What's Next For Me?

This is the last blog entry I am required to post for my internship.  I hope, however, that time will allow me to add new posts off and on as there are a lot more stories I would like to tell about my adventures in Northern Ireland.

So what’s next?  What stood out for me that I may wish to pursue in the future?

During my internship, I came to learn about a practice that I find deeply disturbing.  They call it “intimidation,” and it includes death threats, forced exile, punishment beatings, and punishment shootings, primarily directed at young men believed to be excessively unruly.  There is a lot of secrecy surrounding this practice (in spite of the fact that everyone knows it occurs), which makes it difficult to find out exactly what is involved and what can or should be done to stop it.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak confidentially with a number of individuals about their knowledge, understanding, and perspective on the practice, none of which I can disclose here.  I did my best to keep my mind open so I could truly hear each of the individuals’ stories, but I also know that nothing I heard convinced me that intimidation is an appropriate way to discipline anyone.

As I begin my thesis research working with middle school students, I will no doubt allow myself to stop dwelling on the problem of intimidation.  But I also know that, when the time is right, I will continue working to understand and eliminate the practice.  For now, I am hoping that between my upcoming class in restorative justice at the Oregon State Penitentiary, and the work that I will be doing with a hundred sixth graders, I will gain additional knowledge and insights on how best to help Northern Ireland find better, more restorative ways to work with their unruly youth.

Peace Education and Collaboration

Rotary, Incore, and the University of Ulster

 

While I stayed extremely busy during my internship in Northern Ireland, I would be fibbing if I were to say that I was even close to being over-worked.  In fact, most of my time was spent going to places and events, meeting people and learning about their work, tagging along to trainings and facilitations, and reading lots of books, brochures, and articles about the history and culture of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

 

PRG Staff and Volunteers: Oran, Jake, Anna, Catherine, Owen, Wendy

And while most of my time was spent doing the aforementioned things while in the company of PRG staff, I also had several opportunities to venture out on my own (usually with guidance from PRG staff). 

For instance, as a Rotarian, I visited and got to know many of the Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Londonderry.  I learned about the recent International Peace Conference they co-hosted in May where Rotarians, community leaders, and peace activists from Northern Ireland and around the world had come together in Derry/Londonderry to meet and share ideas of peace.  The primary aim of the forum was to contribute to the work and knowledge of those involved in peacemaking and peacebuilding everywhere.

 http://www.rotaryglobalpeaceforumderry-londonderry.com/

The conference was co-hosted by partner, INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute).  INCORE is located in Derry at the University of Ulster, within the Faculty of Social Sciences, and is involved in a variety of peace and conflict-related activities across the University, blending disciplines such as politics, policy studies, history, international affairs, sociology, geography, architecture, communications and social work with peace and conflict studies.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Professor Stephen Ryan (not pictured) at the University of Ulster.  Professor Ryan is a Senior Lecturer in the university’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program.  In addition to his work as a professor of sociology and peace studies, Ryan also teaches the Culture and Peacebuilding class for INCORE's International Summer School Program, a program that brings peace scholars from around the world to Derry every summer.  If all goes well, I may be attending this five-day program next summer.  Fingers crossed.

 

http://www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/about/

 

"Good Relations" in Northern Ireland

As part of the Northern Ireland Act of 1998, a duty was created to actively promote “good relations.”  This duty was spelled out in Section 75.  It states:

“The second duty, the Good Relations duty, requires that public authorities in carrying out their functions relating to Northern Ireland have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion and racial group.”

This good relations duty has provided a responsibility for and funding to city councils all over Northern Ireland to develop plans, strategies, and programs that deliver education and training on good relations to all populations. 

 

A big part of what the Peace and Reconciliation Group (PRG) is involved in at this time is developing and delivering a variety of good relations programs, which are funded primarily by the Community Relations Council (CRC) and related city councils (also funded by the CRC).  This includes the Derry City Council and the Belfast City Council (just to name a few).

In addition to delivering programs, PRG is also required to publish a report after each program showing funders what was done, why it was done, and what the results of the training was on the population who received it.  As part of my work, I helped proof and edit several of these reports.  For instance, one of the programs that PRG designed and has delivered a number of times now is called “Let’s Talk Politics.”  This program brings Northern Ireland youth ages 16 to 18 from all traditions together with politicians (city councils, Northern Ireland Assembly, and Westminster) to meet and talk about some of the country’s most important issues. 

Unfortunately, due to timing, I was unable to observe or participate in any of these talks.  But I did get to help proof and edit the report for the program that was delivered in Derry earlier this year.  And I was helping with the Belfast report when I had to come home.

Traveling to County Armagh with the Orange Order

September 7, 2013


Our charter bus at Dan Winter's Cottage

As part of the single identity work being done within the Protestant community, I had the privilege of traveling with members of the Orange Order to County Armagh to visit two historically significant buildings that are dear to Protestants in Northern Ireland—Brownlow House and Dan Winter’s Cottage.

 



Brownlow House / Lurgan Castle - County Armagh

Brownlow House, also known as Lurgan Castle, is owned by the Lurgan Loyal Orange District Lodge and is also the headquarters of the Royal Black Institution.  Both the Orange Order and the Royal Black Institution are Protestant fraternities whose histories and traditions go back to the late 1700s.



Dan Winter's Cottage/House

Dan Winter’s Cottage/House is located in the heart of where the Battle of the Diamond was fought in 1795; it is also the birthplace of the Orange Order, which was established in 1795.  Today, the house serves as a museum for relics from the battle and for memorabilia of the Orange Order.  Dan Winter’s ancestor, Hilda, serves as the house’s custodian and is also a marvelous storyteller of the house’s history.

While sitting in the museum with the ladies of the Orange Order, waiting for the men to complete their business meeting in the next room, I made the “mistake” of asking Hilda why this house, which we had traveled well into the back roads of Northern Ireland to get to, was so important.  Hilda smiled mischievously and launched into the tale of the Battle of the Diamond, complete with names, places, and insults thrown between sides.  She was absolutely delightful, stopping every so often to check that she wasn’t going too fast for her audience.  We all smiled, nodded, and urged her on. 

 

While Hilda’s stories of Irish history were very interesting and highly entertaining, it was her explanation of the cottage’s current significance that was of most interest to me.  She explained how groups of school kids from both traditions travel from all over Ireland to visit the area and learn about the beginning of sectarian violence in Ireland.  She shared with us the shift in perspective she sees in the children after they learn how easily a simple spat between folks who previously were friends can be turned into three hundred years of hatred and violence.  Through her stories, Hilda is confident that the next generation will be inspired to create and sustain peace for further generations.
 

Sharing this time with Hilda and the ladies of the Orange Order was especially powerful.  I truly believe we established a strong connection to the house, the history, and each other.

Organizational Peace and Community Building

While I am tempted to spend the majority of this blog ranting about my housing and wifi status, I will suffice it to say that neither have been anywhere near optimal. I moved to a new location last Sunday only to discover that now, instead of crappy wifi, I have no wifi at all. I was informed/promised that it would arrive on Monday. Five days later, I was told it will arrive the week after next. I also have a cold. I fell last Saturday and have a major ouie on my arm that I have been doctoring ever since. Oh and did I mention that my body hurts, I can’t sleep, the hills are steep and I…? Okay, I’m done whining. Let’s get on to the interesting stuff—the work.

In Northern Ireland, community building and peace building are pretty much one in the same. For instance, there are numerous groups working with youth to keep them in school, keep them out of trouble, and help them visualize and work toward a positive future. This is extremely important as many of the country’s youth are vulnerable to recruitment by dissident paramilitary groups and drug dealers.

I recently met with the assistant director of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland in Derry, a public organization charged with handling youth who have broken the law. It was really good to hear about the agency’s philosophies and practices, as they are based on principles of restorative justice. I am hoping to meet with the director of the Woodland Juvenile Justice Centre sometime in the next two weeks to learn more about how youth are handled within the legal system and to visit the facility, which is basically a detention center for youth who, for a variety of reasons, have not responded to the restorative approach.

One of the main things I have been impressed with in Northern Ireland is how well the peace/community building organizations collaborate with each other. They all seem to recognize that resources (people, money, support) are limited and that they need to combine their respective strengths if they are to continue the work that must continue. For instance, the Youth Justice Agency doesn't just focus on the legal aspects surrounding the youth who come through the system. The agency collaborates with other organizations—public, private, non-profit—to address the systemic issues that many youth face, such as poverty, unemployment, depression, drugs and alcohol.

Within this environment of collaboration, it is not unusual for organizations to reach out to one another when new opportunities come up. Twice already, I have sat in on conversations between PRG and organizations they had had no previous connection with, and in a matter of an hour, together they were looking at ways they might build on each other’s strengths to achieve both groups’ respective goals. In one case, PRG and the other group even came to an agreement right then and there to co-lead an important project. It was really interesting to see how both groups knew what questions needed to be asked and what concerns needed to be addressed, and they worked it all out.

Most of the work I have been involved in has had some degree of confidentiality attached to it which makes it difficult to talk about it in any great detail. Generally speaking, a lot of the work being done here is referred to as single-identity work, which basically means that members of one tradition—Catholic or Protestant—gather together to learn about themselves and the other tradition in a relatively safe environment. Some trainings are done in mixed groups—Catholic, Protestant, and other—where the attendees’ purpose for gathering is based on a common interest such as poetry, music, or art.

As my personal focus is on dialogic processes, I have been a bit disappointed so far in that all of the trainings have felt more like lectures than dialogues, and the topics have been primarily about history and history’s role in the conflict. I struggle frequently to keep an open mind about what I see as an overemphasis on history. It seems to me that most of the people I have encountered are ready to move on. And if peace workers are not the ones urging people forward, who is?

This is not to say that there hasn’t been amazing progress in Northern Ireland. One of the things that Derry locals are proud of is the fact that you barely know when you are crossing between the two countries these days. In the not-so-distant past, going between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would include checkpoints and armed guards, and frequently meant being searched and interrogated. I have now been across the border and back twice and I couldn’t tell you at what point we passed from one country to the other except that the condition of the road changed, which my escorts pointed out. Both of my escorts, by the way, live in County Donegal (Ireland) and work in County Londonderry (Northern Ireland). In fact, living in Ireland and working in Northern Ireland is quite common in this area near the border.

Another important type of peace work being done is the reduction of tension in interface areas. Interface areas are where Catholic and Protestant communities physically sit next to each other. Last week, I traveled to Belfast to attend a meeting at a peace organization office located in a highly charged interface area. The two communities are separated by what is euphemistically called a "peace wall," which is actually a fifteen foot steel and wire barrier. Near the wall is a gate that is closed every night to reduce night time altercations between sides.

 

In closing, I want to say that I am thoroughly enjoying all of the people I work with at PRG. I won’t mention names so as to avoid embarrassing any of them, but they all have many traits to be adored. And they all have distinctly different accents than the others, which means that I am challenged every day by a minimum of six different Irish accents.  Lots of work, but lots of fun too.

Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann

Dignitaries from Ireland and Northern Ireland

This past week in Derry/Londonderry has been, as coined by the locals, “Legenderry.”  For the first time in its 60+ year history, the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann (music festival in Ireland) has been hosted by Northern Ireland.  There has been music in the streets, the pubs, the performance halls, and even a bit in the university dorms where I am staying.  According to news reports, over 300,000 people from all over the world have visited Derry during this week of The Fleadh (pronounced “flaw” or “flah”), including 20,000 musicians, many of them highly talented young persons who also came to compete for various musical honors.  (Note: Derry’s population is 108,000).

For myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed wandering the streets, absorbing the sights and sounds, attending various events, and engaging in numerous wonderful conversations with a variety of people, including: Derry locals; visitors from all over Northern Ireland; visiting Americans (many from St Louis); and numerous other citizens of the world.  I find it interesting that most of the people I have encountered here have heard of Oregon and many have even visited it.

Impromptu jam session at the City Hotel

My favorite conversation was with a delightful 16-year old young man named Ryan.  While we enjoyed the music of an impromptu jam session of violins, banjos, flutes, etc. in the City Hotel, we did our best to also carry on a conversation.  Being able to hear each other over the music was challenging, and yet, we happily succeeded in sharing information, ideas, and views on a number of topics, including education systems in Northern Ireland and the United States.

Ryan, a local Derry boy, has obviously thought a lot about the education structure that is currently helping him prepare for his future.  While he hasn’t yet made a firm decision on a career, he appreciates the clear structure and one-on-one counseling that the Northern Ireland system provides to all of its youth.  Ryan is also an avid recycler and is actively working to help Derry achieve a recycling level of 80% by 2020, as required by law.  He is highly confident the goal will be achieved.

Perhaps one of the most delightful and interesting parts of talking with Ryan occurred as I prepared to leave.  Throughout our hour and a half conversation, also sitting at the table were Ryan’s two younger brothers, his mother, his father, and another woman.  Because of the high volume of music, none of them had actually been included in our conversation nor had anyone been introduced.  And yet, when I got up to leave, they all waved goodbye and smiled at me as if I were family and had been visiting with all of them.  Needless to say, I smiled and waved back.  What a great experience!

The experience with Ryan and his family is pretty indicative of how most of my experiences have been.  People are friendly, talkative, and extremely helpful.  For instance, after traveling several hours (first by train, then by bus) to a town called Ballycastle, I found myself not sure of where to meet my ride to the Corrymeela Centre, a facility that focuses on peace and community building through dialogue.  While I wasn’t at all distressed, the bus driver who had dropped me at the end of his line was, and so he offered to drive me in his car up to Corrymeela.  Now this might seem odd to the readers of this blog, but I accepted his offer.  It’s hard to explain, but there was simply no sense of a threat. 

During the ride up to Corrymeela, the bus driver and I had a short chat.  I learned that he lived in a small town about eight miles from Ballycastle and that he was on his dinner break.  When I mentioned my studies in conflict and dispute resolution, he offered me his opinion on Northern Ireland: “There will never be peace because there will always be extremists (10%) who don’t want peace and will continue working to undermine it.”  I couldn’t have been prouder of myself when, instead of arguing with him or trying to persuade him to think otherwise, I simply asked him what he thought Northern Ireland needed for peace to happen.  He thought long and hard about it, and finally, tongue in cheek, he said with a laugh, “Get rid of everyone and restock the whole country.”  I laughed with him, but we both knew the answer wasn’t that simple.

While most people have been friendly, not everyone has been nice.  For instance, one night I called a taxi to take me to a restaurant that turned out to be fairly close and so I probably should have walked.  When I mentioned this to the driver (who had been bantered along with me during the short ride), he said: “That’s because you’re a fucking American.”  Now I’m not exactly sure what he meant by it and it wasn’t the first time he had used the phrase, “fucking American.”  But since he laughed each time he said it, I decided it would be friendliest, and safest, if I just laughed along with him.  And so I did.

On a different topic, and to close this entry, my biggest frustration has been the super crappy, unreliable wifi here at the university.  I have all these great photos and videos to share with you, but the connection keeps cutting out—sometimes as often as every three minutes.  I have restarted my computer so many times, I could scream.  And by the time the connection is back up again, and again, and again, I can’t remember where I was at or what I was attempting to upload.  I should be moving to a new location at the end of this week and hopefully the wifi there will be better.  Meanwhile, dear reader, please enjoy this text-only blog entry.

Note: Photos added 31Aug2013. 

The River Foyle, Sides, and Roundabouts

Recognizing that geography and place names are intertwined in Derry can make it easier to get around and stay oriented.  For instance, the city is split by the River Foyle, with the area on the east side of the river being referred to as the Waterside.  The area on the west side of the river is referred to as the Cityside.

The Foyleside Shopping Center, located on the Cityside, boasts two parking lots—Foyleside East and Foyleside West.  Now here is where it gets a bit complicated: the east parking lot is situated on the east side of Foyle Street (not to be confused with the Foyle Road, which runs along the River Foyle); the west parking lot is situated on the west side of Foyle Street.  Personally, I have a problem with something being named “Foyleside” when it is only on one side of the River Foyle, especially since it messes with my personal rules for geographic orientation. 

The Quayside Centre (pronounced keyside) is another shopping area located near the River Foyle on the Cityside.  The Bogside, perhaps the most famous “side” of Derry, is a predominantly residential community located on the Cityside.  Its fame comes from the Battle of the Bogside, which is considered by many to have been the beginning of the Troubles. 

And as soon as all of this starts to make sense—the river and the sides—it’s time to tackle the roundabouts.  

According to Northwest College’s city map, there are nineteen roundabouts in Derry—eleven on the Cityside; eight on the Waterside.  You no sooner think you know which direction you are going when you hit a roundabout and off you go in another direction. 

My personal “favorite” roundabouts are: the Queen’s Quay Roundabout (pronounced key), the Harbor Square Roundabout, the Foyleside Roundabout, and the Johns Street Roundabout, all of which are on the Cityside.  Other roundabouts on the Cityside include: Ballyarnet, Culmore Road, Branch, and Pennyburn.  On the Waterside, there is the Caw Roundabout, the Waterside Roundabout, the Duke Street Roundabout, the Lisnagelvin Roundabout, and the Crescent Link Roundabout.  The photograph shown above is of the Foyleside Roundabout.  This Facebook video is either of the Foyleside or the Johns Street Roundabout.  I shot the footage after I had been going the wrong way for thirty minutes and so there are only two things I can be sure of: 1) I was really tired of walking; and 2) I was near the Craigavon Bridge.

Another interesting geographical naming scheme in Derry comes from a street and/or location’s relationship to the City Centre and the city walls.  For instance, the place where I work is located on “Bishop Street Within” as opposed to “Bishop Street Without,” which is a reference to the fact that Bishop Street is within the City Centre, and runs partly within the city walls and partly outside the walls.  Be sure to stayed tuned for more on this in my upcoming blog post on the Apprentice Boys of Derry annual parade, which was recently held on the city walls of Derry.