The mission of NICE is to promote peace, reconciliation and mutual understanding between the communities in Northern Ireland.

Letter from Executive Director Carmel McCavana

Carmel McCavana, Executive Director
Northern Ireland Children's Enterprise
Belfast, Northern Ireland

NICE - Our story since 1978

Don Murphy established NICE as a charitable trust in the USA and, in conjunction with parents and volunteers, NICE was also established in Northern Ireland. Funding was raised in the USA to purchase a facility in Northern Ireland and to set up a full-time office. Through grants from the International Fund for Ireland and The Ireland Funds we were able to appoint a Director and purchase a minibus, and so NICE was on its way.

Our Goals

Program aims and objectives:

• We provide a neutral meeting space for young people, volunteers, parents and community groups
• We develop links within communities and between communities
• We provide a range of community relations programs where people can develop understanding and mutual respect
• We create and expand programs which will give people the skills required to support our work and to develop work within their own communities
• We provide a training and development base for volunteers

Primary Schools Program

NICE Center in Ballycastle

In 1989 we purchased a house in Ballycastle, a small seaside resort sixty miles from Belfast, to use as a follow-up facility for the children who had taken part in the summer programs in the USA. In 1996 we received funding through the Department of Education from European Structural Funds to completely refurbish the building and expand the facility.

We were also able to appoint a full time worker to develop our programs and encourage volunteering, broadening the work of the Center. On an annual basis, four hundred fifty young people and one hundred adults now participate in programs in Ballycastle. In May 2002 the center was dedicated as the Donal J. Murphy Center to honor the continued contributions of the group's founder.

Australia House in Belfast

In 1998, NICE purchased its second facility to use as a meeting place, resource and training center for young people and parents and to give the project a focal point in the city. The property is situated in a neutral area convenient to both communities in Belfast. Major support comes from the USA. We have named the center Australia House due to a substantial grant from the Australian Ireland Fund.

With grants from DENI Peace and Reconciliation Program and the National Lottery Charities Board of Northern Ireland, we were able to renovate and furnish the building and appoint a Center Manager to oversee its development. The facility can accommodate fifty people per day, six days a week in its various programs.

USA Host Family Program

During the summer, young people from Belfast travel to the New York metropolitan area to stay with host families for five weeks. These young people continue to meet during the year through our programs in Belfast and Ballycastle to renew the friendships they made while in the USA, and to develop new relationships.

The children in the program are an equal mix of Catholic and Protestant, all aged between 9 and 12. We find the program works best if the host family has a child in the home in the same age group. For the first time a child comes from Belfast, NICE pays all costs for transportation and medical insurance for that child. Host families provide love, room and board. If a family requests a specific child return for a second summer, the host family then pays for transportation and insurance.

If you are interested in hosting a child from Northern Ireland this summer, contact us by email, phone or letter and we will send an application for you to complete. Because we do keep in touch with the children throughout the summer and have chaperones they know from home available to visit with them, we limit the geographical range of the program to Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties in New York, Fairfield, CT., and the surrounding area. After we receive your completed application, a committee member will contact you to arrange a time and date for an interview and explain more about our program.

In Their Own Words

From Northern Ireland Families:

"I loved my time at Ballycastle. They helped me learn that nothing is different between Catholics and Protestants."
"We all mix together and talk about Catholics and Protestants and what we feel. It's good to do, but hard sometimes. My mummy and daddy think it's brilliant, and so do I."
"The experience of going away has given my child loads of confidence and made her very mature. It has made her realize there is a life outside Belfast."
"Many thanks for giving my daughter this chance of a lifetime trip, the choice of family for her was excellent."
"He was able to have the experience of sampling a new country, different culture and the holiday of a lifetime."
"The trip helped her with her with more learning skills such as communication and understanding other people."
"It was a learning experience for her and for myself as a parent. Letting go isn't easy but it has given me more confidence as a parent that I'm equipping my children with the knowledge to handle situations and be confident people in their own right. This can only be an asset in the coming years."
"I found the whole experience of being involved with NICE has brought Mary out of herself. I hope she can keep up her involvement with NICE in the future so that she will grow up knowing we are all basically the same."
"She came back from her trip with a more mature attitude. The trip helped her to mix with other children whom she knew nothing about and to realize that no matter what race/ religion we are we can get on and enjoy each others' companionship."

From American Families:

"As always, it's a lesson that can not be taught in a classroom - and the benefits are lifelong for all concerned."
"The best part was gaining a new friend who lives in another country, as my daughter says 'our summer sister'. Our whole family as well as our friends enjoyed learning about Ireland and Irish traditions."
"The sense of making a positive difference in a child's life and opening my child's mind to the wider world."
"That we were contributing to the overall effort of peace in Northern Ireland."
"Knowing and wanting to show off some sites [NYC, Broadway, Amish country] made me show my own children things I've put off either because of time or cost. This made me do things I've been wanting to do."
"Hearing our visitor say 'Everybody gets along here - I wish everybody got along in Belfast.'"
"It was a great experience for everyone involved. Friends and neighbors were very impressed with the program."
"It was hard at times to juggle schedules, but listening to some of their stories made us realize how lucky people in this country are overall."
"Yes, our family benefited from the experience, we learned about life in Belfast and enjoyed her company."

How you can help

You can join our work either by making a financial contribution, individual or corporate, or by supporting us in any of the following ways.

In Northern Ireland

In the U.S.A.

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A Letter from the President of Ireland

Mary Jo and Don Murphy with Áine Kitt Brady share a moment with President McAleese at a NICE fundraiser at The Kildare Club.

UACHTARÁN NA hÉIREANN
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
I am delighted to send greetings and best wishes to the Northern Ireland Children's Enterprise. For many years now your organization has played an important role in the promotion of peace on this island by bringing together children from both traditions and providing them with an opportunity to develop mutual respect and understanding in a warm and friendly atmosphere. I commend everyone associated with the Northern Ireland Children's Enterprise for your proven commitment to what we all desire and pray for - the achievement of a sustainable peace for all the people on the island of Ireland. I congratulate you on your many successes in the past and wish you every continued success in the years ahead. Mary McAleese President

NICE Board of Directors

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