Join Swansea University’s Department of Politics, Philosophy and International Relations for a guest lecture with alumnus Colin Parry OBE (BA Politics, Class of 1969)
Thursday 20th March
Faraday Lecture Theatre, Singleton Campus, Swansea University
6pm start, followed by a Q&A and a book signing with Colin.
On the 20th March 1993, the day before Mother’s Day, Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded two bombs without warning in a shopping street in Warrington. The explosions killed three-year-old Jonathan Ball at the scene and injured 55 others, including 12 year old Tim Parry. Tim sustained extensive head injuries and eventually lost his life five days later.
Losing a child in such devastating circumstances would be enough to break most people but Colin and his wife Wendy took a different path try to understand why the IRA would attack such a ‘soft’ target. At the invitation of the BBC, Colin and Wendy made a ‘special’ Panorama documentary programme, which took them to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Boston in the USA. During their time in Northern Ireland, they met with hardline Republicans and Loyalists, as well as meeting organisations working for Peace, to see how they engaged with young people living in the midst of what was seen by many as a never-ending ‘war’.
Inspired by what they had seen, Colin and Wendy set up their own charity (the Foundation) in 1995 to work for peace and, five years later in 2000, they celebrated the opening of their £3m. Peace Centre to enable them to do more and reach further, in the pursuit of ‘peace’.
On what will be the 32nd Anniversary of the Warrington Bombing, we are delighted that Colin can join us in Swansea to share an insight into his world and his campaigning for peace in the aftermath of such a devastating event.
