Theresa Szczurek
Development Director
U.S. Tel: (001) 303.443.8674
Paul W. Harris
Executive Director
U.S. Tel: (001) 720.244.5917
U.K. Tel: (011) +44 (0) 7791.619.782
- Media Initiative For Children or MIFC is copyrighted by Peace Initiatives Institute (www.pii-mifc.org)
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