Truth will set Us Free
FAIR has pioneered the concept of Counter-Narratives to Counter Terrorism. This means giving victims a voice and letting them challenge to propaganda and false narratives which are used to radicalise young people and recruit them to support terrorism. By supporting victims to tell their stories we can break the cycle of violence and support for terrorist groups. Terrorism uses a narrative which dehumanises their victims, portraying them as a uniform, or a representative of a state when in reality they are human beings with lives and rights and dreams which are often cruelly ended in the pursuit of a terrorist agenda.
Victims who know the true cost of conflict want to prevent it, and see their stories as the key to countering the false narratives of terrorism. Our truth will set us free from the chains of terrorism and unlock a peaceful future for all. FAIR has always provided a platform for victims to tell their stories, to show the real human face of conflict and the true cost of terrorism. We have worked with victims groups across the globe who share this vision and many important projects have been developed and have built real peace in our time.
The C4C Project, the terrorism survivors’ storytelling, is a global platform for resilience stories and radicalisation awareness. It is a cross national project, supported by the European Commission – DG Home Affairs (ISEC program), started at the beginning of 2013, involving several private, no-profit and public partners, but open to the collaboration of other interested subjects.
The project aim – through ‘The terrorism survivors storytelling’ web platform – is to spread the stories of the victims to the general public and to specific target groups, by collecting, categorizing and giving e-collaborative tools and additional resources for the practical use of these narratives – for example, in educational programs for students and young adults, to empower people with a critical thinking toward hate narratives, or to prevent people from becoming attracted by or permissive towards violent movements, or to de-radicalize people engaged into a radicalisation pathway.
The project is proceeding along three main procedures:
1) The selection, cataloguing, digitization of the materials that contain survivors stories and testimonies, retrieved through the Italian and French associations of victims of terrorism with the availability of other European associations;
2) The design and development of a multilingual platform (The Terrorism Survivors Storytelling) that contains the archive (Global data-base) of the selected materials files. Some of these will be made directly available in their various forms of text, video, photos (Multimedia deposit). That digital material will be used for digital storytelling activity to create new communication/didactic products through the e-collaborative tools, currently on the platform. Furthermore the platform will offer some selected didactic and methodological resources to help its practical usage at the ground floor carried on by practitioners, teachers, tutors for educational/prevention/de-radicalization programs.
3) The enhancement of the strategic value of the C4C project and dissemination of its achieved results during the first two years of its life. A specific target will be a group of students in Italy and France who are going to test the platform and its e-collaborative tools.
Living Memorial Centre Development
AS FAIR marks its 25th Anniversary they have launched an exciting new Living Memorial Centre Development project. Over 15 years ago the group secured premises in Markethill. In what was the school masters house the group developed the first phase of their Living Memorial centre with a reception and administrative hub, meeting room and multi-purpose space, with kitchen. On the first floor an IT suite, and officers were developed. A memorial garden with a marble memorial funded and designed by friends and supporters on the mainland became the centrepiece with a place for victims to reflect and remember.
The group quickly outgrew the building and as new projects and activities were launched a number of temporary offices were placed on site. Over the last decade the group continued to develop the main building with an extended kitchen and disabled access toilets and storage. However as FAIR looked to its first quarter century one of the key priorities was a major development project to modernise and make their centre fit for the future. As members views were canvassed and professional advice Slough the project took shape with a range of new facilities and multiple-purpose spaces envisaged.
Meetings have already begun with the design team and the committee is turning its attention to fundraising. The ambitious target of £250,000 has been set - £10,000 for every year that FAIR has been in existence. The vision for the centre as a 'living memorial' remains strong and guides the group. It see the centre as a place of safety and support. FAIR has developed their facility at Mount Pleasant House as
An accessible, safe, friendly supportive and well resourced facility where victims can—
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Remember loved ones they have lost as a result of the past thirty years of terrorism.
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Meet and share within a social setting where they can share their experiences
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Access professional services to help them deal with their physical and mental trauma,
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Develop the skills, confidence and capacity needed to move on with their lives,
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Receive the support, advocacy and care they deserve from the group they created
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Deal with the Past and provide their interpretation of it in a positive way
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Reintegrate into the community forming practical partnerships that benefit all
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Become a valued group in society playing a full role in building lasting, genuine peace
FAIR Condemns Memorial Attack
A MARKETHILL-based victims’ group has condemned the vandalism of memorial poppy wreaths at the Narrow Water site where 16 Paratroopers and two Queen’s Own Highlanders were murdered by the IRA in 1979.
Each year, Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) organises a memorial service at the site which enables victims and ex-service to pay tribute to the great loss of life and to ensure the soldiers’ families on mainland Britain know that “we remember them”.
FAIR project manager, Molly Carson MBE, said” it was a heavy loss of life of brave soldiers whilst carrying out a peace keeping mission to oppose violence in Northern Ireland”.
“The IRA carried out this atrocity in their usual cowardly fashion, laying their bombs at darkness whilst taking up positions in the South of Ireland, which has always protected them from trial in the North,” she said.
It is clear to see that those who carried out the damage to the memorial wreaths still have hatred and evil in their hearts.
“Their propaganda machine tries to tell the British Government they want a united Ireland and it will be a shared space? I think their actions speak volumes and any decent man or woman in this country should condemn the behaviour which occurred last weekend.
“A mother of a young soldier, placed her wreath securely on that fence whilst she remembered him growing up, when he left home, the last time they spoke, that lady was heartbroken with pain for the loss of her dear son.
“How will this lady feel when she hears that someone filled with hate, who did not even know her son, had destroyed her tribute of remembrance on her first visit to the Province?
“What will be the lasting memory of this family and others present at the Memorial Service?
“FAIR have replaced their wreath of Remembrance and thank-you to those who replaced the others.
“I hope that the Police Service of Northern Ireland will bring those responsible to justice and would ask if anyone saw anything or the registration of a vehicle at the scene late at night to contact the police.
“We will remember them.”
UN Memories Campaign
Memories Campaign
The Memories Exhibition is presented on the occasion of the United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism - 8-9 September, 2022, UN Headquarters, New York
Part of our shared human experience is an innate desire to attach personal meaning to physical objects: it is something we do from the moment we are born.
Physical objects hold memories, emotions, aspirations: they form links to people who are no longer with us, and they keep us connected to versions of ourselves that were lost or forever changed - sometimes through growth or the passage of time, sometimes by a traumatic event, such as a terrorist attack.
The Memories campaign shares the intimate memories of the victims of terrorism featured in it, as well as the personal meaning tied to physical objects they hold dear. Through film and photography, it highlights these stories belonging to the twenty-two (22) victims of terrorism. Through these objects, the owners have shared their memories and emotions, in a simple but powerful way for audiences to relate to them, to feel their loss and to better understand the importance of remembering and paying tribute to victims of terrorism.
Ultimately, the stories aim to raise a collective consciousness and to create awareness about the importance of preventing terrorist attacks and the ensuing emergence of new victims. The campaign’s “humanization” of victims of terrorism strives to change society’s mindset, behavior, and attitude towards victims.
Ahmed Hadji
Kampala, Uganda, 2010
Ahmed Hadji was watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup final match at the Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala, Uganda, when an attack carried out by Al-Shabaab took place.
The attack left 74 people dead and 75 injured. After the attack, Ahmed found comfort in the passages of the Quran. He keeps the Holy Book at hand and it reminds him of his responsibility towards other victims and his community.
Ashraf Al-Khaled
Amman, Jordan, 2005
Ashraf Al-Khaled and his wife survived a series of bomb attacks at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Amman, Jordan on their wedding day in November 2005.
Twenty-seven people died as a result of the bombings, including Ashraf's father, who passed away whilst holding his rosary. Ashraf has kept the rosary in memory of his father and it reminds him to speak out and tell his story. It is his way of healing and helping others.
Falmata Bunu
Northern Nigeria, 2015
Falmata Bunu was held in brutal captivity for months by Boko Haram after they raided her village in northern Nigeria in 2015.
Now that Falmata is free, chatting with people, particularly through her phone, makes her happy. Falmata uses her phone to feel part of a community. It helps her forget what happened to her, breaks her feelings of isolation and enables her to be closer to people.
Hasan Wahhab
Baghdad, Iraq, 2013
Hasan Wahhab Hadi al-Araji survived multiple terror attacks in Iraq that took the lives of several of his best friends and family members, including two of his cousins.
Forgotten on a chair by one of his cousins, the prayer beads now hang on his rearview mirror in his car. As he drives, looking at the beads inspires him in his mission to foster human rights and the rights of victims.
Iman Muhammad
Sinjar, Iraq, 2014
Iman Muhammad was abducted with hundreds of Yazidi girls after Da’esh attacked her village in Sinjar, Iraq in August 2014.
Iman was tortured, traded and forcibly married numerous times. Stripped of her dreams and wishes, she found comfort in her thumb. She would anxiously rub it as she endured the ordeals of her captivity.
Imrana Alhaji Buba
Nigeria, 2010
Imrana Alhaji Buba faced a traumatic experience on 6 June 2010 while he was on his way to the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria.
Boko Haram stopped his bus, searched passenger’s belongings and kidnapped several of them. The episode has changed the way he feels about his ID card, an object that determined people’s fate that day. He has since engaged in preventing violent extremism among youth.
Irene Villa
Madrid, Spain, 1991
Irene Villa survived an ETA terrorist attack in Madrid, Spain on 17 October 1991, when she was twelve years old. She and her mother, who was dropping her off to school, suffered severe injuries. Irene has since become a public figure: author, journalist, speaker, activist, and athletic member of Spain's first Paralympic skiing team.
She has met many people on this journey, and a gift from one of them stands out: a graphic poem indicating that the meaning of her name relates to the personal mission she took on for her life.
Janne Palthe
London, England, 2005
Janne Palthe is a survivor of the London Underground bombings of July 2005.
She keeps her train ticket from 7 July 2008 - the date of the 3rd anniversary of the bombings. The ticket symbolizes her ability to move forward and to be connected with her community of bereaved victims and survivors.
Joseph Pfeifer
New York, USA, 2001
Fire Chief Joseph Pfeifer was the first senior member of the New York City Fire Department on the scene of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. He took command of the operation in the North Tower, during which he lost his brother — Lieutenant Kevin Pfeifer.
For Joseph, his helmet reminds him of who he was on 9/11 and became a symbol of hope and remembrance of those who lost their lives while saving others.
Julie and Mark Wallace
London, England, 2017
Julie and Mark Wallace lost their daughter, Sara, in the Borough Market attack on 3 June 2017 in London, England.
Sara, aged 21, was working in Europe and kept in touch with her parents over texts and video phone calls while preparing for their reunion. At the time, this connection brought them closer to one another. Today, their phone is a gateway to all the memories of love they shared over photos, chat, emojis and more.
Maysoon Salama
Christchurch, New Zealand, 2019
Maysoon Salama lost her son Atta Elayyan in a violent extremist attack that hit two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Atta and his father were in the Al Noor Mosque when a gunman opened fire, killing 51 people and wounding 40.
She is a doctor and the author of a story book written for children dealing with loss and trauma. Inspired by the butterfly life cycle, the book is a tribute to her son and an important mark of Maysoon’s efforts to promote tolerance.
Nanda Olivia Daniel
Jakarta, Indonesia, 2004
Nanda Daniel is a survivor of the 2004 attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Severely injured, she underwent treatment and several surgeries. Friendship, including with other victims, gave her strength to recover and move on. A photo of her and other victims she is close to reminds her of the power of connections.
Nidhi Chaphekar
Brussels, Belgium, 2016
Nidhi Chaphekar is a survivor of the Da'esh bombing at Zaventem Airport in Brussels, Belgium on 22 March 2016.
She was a cabin manager for the Indian airline Jet Airways. For her, the photo, taken moments after the attack, is a symbol of courage and it reminds her that the terrorists never won.
Nigeel Namai
Nairobi, Kenya, 1998
Nigeel Namai was 4 months old when his father was killed in the 1998 attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.
Whenever Nigeel wears a suit, it brings up memories and stories of his father, who was always smartly dressed. He hopes that by wearing a suit his father would be proud of the person he has become.
Parfait Kari Wadjoré
Cameroon, 2014
Parfait Kari Wadjoré survived a Boko Haram attack on 19 December 2014 while he and his colleagues were on a business trip to Garoua, in Cameroon.
Reuniting with his son as he recovered from the assault brought back his joy of living and his smile. A 2015 photo taken less than two months after the attack captures what to him is an expression of victory.
Sandra Lescano
Madrid, Spain, 2004
Sandra Lescano is an Ecuadorian survivor of the train bombings in Madrid, Spain in March 2004.
At the time, her daughter was only one year old. The determination to stay alive for her daughter gave Sandra the strength to recover and to keep moving forward. Her daughter continues to provide Sandra with support to overcome life's challenges. By keeping a photo of her daughter on her, she is constantly reminded about the love that surrounds her.
Shannon Silvestri
Boston, MA, USA, 2013
Shannon Silvestri is a survivor of the April 2013 Boston Marathon attack in the United States.
Shannon was there with her two children and friends to watch her husband compete in the race. After overcoming her injuries, Shannon decided to fundraise in honor of the victims and to support survivors of the attack by designing a medal-shaped pin.
Shazia Khan
Pakistan, 2002
Shazia Khan is a member of the Hazara community from Quetta, Pakistan, and a victim and survivor of terrorism.
She lost her brother in a Taliban attack when she was a child, and later she lost a cousin in a bomb blast in her community. In 2002, she and her mother managed to escape a deadly bombing in her town’s market. Engaged in the protection of the rights of minorities, women and victims, her camera was an important tool to help those around her.
Soad Bedgouri El-Khammal
Casablanca, Morocco, 2003
Soad Begdouri El-Khammal lost her husband and her 17-year-old son in the 16 May 2003 attacks which killed 33 people in five synchronized bombings in Casablanca, Morocco.
The moment when time stopped for her husband has been carved into his watch, a belonging Soad retrieved and does not want to be fixed. Soad tattooed her unconditional love for her son onto her skin, to keep him close and always in sight.
Sudirman Talib
Jakarta, Indonesia, 2004
Sudirman Talib is a survivor of the September 2004 attack on the Australian Embassy in Indonesia.
He suffered extensive injuries and trauma from the attack but chose to keep a magazine that features pictures of the attack close to him. The magazine not only helps him tell his story to his family, but reminds him of why he speaks out, and the importance of being heard.
Vera de Benito
Madrid, Spain, 2004
Vera de Benito was 10 years old when she lost her dad in the Madrid train bombings, which killed 192 people and injured many more on 11 March 2004.
For Vera, commemorating victims and being able to speak about what happened helps mitigate the pain. She has since become a journalist. The photo of her father she keeps in her wallet helps her remember the wise person he was and makes her feel like he is still around.
Viljar Hanssen
Utøya, Norway, 2011
Viljar Hanssen is a survivor of the July 2011 attack at the Utøya summer camp in Norway.
Viljar was severely injured during the attack and faced a long road to recovery. He always carries a picture of himself with two friends who died in the attack as a source of inspiration. The photo reminds him of the youthful energy and optimism they had, and the importance of keeping that spirit alive and knowing that the world continues to be filled with opportunities.
Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism
The first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism (“Global Congress”), organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), will be held from 8-9 September 2022 at the UN Headquarters in New York under the theme of “Advancing the Rights and Needs of Victims of Terrorism”. The Global Congress brought together more than 600 participants and will be the world's largest and most diverse gathering of victims of terrorism, Member States, civil society, experts, academics and the private sector convened at this level.
The Global Congress was live-streamed on UN Web TV to ensure virtual participation for victims across the globe and allowed for a diverse audience of stakeholders with the aim of advancing the dialogue and engagement on a victim-centric approach. It was a valuable event and even watching online gave local victims an opportunity to see that they have not been forgotten.
“The Congress aims to encourage genuine interaction between victims of terrorism, associations of victims and Member States on key issues such as protection, remembrance and recognition, access to justice and support and assistance,” said Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary- General for Counter-Terrorism, on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, which was commemorated on 21 August. “An important objective for the Congress is to place issues faced by victims of terrorism high on the international community’s agenda, by providing information, good practices and inspiration with the goal of enshrining the rights of victims of terrorism in domestic frameworks.”
It has given our members a renewed vision for ensuring that their rights and their experience is not forgotten.
Service and Supreme Sacrifice
For over 30 years the brave men and women of the UDR defended Northern Ireland from Irish Terrorists namely the IRA. Today they are in Iraq and Afghanistan.
RIR the Royal Irish Regiment formerly the UDR, Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was a locally raised, part time and full time unit, intended to carry out security duties within Northern Ireland. It was amalgamated in 1992 with the Royal Irish Rangers, forming the Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment).
Birth of the Regiment
The birth of the Regiment was a result of the civil unrest of the late 1960s which had threatened to overwhelm the Royal Ulster Constabulary and which had led to the deployment of Regular Army units to assist the police. In 1969 the Hunt Report recommended the disbandment of the Ulster Special Constabulary and its replacement by a reserve element of the RUC and a locally-recruited part-time force, The Ulster Defence Regiment.
7 Battalions
Initially the Regiment had seven battalions: 1st (Co Antrim); 2nd (Co Armagh); 3rd (Co Down); 4th (Co Fermanagh); 5th (Co Londonderry); 6th (Co Tyrone) and 7th (City of Belfast). The UDR achieved the remarkable distinction of carrying out its first operational duties on the day on which it was formed, 1 April 1970.
1972
In 1972 four additional battalions were added to the Regiment's strength: these were 8th (Co Tyrone); 9th (Co Antrim); 10th (City of Belfast) and 11th (Craigavon) Battalions. By the end of 1972 the complement of The Ulster Defence Regiment had reached 9,200, its greatest strength. The regiment had been "called out" for periods of full-time service to meet operational requirements, including Operation Motorman in 1972.
Greenfinches
The following year, 1973, saw the introduction of female soldiers to the Regiment to carry out searching of females. From the beginning women were fully integrated, wearing the Ulster Defence Regiment's cap badge in which respect the Regiment was almost twenty years ahead of the rest of the Army. The women soldiers quickly became known as Greenfinches, a popular nickname which has stuck down through the years. More importantly, they played a vital part in the Regiment's operational role.
Operational Effeciency
From its earliest days, when patrols sometimes deployed in private cars and patrol commanders had to report in from telephone kiosks because of the inadequate range of the first radios, the Regiment rapidly increased its operational efficiency to the point where it was able to assume tactical responsibility for 85 per cent of Northern Ireland as the first line of support for the Royal Ulster Constabulary. As a result, the number of full-time soldiers also increased and by 1980 full-timers were in the majority.
Expertise
The Regiment had its own training establishment at Ballykinler which became its Depot and provided further training for the Regiment's soldiers in a range of skills. All ranks also began attending Regular Army courses at the Schools of Infantry, Intelligence and Military Engineering. As soldiers of the Ulster Defence Regiment concentrated on the internal security role the Regiment built up an expertise in such duties that remains unrivalled throughout the Army. Links were also created with the Army's administrative divisions which provided key personnel, including commanding officers, for their affiliated UDR battalions. Short tours with UDR battalions were also offered to officers throughout the Army.
Reductions
Further improvements in operational efficiency heralded a reduction in the number of battalions; in 1984, there were amalgamations in Antrim and Belfast to create 1st/9th (Co Antrim) and 7th/10th (City of Belfast) Battalions. The Regiment retained nine battalions until 1991 when 2 UDR and 11 UDR amalgamated as 2nd/11th Battalion, The Ulster Defence Regiment, and 4 and 6 UDR became 4th/6th Battalion.
Presentation of Colours
In 1991 the Regiment came of age: twenty-one years after formation, Colours were presented to four battalions at Lisburn by Her Majesty The Queen. This was a singular honour since it is rare that the Sovereign personally presents Colours, except to the Household Division. The remaining battalions received their Colours before The Ulster Defence Regiment became part of The Royal Irish Regiment.
Freedoms
The City of Belfast and a number of boroughs throughout Northern Ireland paid their own tribute to the Regiment by granting Freedoms while the community relations work of 7th/10th (City of Belfast) Battalion was recognised by the award of the Wilkinson Sword of Peace for 1990.
Today the RIR Ulstermen are in Afghanistan
A Heavy Price Paid for Peace
The price paid by The Ulster Defence Regiment was high: 197 soldiers were killed, the majority were off-duty, and a further 60 were killed after they had left the UDR. On the Regimental Roll of Honour the first name is that of Private Winston Donnell of 6 UDR, shot dead at a vehicle checkpoint near Clady, County Tyrone, on 9 August 1971. The Regiment had been called out following the introduction of internment that day.
Murdered
The men, and women, of the Regiment were not safe anywhere, nor at any time: more personnel were murdered while off duty, either at home or in the course of their civilian employment, than lost their lives in uniform. Even those who had left the Regiment did not always find safety; forty-seven former soldiers have been murdered after ceasing to be UDR personnel. Others, especially in the Fermanagh border area, were forced to move to safer areas and had to sell their homes and, sometimes, their land as a result of imminent terrorist threat.
FAIR Memorial Quilts Display
