Belfast youth create video to share positivity and pride for local community
The young people involved in a youth organisation based in Belfast have shared a powerful video highlighting the importance of sharing positivity and having pride in their communities.
R-CITY is a cross-community organisation working with 474 young people from different cultures and religious backgrounds across North Belfast.
As part of the annual Good Relations Week celebrations, young people from the group took part in a number of workshops that gave them a safe space to celebrate their own culture, while learrning about different communities and cultures.
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The young people were involved in putting together a video to showcase the work they did duing the week, to help spread positivity across the community, giving them a sense of pride in their areas.
Throughout the video, they highlight what they think makes a good community, and their hopes for the future. One of the young people said: "Good Relations Week brings people from different background and communities together to learn about different ethnicities and just for everyone to be together, to know that we're all valued the same way and no one should feel different.
"I think it's important to celebrate Good Relations Week because it allows young people to celebrate their identity whilst feeling comfortable doing so.
"The reason I think it's important to celebrate good relations is to welcome not only those who identify as Catholic and Protestant into our programmes, but those who are also from different community backgrounds and cultures."
Speaking to Belfast Live, Megan Hamilton, youth worker at R-City, said the response to their Good Relations Week work has been "phenomenal."
She added: "The media often showcase young people in a very negative light, therefore it’s important for us at R-City to ensure we promote the amazing work young people have been involved in not just this week but all year round.
"We used the video to showcase the work that was done throughout Good Relations to spread positivity across the community which has gave young people a sense of pride and owndership for taking lead in their community to put on a great event for everyone to enjoy.
"It is important to have events like this as it creates an opportunity for everyone to feel apart of a community which isn’t labelled. Young people are given the opportunity to learn about different cultural backgrounds which works towards creating an inclusive society for everyone to live in and creating positive relationships.
"Throughout the week, all of our young people participated in a variety of workshops that gave them a safe space to celebrate their own religious background while learning about other cultures and religious backgrounds.
"The young people participated in different activities which give them the opportunity to voice their opinion and understand the importance of Good Relations Week. At the end of the week, all young people came together and celebrated at the Good Relations event which was excellent."
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