The churches need to catch up and take bold steps in the race to resolve conflict and bring healing and reconciliation to divided communities.

Speaking ahead of a one-day conference on the theme “A Time to Heal” to be held in the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday, 22 November 2003, Rev Charles Leeke, Reconciliation Development Officer in the Diocese of Down and Dromore said the Northern Ireland experience of resolving conflicts could be useful in places like Iraq and the Middle East.

“However the churches in this country need to catch up in the race to win reconciliation and peace,” he said. “There is a perceived risk of putting further strain on local congregations by upsetting political sensibilities, but healing is a long term process of small, but bold steps in meeting and talking with people from other churches and community groups. This kind of networking could transform our society.”

The ‘Time to Heal’ conference will bring together around 450 delegates from Church of Ireland parishes in Down and Dromore Diocese and their guests from other churches and organisations. In a range of some 30 workshops topics to be discussed will include the problems of sectarianism, the psychology of victim hood and trauma, restorative justice and understanding our identity.

Mr Leeke said: “Self-help is the key. European Peace funding can only take us so far and that will soon dry up. In the next decade we must take opportunities and create new possibilities for peace. In many ways the churches, local congregations, could be catalysts for peace in their area.”

In a packed programme the conference will hear stories of healing and reconciliation from around the world including the experience of keynote speaker the Rev Jerome Munyangaju, Rector of Killyleagh Parish who lost his sister and many friends in the Rwanda massacres.

Other participants will be the Head of the Northern Ireland Trauma Centre in Omagh and trauma recovery experts involved in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York.

The conference comes under the auspices of the Diocese of Down and Dromore ‘Think Again – Reconciliation’ project funded by the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, which is administered by the Community Relations Council.