Over the past 15 years WIP has encouraged, supported and funded many initiatives led by our Alumni and volunteers. Below is a snapshot of these initiatives:
• South Africa Washington Internship Program
• WIP Emerging Leaders Program
• WIP Ireland Celtic Cup Annual Golf Fundraiser
Other initiatives that WIP, our Alumni and volunteers have been involved with include:
• WIPAN Public Policy, Debate and Lecture series
Over the last two years, WIP Alumni have organized and hosted a series of Public Lectures/Debates on matters of local Political and Social interest.
At the start of 2008 WIP hosted a debate on the topic 'Policing and Justice Powers should be devolved to the Stormont Assembly by the deadline of May 2008'. A full house at Queen's University Belfast were treated to an impressive panel made up of local MLAs including: Alex Attwood (SDLP), Dr Stephen Farrey (Alliance), Keith Harbinson (TUV), Alex Maskey (Sinn Féin), Basil McCrea (UUP) and Peter Weir (DUP). The debate was chaired by Washington Ireland Program Alum Maria O'Loan (WIP '98).
This event was followed up by another panel discussion that this time covered a variety of topics and looked to other community leaders for the answers. “Q&A@QUB” included Mike Nesbitt (NI Commissioner of Victims and Survivors), Nuala McKeever (Comedian), David Jeffrey (Manager, Linfield Football Club) and Tony Kennedy (former CEO of Cooperation Ireland). Topics covered on the night included the ongoing controversy surrounding the 11+, climate change and a candid discussion about the Eames/Bradley report. Check out some video footage of the night at www.youtube.com/wiprogram
• Carol Wheeler Scholarship Fund
The fund was launched in February 2006 by 18 alumni from the classes of 1997 - 2005 at the annual Project Children and WIP fundraiser in the Kennedy Centre, Washington, DC. The fund provides scholarships for disadvantaged students who wish to participate in the Washington-Ireland Program.? Each year monies raised by Alumni at fundraising events e.g. the Celtic Cup Golf Tournament will be passed to the Washington-Ireland Program and used to award scholarships to suitable applicants. Where Alumni fundraising events are held to support other charitable initiatives/bodies this will be explicitly stated e.g. Christmas Toy Appeal.
• Conference X
To mark ten years of service and leadership a number of WIP Alumni staged and hosted “Conference X” on 17th September 2004 at W5 in The Odyssey, Belfast. The conference examined the key attributes of great leadership, the barriers to achieving great leadership and how these barriers can be overcome. These issues were addressed through interactive sessions and guest speakers. Through panel discussions the Conference also enabled acknowledged leaders to discuss and exchange ideas with emerging leaders on the key attributes of great leadership in practice. Topics that were discussed included business, media, public service, politics and law. Speakers at the event included former Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds and the former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Sir Kenneth Bloomfield.
• Horizons Expo
The WIPAN led Horizons Expo was an initiative aimed at showcasing to young people in Ireland the wide range of opportunities for involvement in civil society. The objective of the Expo is to promote the spirit of volunteerism, public service and active citizenship through connecting leading civil society organizations with third level students. At the Expo event held in Trinity College Dublin in 2005, twenty leading not-for-profit organizations, including Concern Worldwide, Special Olympics Ireland, Amnesty International, Barnardo's, Suas Educational Development and the Washington-Ireland Program had stands. The audience was primarily third-level students, who could discuss with exhibitors opportunities ranging from volunteering to full exchanges and career prospects
• Christmas Toys for Kids Appeal
Each year, WIPAN host a Christmas party to which Alumni bring gift toys to be distributed to local children who might otherwise not be fortunate enough to enjoy the sort of Christmas WIP Alumni might take for granted. As well as a chance for Alumni to catch up with one another and celebrate the year just gone, the toy collection is an important reminder of the principle of Service that underpins WIP. In 2009 WIPAN partnered with The Salvation Army and Morrisons Bar in Belfast to host this annual event. Over 150 toys were donated to The Salvation Army for their annual toys for children Christmas drive by attending Alumni. For photos from the most recent Christmas Toy Appeal event please click here.
