Worker for community peace celebrates 25 years

Belfast Presbyterian minister the Rev Ken Newell is celebrating 25 years as a minister at the Fitzroy Church.

He and Father Gerry Reynolds of the Clonard monastery in west Belfast won the 1999 Pax Christi international peace prize on behalf of the influential Fitzroy-Clonard Fellowship group, which they formed 21 years ago, made up of people from both communities. It was the first time the prize was awarded to an Irish group. In the early 1990s both Mr Newell and Father Reynolds developed contacts with republican and loyalist paramilitaries, and their politicians, at a time when such was frowned upon and risky. "The aim was to push for an ending to violence and movement towards an inclusive political dialogue," said Mr Newell.

He had been working in East Timor and just as he had left Belfast shortly after "Bloody Friday", he returned again to more bombings and shootings. He felt he had to respond. Out of such response grew the strong friendship between him and Father Reynolds which led to the formation of the Fitzroy-Clonard Fellowship group.