Avila Kilmurray
Biography
Born in Dublin in 1952, Avila has been living and working in Northern Ireland since 1975. She has a B.A. (Hons.) History & Politics, UCD; a M.A. in International Politics, Australian National University and a PhD Institute of Governance, QUB.
From 1975-1980 Avila worked in Derry, becoming involved at both community level and in establishing Derry Women's Aid, the first refuge in the area for victims of domestic violence. Avila was the first coordinator of the Northern Ireland Women's Aid Federation and worked in the CARE (Community Action Research & Education) project in Magee College, 1977-1980. Moving to Belfast in 1980, Avila became Development Officer for NICVA (Northern Ireland Council of Voluntary Action). Over this period she was a founder member of both the Northern Ireland Poverty Lobby and the Ulster People's College, as well as being active in the Northern Ireland Women's Rights Movement.
In 1985, Avila was seconded from NICVA to act as Coordinator of the Rural Action Project (NI) - an E.U. funded anti-poverty initiative working in South Armagh, West Fermanagh, the Sperrins and the Glens of Antrim. She was then appointed as the first Women's Officer with the ATGWU - Amalgamated Transport & General Workers' Union, for Ireland, working on equality and women's issues. She represented the union on the ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Union) Executive Committee and the ICTU NI Committee, as well as on the NI Committee - Women's Committee and was a founder member of Counteract - the ICTU anti sectarian initiative.
In 1994, Avila was appointed Director of the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust (later re-named the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland). In 1996, NIVT/CFNI became actively involved in peacebuilding and conftict transformation when it agreed to act as an Intermediary Funding Body for the EU Peace & Reconciliation Special Support Programme. As such Avila oversaw the Foundation's work with victims/survivors of the conflict and the re-integration of politically motivated ex-prisoners. Drawing on the learning developed over the years of the PEACE programmes, Avila, together with her colleague, Monina O'Prey, initiated The Foundations for Peace Network (FFP) - a peer-led network of local community based foundations working in divided societies.
In 1996, Avila was a founder member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, becoming a member of its negotiating team. This experience helped her to contribute to discussions on UNSCR 1325, on Women, Peace and Security, particularly as it applied to work in Northern Ireland.
Retiring from the Community Foundation in 2014, Avila is currently working with SCI, Social Change Initiative, on peacebuilding, refugee protection and migrant rights. She is also currently a Board member of the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and the St. Stephen's Green Trust.
Avila has written extensively on women's issues, community development and peacebuilding, including - 'Community Activism in a Contested Society: The Stor) of Northern Ireland' (Peter Lang, 2017) and co-edited Peacebuilding, Conflict and Community Development (Policy Press 2023) with John Eversley and Sinead Gormally.