Published Thursday, 31 March 2011
The one year pilot project is a partnership of 36 young people from six diverse districts, who have come together to build friendships and explore the issues which divide them.
The group met at Corrs Corner Hotel for a conference to celebrate their independence, and these issues.
The young people from Ardoyne, Cliftonville, Westland, Marrowbone, Antrim Road and Lower Oldpark have invited their peers from schools and youth projects across north Belfast to come together to share their visions for the future and help analyse the problems most relevant to them in their daily lives.
The ground-breaking conference analysed concerns around issues including interface violence, substance misuse, suicide awareness and societies 'offer' to young people.
Speaking ahead of the event, Time to Change member 16-year-old Ryan Hamill, from Ardoyne, said: "If you look at where we think there are problems which we think divide our communities, we have found there is actually very little to justify it.
"I'm glad I got involved in this project because I now have really good friends from Lower Oldpark and loads of other areas.
"Compared to where we were a year ago, I definitely think we need to get out more. Time to Change was a name that we all agreed on and I hope it continues into the future."
The conference comes in the same week a hoax security alert in the Oldpark area of north Belfast saw up to 40 premises, including 10 businesses, and a total of 20 homes evacuated.
It follows serious rioting in the Ardoyne area during the 2010 marching season.