The Next Page: Northern Ireland Commission for Victims and Survivors Northern Ireland

Content Warning: reference to violence

In the latest episode of ‘The Next Page’, Mike and Ian
return to the studio to discuss the Legacy Act (formerly the Legacy Bill), which recently became law in parliament, and what it means for victims and survivors of the Troubles.

They are joined by Victims’ Forum member, Mary Moreland MBE,
who lends her lived experience as a UDR veteran and a war widow to the conversation. Mary outlines the impact of the legislation upon a victim’s right to seek answers, and the efforts the Forum made to influence amendments to the Act.

Mary also discusses the importance of the Forum itself in having
difficult but necessary conversations in post-conflict reconciliation, and the need for a broad representation of voices, views and experiences in finding ways forward.

The Forum brings together those with lived experience of the
Troubles to guide the Commissioner in making recommendations to government around the needs and interests of victims and survivors. It is currently underrepresented by individuals whose community background is predominantly Protestant/Unionist/Loyalist.

Interested in applying to join?

Visit our website: Forum application: Commissioner introduction - Commission for Victims & Survivors (cvsni.org)

(The deadline for applications is Friday 3rd November 2023.)

 

Support services

Lifeline NI and Samaritansprovide 24-hour counselling intervention, 7 days a week for anyone who needs support.

Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000
Samaritans: 0808 808 8000

The Victims and Survivors Service delivers support and
services to improve the health and wellbeing of victims and survivors. Find out more about their work in their website, www.victimsservice.org, or telephone (028) 9027 9100.

 

This episode of The Next Page was recorded at
OneButton Studios, QUB School of Law, and edited by Start Together Studios.

 

Host: Mike Philpott

Executive Producer: Alana Fisher

Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay

Content Warning: reference to suicide and graphic violence (support services linked below).

On the final episode of this series of The Next Page, Mike and Ian are joined by Megan Phair, member of the Stop Attacks Forum and Journey to Empowerment Programme Co-Ordinator for Invisible Traffick, and Eimear O’Keeffe, a student and member of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum. 

Today we focus on the younger generations of Northern Irish citizens, and our hopes of ‘passing the pen’ to them as they prepare to write the next page of our history.  

Together, Mike, Ian, Megan, and Eimear discuss the impact of Northern Ireland’s past on young people’s lives today, from the threat of paramilitary gangs to experiences of sectarianism.   

Eimear and Megan share their hopes for hopes for a more peaceful Northern Ireland for the generations to come, discuss the importance of tackling sectarianism through cross-community dialogue and explain why the most radical thing they ever did was to ‘stay put’ in NI.  

You can find out more about the work of the Stop Attacks Forum by following them on Twitter: @StopAttacks1

You can also read written evidence submitted to Parliament by the Forum regarding the impact of paramilitarism on Northern Irish society using the link
below:

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/108786/pdf/



Find out more about the Northern Ireland Youth Forum through their website;
Northern Ireland Youth Forum | Promoting The Voice Of Young People (niyf.org)

Or follow them on Twitter: @NIYF 

Support services 

Lifeline NI and Samaritans provide 24-hour counselling intervention, 7 days a week for anyone who needs support. 

Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000 Samaritans: 116 123  

The Victims and Survivors Service delivers support and services to improve the health and wellbeing of victims and survivors. Find out more about their work in their website, www.victimsservice.org, or telephone (028) 9027 9100. 


The Next Page is produced by Start Together Studios for the Commission for Victims and Survivors. 

Host: Mike Philpott 

Executive Producer: Alana Fisher 

Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay 

Content Warning: reference to sexual violence and suicide (support services linked below).

This week Mike and Ian are joined by Dr Cheryl Lawther and Dr Luke Moffett of Queens University Belfast. They are experts on conflict reparations and transitional justice.

Together they discuss the various forms that acknowledgement for victims can take, and the complex but necessary task of organising memorialisation processes for victims and survivors of the Troubles.

They also talk about the ongoing mental and physical consequences of the conflict, why they believe that victims have not been adequately compensated
or acknowledged thus far, and what we can learn from forms of reparations and acknowledgement happening outside Northern Ireland.



You can find out more about Cheryl and Luke’s ongoing work on these issues in their QUB profiles, or by following them on Twitter:

Cheryl Lawther — Queen's University Belfast (qub.ac.uk) Twitter: @LawtherC

Luke Moffett — Queen's University Belfast (qub.ac.uk) Twitter: @reparationsni



Support services

Lifeline NI and Samaritans provide 24-hour counselling intervention, 7 days a week for anyone who needs
support.

Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000Samaritans: 116 123

The Victims and Survivors Service delivers support and services to improve the health and well-being of victims and survivors. Find out more about their work in their website, www.victimsservice.org, or telephone (028) 9027 9100.

Nexus NI has a 24 Hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline and Live Chat to offer support,
advice and referral for any person impacted by domestic and sexual abuse in Northern Ireland. It also offers advice to those concerned as to whether abuse
may be happening to someone else.

Nexus NI Helpline: 0808 802 1414



The Next Page is produced by Start Together Studios for the Commission for Victims and Survivors.

Host: Mike Philpott

Executive Producer: Alana Fisher

Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay

Content Warning: reference to suicide and graphic account of gun violence (support services linked below).

On episode five, Mike and Ian are joined by Victims' Forum member Dr Paul Gallagher and NI Mental Health Champion Professor Siobhán O'Neill. Paul shares his journey of dealing with physical and psychological trauma after sustaining life-changing injuries during the Troubles conflict: he was shot multiple times in his home by UDA gunmen in 1994. 


Siobhán, Paul and Ian then discuss the legacy impact of the Troubles conflict on mental health in Northern Ireland, how it's informed their lives and work, and what must be done to tackle the mental health crisis among our population. 

You can read Paul’s story on our website;  www.cvsni.org/our-work/how-we-do-it/the-victims-and-survivors-forum/  

You can find out more about the work of Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Champion at; 

www.mentalhealthchampion-ni.org.uk

Support services 

Lifeline NI and Samaritans provide 24-hour counselling intervention, 7 days a week for anyone who needs support. 

Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000 Samaritans: 116 123  

The Victims and Survivors Service delivers support and services to improve the health and wellbeing of victims and survivors. Find out more about their work in their website, www.victimsservice.org, or telephone (028) 9027 9100. 



'The Next Page - Northern Ireland' is produced by Start Together Studios for Commission for Victims and Survivors.

Executive Producer: Alana Fisher



Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay

Content Warning: reference to violence (support services linked below)


This week, Mike and Ian are joined by Alan Brecknell, Victims' Forum member and advocacy worker at the Pat Finucane Centre, and Brian
Gormally, Director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice.

Alan shares how his family was changed forever by a gun and bomb attack that killed his father when he was a child. Together, they explore the human rights impact of the Legacy Bill on victims and survivors, the context of the human rights emphasis in the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and impact on international agreements with the United Nations.

You can read Alan’s story on our website; www.cvsni.org/our-work/how-we-do-it/the-victims-and-survivors-forum/


You can read all the details of the UK Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill on their Parliamentary
website;
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament

You can read the Commission’s position paper here; 2023-Jan-CVS_LegacyBill_Recs.pdf (cvsni.org)

You can find out more about the work of the Committee forthe Administration of Justice on their website;https://caj.org.uk/



Support services

Lifeline NI and Samaritans provide 24-hour counselling intervention, 7 days a week for anyone who needs
support.

Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000Samaritans: 116 123

The Victims and Survivors Service delivers support and services to improve the health and wellbeing of victims and survivors. Find out more about their work in their website, www.victimsservice.org, or telephone (028) 9027 9100.




The Next Page is produced by Start Together Studios for the Commission for Victims and Survivors.

Host: Mike Philpott

Executive Producer: Alana Fisher

Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay

Content Warning: reference to gun violence (support services linked below).

On episode 3 Mike, Ian and Victims' Forum member Paul Crawford discuss the heavily criticised Legacy Bill, which is currently at committee stage in the House of Lords.

Paul Crawford shares his experience as a victim of the conflict. He lost close family and friends during the Troubles, including his father who was shot in 1974.

Then we dive into discussion on the negative impact that rescinding the opportunity for new inquests to take place on Troubles-related crimes will have on victims and survivors, as well as the controversial amnesty for perpetrators of these crimes that is outlined in the bill.

You can read Paul’s story on our website; www.cvsni.org/our-work/how-we-do-it/the-victims-and-survivors-forum/

You can read all the details of the UK Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill on their Parliamentary website;Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament

You can read the Commission’s position paper here; 2023-Jan-CVS_LegacyBill_Recs.pdf(cvsni.org)



Support services

Lifeline NI and Samaritans provide 24-hour counselling intervention, 7 days a week for anyone who needs support.

Lifeline NI: 0808 808 8000Samaritans: 116 123

The Victims and Survivors Service delivers support and services to improve the health and well-being of victims and survivors. Find out
more about their work in their website, www.victimsservice.org, or telephone (028) 9027 9100.



The Next Page is produced by Start Together Studios for the Commission for Victims and Survivors.

Host: Mike Philpott

Executive Producer: Alana Fisher

Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay