Northern Ireland

Belfast and Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

Handbook | Sample Itinerary | Group Pricing

Location | Urban and rural Northern Ireland
Photos | Found here
Blog | Read more about Amizade in Northern Ireland
Service Opportunities | Youth work, peace and reconciliation, mentoring in schools, painting murals, maintenance and housekeeping
Cultural and Recreational Highlights | City tours, Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, hiking in Mournes, meetings with politicians and ex-combatants, traditional Irish music, Gaelic football

Program Overview

The backdrop to this program is Northern Ireland’s stunning and fascinating beauty. Experience the richness of both rural and urban settings, visit the neighborhoods in conflict and discover Belfast, a city like no city in the world.

Lodging | Hostels or budget hotels, TV, ensuite bath
Food | Lots of fish, meats, potatoes, vegetables
Flights | easy trans-Atlantic flights
Visa | No
Communication | Cell networks, wifi, etc.
Closest Airport | Belfast and Dublin

Our Community Partnerships

Corrymeela | Corrymeela is people of all ages and Christian traditions, who individually and together are committed to the healing of Social, Religious and Political divisions that exist in Northern Ireland and throughout the World.

The Commitment

Corrymeela, one of our service partners, will enhance our volunteer experience by sponsoring workshops and talks by leaders directly involved in the peace process. Volunteers will have the opportunity to absorb the Northern Irish culture daily through cultural activities, visits with local community members, and our meaningful service work. The Corrymeela work with the following organizations.

Schools – One of the big areas of cross community work involves Schools from different areas of Northern Ireland. The work of the Corrymeela Community is designed to keep a very close association between their youth, family and community.

Youth Work – The Corrymeela is very concerned about what is happening to the youth today. With the help of the Youth Work program, Corrymeela has become invested in working with the diverse youth of today and the future. Corrymeela provides the opportunity for young people to meet, share their experiences and listen to each other.

Families – Families are also a very important and integral part of the Communities outreach program. This part of our program provides support for a wide range of families. Whether a family is coping with a family breakdown, difficulties with children, the pressures of single parenthood, domestic violence, or the particular problems which arise when a family member is in prison, support helps the family become more understanding of each other and of the issues they face.

Treetops – Treetops, Corrymeela Community project, is a Children’s Bereavement Group which provides a support program for small groups of children who have suffered a sudden death in the family. Bereavement is a very difficult and traumatic time for a person of any age, particularly if you happen to be a child. As a means of addressing this and offering some help and understanding to these children, a group called TreeTops Child Bereavement was established by concerned members of the Community.

Faith & Life – Another aspect of the work of Corrymeela is in the area of Faith & Life. The area of Christian education work supports Corrymeela members working within their own churches, by providing opportunities for wider ecumenical education. Corrymeela provides a number of programs that allow people to explore the explicit connection between Christian faith and contemporary issues. This work enables them to grow in their understanding of different Christian traditions. It also offers new approaches in worship and new models for Christian education which can be used in both parish and other settings.

The Impact

The Aims and Objectives of the Corrymeela are:

  • To be a sign and symbol that Protestants and Catholics can share together in a common witness and ministry of reconciliation
  • To provide opportunities for meeting, dialogue and learning in communities to dispel ignorance, prejudice and fear and to promote mutual respect, trust and co-operation
  • To support victims of violence and injustice; to enable the healing of personal and social wounds and to promote new initiatives for social and political change
  • To address contemporary issues of faith and ethics and develop new expressions of Christian community, life and worship

YouthWorks | At the heart of YouthWorks (CIC) is the sincere belief that intercultural understanding & the development of global citizens is essential to our increasingly connected global world. We are committed to providing you with an intercultural experience that allows you to make concrete contributions to a community resulting in a deeper understanding of your role in the global community.

The values of YouthWorks (CIC) are the foundation on which all youth work is based within the organisation. Our young people are valuable human beings with a positive contribution to make to society. The organisation will offer young people the opportunity to grow up, develop social and life skills in a safe and secure environment, take on responsibility and make decisions on their own life styles based on sound information and support. Within YouthWorks (CIC) young people get the opportunity to take risks on their value base, challenge their opinions and explore their own value base without judgment or put down.
In the past volunteers have worked with the Crossing the Bridges Programme, which brings Catholics and Protestants together as well as various after-school programs with other youth groups.