On Monday:
We started the morning by meeting with US Consul General, Kamala Lakhdir, who made many very insightful things particularly about the education system here in Northern Ireland and the need for more integrated schools. I completely agree! One of the main realizations I've come to here is that one huge step towards solving the problems here is getting Catholic and Protestant kids to interact positively and regularly with one another as early as possible.
In the afternoon we met with Mark Thompson, the Director of Relatives for Justice -- a Republican victims' rights group. My sense was that the organization was largely interested in (as the name says) helping relatives of victims obtain justice for the people they've lost through digging for answers and/or even seeking some sort of legal justice. We've talked often here about the many different faces and forms of "justice."
On Tuesday:
We spent the morning and afternoon at the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen's University, Belfast with the Director, Dominic Bryan -- a very lively and entertaining man. In the morning, he delivered a lecture titled "Northern Ireland: Peace & Prosperity or More Divided Than Ever," and in the afternoon he delivered a lecture titled "Parade Disputes in Northern Ireland" -- very timely as there has been various degrees of rioting in East Belfast over the past several nights, including a journalist being shot and a UVF raid of a Catholic neighborhood. Last night things seemed to settle down as an envoy of sorts from Stormont apparently met up with leaders of different neighborhoods and made some sort of agreement/arrangement.
On Wednesday:
We spent the entire day with the Police Services of Northern Ireland, including a driving tour inside the armored vehicles. It was a very heated day in some senses as our very friendly and cheerful police guide actually walked out of one of the lectures about the history of the RUC/the history of policing in Northern Ireland we were hearing from the Police Museum curator (a lecture given to all new officers actually since the move from the RUC to the PSNI), saying he could no longer participate and later saying that "that wasn't the police I joined." We also went on a tour of the RUC Memorial Garden. The tension around policing in Northern Ireland is huge -- though much better now that they've moved to and are making efforts to develop a reputation as a neutral force. There are many, many "truths" in this place and it's very clear that on ALL sides there are victims and perpetrators. No one here is without blame in some way at some time... First we must admit that , and then we need to focus on all the people who've come a long way and are now doing good and trying to minimize conflict, again, on ALL sides. It was a rough day and everyone on the trip is feeling emotionally exhausted.
Which is why it was so refreshing to end our night with a visit from Baroness May Blood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Blood,_Baroness_Blood), a founding member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, who is doing great things to advocate for integrated schools (she's raised over 10 million pounds for them). She is hands down my favorite person we've met here, and I believe if everyone in the country just took her advice progress would be instant. She was brilliant! As Western Reserve Academy looks forward to a year with the theme of Justice, I'd love to find a way to incorporate some fundraising efforts or community service linked to her efforts to end the conflict and its effects through integrated education. Here is the link to her book on amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watch-My-Lips-Im-Speaking/dp/0717142523 and the blurb: The advent of the Troubles was a deeply traumatic experience for her. Brought up in a 'mixed' community she watched in disbelief and horror as that community disintegrated under the impact of inter-communal violence. She became increasingly involved in grassroots community work and an active participant in the developing 'peace process'.In 1999, in recognition of her years of trade union and community endeavours, May Blood was offered a life peerage and a seat in the House of Lords, the first working-class person from Northern Ireland to be so honoured. Her initial response was to decline the offer, for to her the House of Lords was a place where rich old men sat around and slept all day, a place far removed from the everyday realities of working-class Belfast. Nevertheless, she took her seat, hoping that, as 'Baroness May Blood', she could advance the causes she holds so dear. She has lived to see the end of the Troubles, but a society still deeply divided and one still needing people with her undiminished energy and commitment. "Watch My Lips, I'm Speaking" is not only May's own story, but a unique insight into how ordinary people strove to rise above the appalling experience which had engulfed them.
Today:
We spent the morning helping out Rory and Peace Players International at one of their events, and I have to say that watching a bunch of kids from both communities running around the basketball courts was absolutely refreshing and something I needed at this point in the trip. If you haven't already checked out this organization, please do!
We spent the afternoon meeting with Joe Doherty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Doherty read his whole bio -- it's wild! And make sure to get all the way to the last two sentences) and Seanna Walsh (http://saoirse32.blogsome.com/2005/05/05/seanna-walshs-tribute-to-bobby-sands/), big time former IRA prisoners at Sinn Fein's headquarters. Joe Doherty managed to escape from jail and was later captured in NYC by the FBI and is now a youth worker and Seanna Walsh was one of Bobby Sand's best friends and was one of the first men involved in the blanket protests. It continues to be unreal meeting these and listening to them present their side of things and to then look up their full biographies and get more specifics -- seriously read Joe Doherty's bio on wikipedia. It's just unreal. I have found the former prisoners absolutely fascinating. I started typing more but find I have way too much to say about this, so instead I'll say if you want to hear more about them, their ideology, their lives after release/after the Good Friday Agreement, ask me when I get back if you've got an hour to spare.
Tonight we are meeting with a former Loyalist prisoner named Sam White.
I've fully recorded our meetings with Dominic Bryan, Relatives for Justice, May Blood, and Joe Doherty and Seanna Walsh, and once I figure out how to upload them to blogger I will...if you know how to do this, please let me know! I'm especially keen for people to hear May Blood.
Tomorrow, our official last day, we head to Derry/Londonderry for the Bloody Sunday Museum and the Bogside Artists.
PS - We also visited Milltown Cemetery this week.
Jeannie
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| The US Consul General is to the left of me. |
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| The Gates of Milltown Cemetery |
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| May Blood is sitting in front of me. |
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