Awards for giving peace a chance

AWARD-WINNER Raja Miah

AN inspirational peace campaigner and his organisation have picked up two awards for outstanding contribution to community cohesion.

Raja Miah MBE, director of PeaceMaker, an anti-racist organisation based in Oldham, has carried out a wide portfolio of work in a bid to promote diversity.

This has involved speaking to schools and running refugee and asylum-seeker projects to educate segregated groups about the different cultures, as well as mentoring young people and promoting peer education.

PeaceMaker has also offered a chance for dialogue between divided communities, who would usually not meet, by going out to areas which are either predominately Asian or white and giving these groups opportunities to meet and exchange ideas.

Under Mr Miah’s direction, PeaceMaker has funded and developed work for local youngsters for over 10 years.

The award for outstanding contribution to the promotion of inter-cultural dialogue, was awarded to Mr Miah at a ceremony in London.

And to perfectly wrap up the night, the organisation was recognised as the “Best Project” from the Baring Foundation — set up in 1969 to give money to charities and voluntary organisations pursuing charitable purposes — in association with the Institute of Community Cohesion.

On being presented with both awards Mr Miah (35), of Grotton, said: “The young people are the key to this project.

“They have held conferences all over the country and it is the young people who help make the difference. Other organisations have recognised this and have followed our work. The success of PeaceMaker’s work would not have been possible without the involvement of local young people who share our vision.”