About

Action for Community Transformation – THE ACT INITIATIVE emerged in 2008 as a conflict transformation programme (obtaining charitable status in 2012), to facilitate the civilianisation of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), following its Statement of Intent (May 2007).  The core objective of ACT is; To support the reintegration of former political prisoners and; To develop the capacity of those categorised as former combatants; through a process of training, capacity building, empowerment, peace building and community re-integration.

ACT promotes the charitable purposes of 1) The advancement of citizenship or community development 2) The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation as defined in the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

In sum, ACT continues its transformation efforts against the backdrop of well publicised issues which impact significantly on the PUL community; such as flags/parading, criminality, under educational achievement, disengagement/disenfranchisement from the political architecture and other structures, as well as the perception that mechanisms for dealing with the past serve only to further demonise loyalists.

Heritage

From the Signing of the Covenant to the Belfast Agreement – A Historical Exhibition of Progressive Loyalism

Opposition to Home Rule in 1912 changed the political landscape in Ireland forever. What followed was a tumultuous period in history whereby Unionists and Nationalists were about to engage in a civil war thwarted only by the devastating outbreak of WW1. This exhibition offers a chronological perspective on opposing ideologies and charts those conflict-related eras before and after the formation of Northern Ireland. Following the ceasefires of 1994, very little has been written about the progressive nature of loyalism. During our most recent period of conflict, known as ‘The Troubles’, a significant number of young men were incarcerated as political prisoners. On visiting our centre, our collections include opportunities to:

Hear about their personal experiences, before, during and after their incarceration.

You can visit a reconstruction of a cubicle from the Long Kesh compounds, housing original artefacts from the 1970s, and find out what prison life was like.

You can also see the documents, composed in Long Kesh by loyalist political prisoners, and recognised by academics as being the original framework for the Good Friday Agreement.

Revisit the ‘Signing of the Covenant’.