Peace appears closer than ever. Despite a recent resurgence in violence by splinter groups, the peace talks have resumed and all parties have returned to the table. However, the long years of armed struggle have had a devastating effect on the economy of Northern Ireland and the border counties leaving many jobless or under-employed. Investment remains inadequate and economic opportunity is beyond the reach of many. Economic assistance at the community level is the most effective means of directly reaching wards, sub-wards, and individuals in need.
Job growth is the chief determinant of civic stability.
The objectives of the Fund are to promote economic and social advancement and to encourage contact, dialogue, and reconciliation between Nationalists and Unionists throughout Ireland. The Fund seeks to reach these objectives by supporting and promoting social reconciliation through economic development in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with priority given to new investments that create jobs and reconstruct disadvantaged areas. The Fund has been very successful in encouraging communities to take ownership of projects which can benefit their areas. The jobs and social stability which result from the U.S. contribution to the Fund are a tangible expression of the U.S. policy of encouraging peace and reconciliation through economic progress. As of September 1996, Fund-supported projects have created 27,518 jobs.