News Release 23rd March 2014 Innocent Victims Network together in Birmingham Over this weekend, a group of around 50 innocent victims and survviors of terrorism travelled from Northern Ireland to Birmingham as part of an initiaitive deigned to build stronger links between innocent victims and survivors of terrorism across the United Kingdom. The trip organised by Justice for Innocent Victims of Terrorism Ltd included a visit to the National Arboretum, Lichfield and a networking meeting with those affected by the Birmingham Pub bombings. Amongst the group were innocnet victims and survivors of terorrism from across Northern Ireland who transceneded religious and political divides and also were present, a number of GB-based victims/survivors of terrorism. J.I.V.T Ltd is a member orgnaisation of Innocent Victims United and its Spokesman Kenny Donaldson (who is also Company Secretary for J.I.V.T Ltd) explained the purpose of the visit. Mr Donaldson stated: Innocent victims and survivors of terrorism are building a strong and unified Network and lobby which seeks to not only provide a coherent voice for victims/survivors but also which seeks to provide solidarity for all those involved so that they understand that they are part of a unified support family. It is a natural progression of our work to develop stronger ties with GB-based victims/survviors of terrorism. The pain and truma endured by those affected by terrorism (in the Northern Ireland context) is the same whether the person comes from Birmingham or Belfast, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne or Newcastle, County Down. Mr Donaldson added: In recent days the Chancellor announced a funding package for The Warrington Peace Centre to support its work with those affrected by the Troubles. We acknowledge the impact of the Warrington Bomb and we are supportive that resources are made available to assist innocent victims/survivors of terrorism caught up with that atrocity and for the betterment of others affected by terrorism who are connected to that Centres work. However we would say this; the Chancellor and others must hear the pain of the innocent victims and survivors of terrorism based throughout Great Britain. Providing continuance funding to the Warrington Peace Centre is a soft option. What needs to happen is a Government-led taskforce which would carry out a mapping exercise of where the concentration of innocent victims and survivors of terrorism are located throughout Great Britain. We believe that there is a need for resources to be made available to the Birmingham Pub Bomb families (which claimed 21 lives with over 160 injured) London-based victims ie those caught up in the Hyde and Regents Park, Harrods and Docklands bombings, to name but two gepographical areas affected. We will continue to press the Westminster Government on these issues, they must step up to the plate and provide for UK citizens who were/are the innocent victims and survivors of terrorism. They must cease treating GB-based victims concerns and needs as invisible. For many GB-based victims/survivors of terrorism the Warrington Peace Centres approach would not sit easily with their own perspective around Justice and Truth issues. It is therefore unsustainable to fund a single Centre for work connected to the support of innocent victims/survivors of terrorism. We strand shoulder to shoulder with GB-based victims and survivors of terorrism - they must be given a standing and acknowledgement that has not been forthcoming to date, concluded Mr Donaldson.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 17:39:51 +0000
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