With the ink barely wet on the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement Co-operation Ireland in partnership with the British, Irish and US governments embarked on an ambitious project that brought together young people from the length and breadth of the island to break down barriers called Civic Link.

Launched in Priory Integrated College, Belfast, by US Education Secretary Richard Riley, Irish Minister for Education and Skills Micheál Martin and Minister for Education in Northern Ireland John McFall Minister for Education Northern Ireland, an initial 30 second level schools and youth clubs participated in the Civic-Link programme from 1999-2000.

The programme took trainee teachers from NUI Maynooth and Queen’s University Belfast who were encouraged to exchange educational methodology to foster better relations.

By 2007 the success of the programme saw a human rights aspect added to the methodology. The project ended in 2010.