New health initiative
A ground breaking initiative designed to explore the
relationship between political conflict and ill-health
was launched in Derry last Friday. ``Cunamh'' (Irish for
`help') is a community-led self help programme in the
Bogside and Brandywell area.
Cunamh's co-ordinator, Deirdre O Hara, said the project
aims to provide ``a safe and supportive environment for
people to explore and understand the impact which the
conflict has had upon their lives''. She stressed the
necessity to tackle the ``deep trauma which this
community has experienced due to the effects of
militarisation, death and imprisonment''.
Cumamh is currently offering a support service to
relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday and to
several families of prisoners. It forms an integral
part of the Bogside and Brandywell community
development strategy for the area. The project has been
warmly welcomed by Sinn Fein's national chairperson,
Mitchel McLaughlin, who said, ``This project will become
a vital lifeline for many of those in our community
suffering from the psychological effects of the
conflict. I wish it much success.''
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