Thrones actor Hinds speaks up for integrated education in NI
BELFAST actor Ciaran Hinds has lent his distinctive voice to a new animation celebrating the achievements of integrated education since the Good Friday Agreement.
The Game of Thrones actor, who also starred in Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winning film Belfast, is the latest celebrity to show his support for educating children together, with Liam Neeson, Paddy Kielty and Carl Frampton also backing schools as they switch to integrated status.
Hinds (inset) provided the voiceover for the short film ‘Our Peace Our Future’ highlighting the contribution of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) to peace and reconciliation.
“The Good Friday Agreement confirmed a commitment to encourage and facilitate integrated education as an essential part of the reconciliation process,” said Hinds.
“But to date no government has planned for integrated schools.
“Instead, it has fallen to parents and schools to make integrated education a viable choice.
“In 1998 we had 48 integrated schools. In 2024 we have over 70, educating over 28,000 pupils. These schools prove that children and young people from all religious and cultural backgrounds can learn with, from and about each other, helping dispel generations of fear and misunderstanding.
“And the benefits are lifelong. Integrated education means acknowledging and celebrating our differences, encourages a mutual respect and asks us to consider different versions of history and acknowledge our own bias.
“Yes, it’s still a grassroots, parent-led response but with new legislative commitments there’s increased optimism that springboard for further growth may lead us to a day where learning together all day, every day, is the norm.”
The film was premièred at Belfast’s Strand Cinema at an event which also saw the first presentation of the Baroness May Blood Awards which has been introduce to celebrate community activism from pupils attending integrated schools.
Two pupils from Drumlins Integrated Primary School, Ben and Cara, and Caitlin who attends Newbridge Integrated College, were invited on stage to accept the honour and shared their stories of how they supported their schools.
Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) , Paddy Harte, introduced the animation and said he was excited by what the next 25 years will bring.
“This animation has been funded through the IFI’S ‘Our Peace Our Future’ initiative, which highlights the huge contribution that ordinary people have made to help deliver peace within communities, between communities and across the border in the last 25 years,” he said.
“We also want to look forward to the next 25 years, by exploring how communities can work together to foster peace and reconciliation.
“This partnership with IEF examines the key role that integrated education plays in society as well as how it creates inclusion and diversity, which is the very core of what a shared future could look like across the island of Ireland.”
IEF chair Peter Osborne said the body is proud to have supported the development of 28 integrated schools since 1998, helping to provide an additional 16,000 integrated school places.
‘Our Peace, Our Future’ is available to watch online on IEF’S Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jtuni01go