The UPC has recently received funding from the Department of International Development to deliver a range of education courses around International Development issues.

These courses will be of great value to community activists and interested groups and individuals who would like to learn about global issues and how they affect us locally.

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People’s History Initiative participants recently attended a lecture by Dr Eamon Phoenix, historian, journalist and lecturer, on ‘Civil Rights in Northern Ireland’.

The lecture was one in a series of lecturers organised by the People’s History Initiative and the School of Education at Queen’s University Belfast focusing on key events that initiative participants wanted to learn about in greater detail.

The UPC are running a seminar entitled “A Shared Future or a Better Future?” as part of Community Relations Week. 

The seminar will provide the opportunity to discuss the uncertainty of the status of the ‘A Shared Future’ policy and will be followed by an exhibition and reception.

The event will take place on Wednesday 30 April, 2.30pm – 4.30pm at the UPC, 1 Lower Crescent, Belfast.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

To find out more or to register contact Karen McCartney on (028) 9033 0131 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A range of people who participated in the People’s History Initiative attended a lecture by Dr Eamon Phoenix on ‘Steps to Partition: from Home Rule to a Divided Ireland, 1900 – 1925.’

The lecture was one of a series of lectures organised by the People’s History Initiative focusing on key historical events that Initiative participants wanted to look at in greater detail.

The lecture was attended by a variety of People’s History Initiative participants including members of Cliftonville Regeneration Forum, Footprints Women’s Centre, Taughmonagh Enterprise Centre and Greencastle Community Empowerment Partnership.

Speaking at UPC AGM, Claire Hackett, Research Co-ordinator of the Belfast Conflict Resolution Consortium and member of the Board of Healing Through Remembering, stressed the need to address the legacy of the past to enable us to build a society based on trust and respect.

Claire welcomed the focus on this issue brought by the work of the Consultative Group on the Past, chaired by Lord Robin Eames and Denis Bradley. She commented, “International experience tells us that the past doesn’t go away.  We need to work through the past in order to create the future.  In particular we need to acknowledge, remember and deal with the legacy of the conflict in order to support the transition to a just and peaceful society.”

Johnston Price, Director of UPC, referred to the important work the College had carried out in the past building relationships and creating opportunities for individuals and groups to critically reflect on society and develop political alternatives. 

He commented, “It is ironic that at a time when Northern Ireland desperately needs to come to terms with the legacy of the past organisations such as UPC are struggling to find support for their work in an environment where the only role for education is seen to be promoting economic growth.

“This ignores the obvious lesson that it was the peace process, more than any other single factor, that kick started social and economic development in the North of Ireland in the 90’s.  And it also ignores the key role that education has to play in developing a rich and diverse society based on active citizens who value and promote fairness and justice.”

Over the past 26 years the UPC, through its community relations work and its People’s History Initiative, has developed innovative approaches to supporting communities to explore their own past and engage with others’ understanding of the past.