On our first day back in Belfast, we traveled to the east side to hear from a panel of women civil society leaders and a clergy member working on the ground to help support reconciliation and peacebuilding in a post-conflict society. We learned about the role of their organizations and how their commitment to community development has had lasting impacts on the people of Northern Ireland, as well as other societies affected by violence and conflict.

After lunch, we made our way to East Belfast, and we could see the visual symbolism change as we made our way to the panel. The East side of Belfast is a predominantly loyalist area, and the walls and surrounding homes overwhelmingly reflected this with British flags and murals of loyalist identities. This striking shift is a direct example of how divided and segregated this society still is, and ties into the importance of the work organizations like TIDES are doing. We spoke to Liza Wilkinson and Dympna McGlade, both civil society leaders dedicated to peace-building. Liza Wilkinson is the director of TIDES, an organization dedicated to sustaining peace in places affected by violence through mediation, training, facilitation, and group work. Before they went into an explanation of the work they do, Liza began by showing us a photo of a shoe that, to me, appeared pink and white. To my surprise, other people raised their hands, saying they saw different colors. The point of this exercise was to highlight the fact that we all perceive the world differently, and that understanding these varying perspectives is essential in fostering an environment of reconciliation. The name of the organization itself is an acronym for Transformation, Interdependence, Diversity, and Equity. Each of these core principles guides their approach to peacebuilding. Through providing support and facilitating dialogue between individuals who have been surrounded by conflict their entire lives, they humanize each other. She explained that 1 in 5 people in Northern Ireland have experienced 4 or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a statistic that speaks to the long-term trauma left by the conflict. In his “Little Book of Restorative Justice,” Zehr says, “Restorative Justice requires at minimum that we address victims’ harms and needs, hold offenders accountable to put right those harms, and involve victims, offenders and communities in this process” (Zehr 2002, p 21). The practices utilized by TIDES, such as providing shared spaces and nonformal education, embody this model of restorative justice and reconciliation. They are designed to bring communities together who have experienced conflict and facilitate challenging conversations to find positive ways to move forward. Liza explained that when working with groups, you have to ensure their needs are being met and you have the proper means to support them on their journey toward reconciliation.

Following the panel, we met with Karen Campbell, the Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches and a clergy member deeply involved in peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts. The council brings together an array of Christian denominations to promote reconciliation and collaboration among divided societies. In many of the meetings we have attended throughout this trip, speakers have emphasized that the conflict in Northern Ireland was primarily constitutional or rooted in colonialism. However, it is important to note that its origins are deeply complex, and there was a religious context that should not be left unsaid. The ability of these churches to unite different faith traditions toward a common goal is astounding when considering the polarization this community has endured for decades.  Like I stated earlier, this society is still deeply secularized, and you can see that all throughout East Belfast, we had the privilege of touring a few of the murals with Karen as she provided some historical context and insight into the legacy behind the art. In the center of the city, there were paramilitary murals and deeply violent images however, she mentioned that as you move further away from the city, the images get softer. Her work is deeply important in reconciling individuals across social, political, and religious lines. Symbolism holds power, and it is used extremely actively in East Belfast, not just as a remnant of the past but as a living narrative that continues to shape collective identity. Northern Ireland is coming up on almost 30 years since the Good Friday agreement, yet the scars of this conflict are still healing. It is from the help of organizations, like TIDES, and the Council of churches, that meaningful progress towards peace and reconciliation continues to be made.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About adverse childhood experiences. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html

Home. Irish Council of Churches and Irish Inter Church Meeting. (n.d.). https://www.irishchurches.org/

Home. Tides. (n.d.). https://tidestraining.org/

Zehr, H. (2016). The little book of restorative justice.