Press Releases26 Mar 14

’HaassHope’ Conference – Bishop Harold Miller’s closing remarks

A conference entitled ’#HaassHope’, organised by Summer Madness along with consortium of youth agencies, with the intention of encouraging young people to integrate their faith particularly into politics and community relations issues in Northern Ireland today, was held on at Riddell Hall, Belfast on Sunday 23rd March 2014.

With the strapline ‘A 16 year old peace process with no 16 year old voice?’, it was organised following an indication from young people that it would be useful to have their voice heard by politicians and church leaders from across the spectrum. Speakers at the event included Dr Duncan Morrow, Lord Eames and Brett Lockhart QC (seen above with a number of the young people and organisers attending).

At the close of the conference, the Rt Revd Harold Miller, Bishop of Down & Dromore, said: ‘It was a privilege to sit and listen to the hopes and dreams of a younger generation of Christians, from across the community in Northern Ireland, at the Haass Hope event. Church leaders and politicians were asked to say very little, which was challenging in itself! What struck me was the importance of freeing a new generation to paint a picture of what they would hope the future might be in this place, and – more importantly – what they believe a “Kingdom of God” future might look like. For generations we have been able to convey the “impossibilities” which might dumb down their vision. The role of an older generation now is not to block a creative future by the impossibilities of the past, but to let a new generation “fly”, to pray new young leaders into existence who are godly, hopeful and visionary, and to tell them that our God is the one whose task is to make the impossible possible.’

Photo top, L–R: Dr Duncan Morrow, Brett Lockhart QC, Michael O’Doherty (Faith to Faith, Omagh), Andrew Bell (Department of Education NI), Sarah McNeill (Fitzroy Presbyterian), Anna Tate (Fitzroy Presbyterian), Peter McNeice (YMCA), Lord Eames, John Kee (Summer Madness), Jasper Rutherford (Summer Madness & Church Army) (Photo: Paul Harron/CoI Press Office)