As we commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in 2023, Melanie curated and produced the Peace Heroines education programme, featuring a touring exhibition with stunning new portraits of the peace heroines by the artist FRIZ and inter-generational workshops exploring power and partnerships.

Peace Heroines made the RTÉ, BBC, CBC and ITV News headlines, generating 872,600,000 impressions and €1.3 million in earned PR value.

A production by the Herstory Education Trust in partnership with the National Museums NI, the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, the Irish Department of Culture, the Ireland Funds and the Integrated Education Fund.

The exhibition is on a global tour and has been showcased at the US Congress in Washington, United Nations in New York, Parliament of Ireland, Derry Tower Museum, Enniskillen Castle, Brazil Congress, Northern Ireland Assembly, Irish Embassies in London, Brazil and Washington, LinenHall Library, One Young World Summit, and more. View the tour schedule.

The project was sparked by a timely conversation at the United Nations back in 2019. Herstory Founder & Curator Melanie Lynch explains:

“When I met with Ireland's Ambassador to the UN Geraldine Byrne-Nason she explained to me that the role of women in the Northern Ireland Peace Process is a key United Nations case study. I reached out to our school contacts and they confirmed that this essential story is not taught on the official school curriculum in Northern Ireland or the Republic.

Our new Peace Heroines project aims to change that and introduce students and the public to these legendary activists and inspire the next generation of peace builders. It’s time to write herstory into history.”

On 29 March 2023, President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins hosted the Peace Heroines exhibition in Áras an Uachtaráin to honour the women’s contribution to peace and to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Watch the President’s impassioned speech:

Discover more about the Peace Heroines project and read the women’s stories on the new interactive website peaceheroines.org