Friends Forever Receives Award and Funding from Ireland's Minister of Foreign Affairs

Portsmouth, NH, July 15, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Stephen Martineau, Executive Director of Friends Forever, a 501(c)(3) global non-partisan advocacy and awareness organization dedicated to peace, was honored at this year’s fifth Reconciliation Networking Forum held in Northern Ireland. Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheal Martin, T.D., recognized Friends Forever for its efforts over the last 24 years to create peace in Northern Ireland.

In total, 37 cross-community and cross-border outreach groups were acknowledged. The Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that recognizing and assisting these programs would ensure that peace in Northern Ireland continues to prosper. In order to make this possible, each organization was awarded funding to be used for the continuation of peace efforts in Northern Ireland.

Friends Forever plans to use this valuable funding to establish an office in Northern Ireland that will focus on coordinating existing programs in the region, as well as developing new corporate support and partnerships. "Our new office in Northern Ireland will allow Friends Forever to engage the over 1000 graduates from our program," said Martineau. "Friends Forever has been working with youth from Northern Ireland to promote conflict resolution and understanding for over twenty years. We have also begun to form new partnerships, such as the support we have received from Randox Laboratories Ltd."

Randox is one of the major success stories in the Northern Ireland business community. Employing over 850 people, they are a healthcare diagnostics company who are based in County Antrim, but export their products to over 130 countries worldwide. Amongst other things, they have pioneered the development of biochip technology, which has the potential to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

Randox recently announced its commitment as a corporate sponsor to Friends Forever. "Randox is delighted to be engaged with an organisation that helps improve society by creating genuine trust and understanding across separated communities," said Mark Campbell, Senior Manager, Randox Laboratories. "Randox seeks to maximise the potential of society, and understands that much can be achieved when the walls of distrust are removed. There is clearly much more to unite, than divide our peoples, and Friends Forever is driving that point home."

About Friends Forever
Friends Forever is a 501(c)(3) global non-partisan advocacy and awareness organization dedicated to peace, particularly in Ireland and Israel. Friend Forever’s members work in their local communities domestically and internationally to raise awareness and help build programming that will support young Irish and Israeli leaders as they team to address the challenges that face their communities. The organization works closely with local experts, regional leaders and educational institutions to promote healthy communication within disparate fractions and to end violence.

Since 1986, Friends Forever has built hundreds of lasting friendships across the cultural, religious, and political divides of Northern Ireland and Israel. The organization brings together multi-faith teens to live, laugh, learn, and volunteer together in host communities in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. These youth leaders, upon completing Friends Forever's unique two-week "Life Raft" experience, return home to perpetuate tolerance in their own communities. For more information, visit www.friendsforeverusa.org.

Media Contacts:
Friends Forever
Stephen Martineau
Email: smartineau@friendsforeverusa.org
Phone: + 1 603.433.7607

ICE Worldwide
Sara Lemelin
Email: slemelin@iceworldwide.com
Phone: +1 978.707.2001

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