Oral history interview of Avila Kilmurray

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Context

Avila Kilmurray is an independent consultant for philanthropy, peacebuilding, and social action who currently works as the Migration and Peacebuilding Executive at The Social Change Initiative. Avila has worked in the community sector and philanthropy in Northern Ireland since 1975. She has a particular interest in women’s issues and anti-poverty work and was a founder member of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition. From 1994 to 2014, Avila was the director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, an organization that prioritized support for community action and peacebuilding. Avila is a board member of several trusts and committees. She is a visiting professor with the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University and is the author of Community Action in a Contested Society: The Story of Northern Ireland [Lang 2017].

Description:

This ninety-minute-long oral history interview was conducted by the Digital Repository of Ireland as part of The Atlantic Philanthropies archive project (2017-2020) titled Amplifying change: A history of the Atlantic Philanthropies on the island of Ireland in 2019., In this interview, Avila Kilmurray talks about her background in Dublin and reflects on her education at University College Dublin where she studied history and politics, which was how she got involved as a student with the cross-community and peace initiatives in Northern Ireland in the 1970's. Avila describes how she began working on cross-community projects in Northern Ireland after completing a Master's degree in international relations and affairs in Australia. Avila explains what it was like to work on social justice projects in Derry with women and communities. Avila talks about her work with the Community Foundation Northern Ireland [CFNI] and describes the impact of The Atlantic Philanthropies following on from the ceasefires 1994, highlighting the many community social and educational initiatives Atlantic supported., and This recording contains the personal views of the participants, they do not reflect the views of the DRI.

Type:

audio and oral histories (literary works)

Creator:

Digital Repository of Ireland, 2015 -

Subject:

Curated collection--Oral histories, Curated collection--Human rights, Curated collection--Reconciliation, Atlantic Philanthropies (Organization), Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Grant 15450, Peace-building, Northern Ireland--History--1968-1998, Non-governmental organizations, and Curated collection--Avila Kilmurray

Grant:

Grant 15450

Grantee:

Community Foundation for Northern Ireland

Year of Grant:

2002 and 2006

Location of Grantee:

Belfast

Rights:

Copyright is with DRI and Avila Kilmurray. Please see license for reuse.

Attribution:

Digital Repository of Ireland and The Atlantic Philanthropies

Doi:

https://doi.org/10.7486/DRI.xs5611228