Good Relations week 2023

With this year’s Good Relations theme in mind, we will join 'together' with early years practitioners, parents/carers and members of management teams from early years settings to facilitate discussion and thinking around the Media Initiative for Children Respecting Difference Programme. We aim to give our children and young people the best start in life and work towards a shared society that respects diversity. Our early years programme influences good relations, sustainability and resilience of communities, promotes inclusion, respect for difference and shared learning. The Media Initiative for Children (MIFC) Respecting Difference Programme is an intervention programme aimed at improving long term outcomes so that children, practitioners/teachers, parents and communities become more aware of diversity and difference issues and positively change attitudes and behaviours to those who are different.

This workshop will provide parents and others involved from the local community with an opportunity to reflect on their own values, attitudes and prejudices and will highlight the importance of local settings working collaboratively and collectively to drive meaningful progress towards building a shared future for everyone. Working with members of management and committees of early years settings in this way is designed to help put in place the principles of community development and develop inclusive practice and policies for children, parents and families throughout the community. This we hope, will help committees reflect on practice, by identifying need, supporting inclusion, encouraging participation and collaborative working.

The workshop will be an excellent opportunity to reinforce this year’s good relations theme around the importance of individuals and organisations working together and sharing ideas and experiences in tackling everything from sectarianism and racism to gender inequality, shared spaces, peace-building, and cultural diversity.

Please note-this event will be invite only for funded settings within the Fermanagh and Omagh area who have recently completed MIFC training.