This year the Irish School of Ecumenics celebrates the silver jubilee of its foundation. It is an independent interdenominational institute which has received international acclaim for its academic standards and its relevance in today's world. Its degrees are validated by Trinity College, Dublin, which supervises the academic standard of its courses. During the past 25 years approximately 600 students have enrolled at the school and have taken degree, diploma or certificate courses. Initially the institute concentrated on ecumenics, human rights and matters relating to church life but soon expanded to include studies in mutual understanding, reconciliation, mediation techniques and international affairs related to peace-making. The school has a proud record of achievement, particularly enabling those men and women who have studied there to contribute much more effectively to whatever walk of life their subsequent carers have led them. People who have benefited in this way include community workers, staff in reconciliation centres and development agencies, journalists, clergy, religious and teachers at all levels.
The adult education courses in Northern Ireland are validated by the University of Ulster. Being very aware of its responsibility to assist in cross-community and cross-Border relationships, all of the institute's study courses are both cross-Border and interdisciplinary in their organisation and content and draw on their resources of other Irish universities, North and South, as well as on church and ecumenical organisations. Students taking peace studies as well as ecumenics are from all parts of Ireland and spend a period in field studies in Northern Ireland. They have a full-time adult education lecturer based in Belfast who organises certificate courses in Belfast and Derry and cooperates in other courses in various parts of Northern Ireland. They also conduct lectures on the situation in Northern Ireland for all degree students in Dublin. They are engaged in writing lectures on community relations from their experience as leaders of the Corrymeela Community. This year the school is initiating a three-year research project for which funding has been secured from the Joseph Rowntree Trust, Coventry Cathedral Trust, the Christendom Trust and the CCRU which will research sectarianism, attempt to define the sources of sectarian attitudes, the role of religion and its effects. In better understanding the nature of sectarianism, it is hoped to offer methodologies for countering and controlling its negative impact on community life.
An important element of the project will involve the formation of cross-Border groups of people who have experienced the effects of sectarianism helping them to reflect on their experience and develop processes of healing and open exchange. The school is acknowledged and actively supported by all major churches in Ireland. The support includes an annual financial commitment from central church funds. An endowment enables Irish and international business interests to contribute money and per capita grants to the school. It is incumbent on the Government to support the Irish School of Ecumenics on a constant and realistic basis. As a third level academic institution this should be done through the Department of Education. The school suggests as appropriate an annual grant-in-aid initially of £150,000. This will give the school the stability, confidence and security to plan for the next 25 years knowing that the Governments in both parts of Ireland support in a practical and realistic way the long term search for peace and mutual understanding which we all wish for.
