“Everybody has a story to tell. We want all the stories told and we want them told to the world…”
These words formed part of the opening statement by Monsignor Raymond Murray at the very first meeting or Relatives for Justice on Saturday April 20th 1991. Twenty years later Relatives for Justice still represents families bereaved and injured by our conflict. We still give voice to the outstanding issues of many families who have “had to endure a double suffering, bereavement of course, but also the ‘big lie’, the cover up of the killers” (Monsignor Murray).
In offices in Belfast, and Dungannon and in Satellite centres across the North people bereaved and injured receive find a safe space to express their hurts and pain and to identify their support needs.
Counselling, complementary therapies, youth programmes, legal and welfare advice and just a listening ear and meeting others who understand and have experienced the same pain all work together to support families and individuals find new healthy ways to cope and forge stronger healthier relationships.
We have had many people who have supported this work over the past 20yrs. People who have given their time freely and without favour. RFJ could not have grown without these friends.
Karl Winn and his website organisation gave us support that was incalculable. Recently we have decided to develop a new website with a new look. This is built on the foundation Karl gave us and RFJ is forever in his debt and he is always a welcome friend through our doors.
As we continue to face the challenges of transition from full scale conflict to building a peaceful society based on truth and justice the opportunities provided by technology for reducing isolation and providing information may well be one of our greatest resources. We hope this new look website will be a big part of that.
