A project between the Powerhouse and The Nerve Centre
In conjunction with the American ThinkQuest Scholarship Program
The Powerhouse is a youth and technology centre based in the Bogside/Brandywell community in Derry, Northern Ireland. As well as being a drop-in centre for 13-17 year olds, we offer the opportunity for young people to participate in innovative and creative computer-based projects. Information technology is becoming increasingly important to our everyday lives. It is an aim of The Powerhouse to create the opportunity for young marginalised people to empower themselves with this technology.

The Nerve Centre
The Nerve Centre is a multimedia training and production centre which aims to strategically develop the cultural industries of popular music, film, video and television, interactive multimedia and computer animation in Northern Ireland.
ThinkQuest is an annual contest offering scholarships for higher education. ThinkQuest has energized the intellectual power of students around the world to contribute to educational technology through designing a Web site which can be used in schools and youth centres. This project encourages collaboration in the "Internet Style"of learning - an interactive, participatory style - that encourages students to explore the Internet's timely resources and create new relationships that broaden the community in which they live.

 

 

 

Introduction

On January 29, 1998 the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, announced in the House of Parliament the establishment of a New Inquiry into the tragic events that took place in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland; where 14 people were killed by British troops as they marched in a Civil Rights march through the city. The Prime Minister found that new evidence presented to him that was not available or included in the original inquiry (the Widgery Inquiry) required him to initiate this New Inquiry.

This is an educational Web site designed to present the historical context and follow the proceedings of this New Inquiry as it unfolds. The Web site will endeavor to provide community-wide and international understanding of Bloody Sunday and the Inquiry. Part of the Web site will include input from 100 students - 5 students from 20 schools (Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and the United States). Also included will be comments from a broad cross-section of relevant national and international, political and religious, and community leaders (e.g. the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, the President of the United States, His Holiness the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Mayor of Derry, and various political leaders). All contact and interactions with the various schools and leaders are held via the Internet in keeping with the ThinkQuest Program.

An Acknowledgment Event (to coincide with the ThinkQuest Awards announcement - irrespective of our team winning) will be held in the local community center to acknowledge and 'thank' everyone who contributed to the site. Local contributory leaders, individuals, and students will be invited to a presentation buffet. A large screen featuring our Web site and also featuring other students and individuals who could not attend this event will be shown. Local TV, radio, and newspaper representatives will be invited to obtain further publicity about the site. This event will be video-taped and parts of it incorporated on the Web site for those who could not attend.

This site is composed of 3 main sections: 'Historical Context"; "The New Evidence and the Enactment of a New Inquiry"; and "The New Inquiry Begins". The Historical Context" section will be in both English and Gaelic. The design and implementation of the site is user-friendly and multimedia rich - including photos, sound, video footage 9some of which we will produce), maps, diagrams, and interactive sections.

It was our aim to make this site educational, meaningful, and engendering the widest input possible from school age through to adults.
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