This trip was very wonderful and informative. In my first blog post, I discuss being interested in learning about the overall history of the Troubles, as well as a potential reunification process. Now that the course is over, I feel like I have a much better understanding of the timeline of the Troubles. There weren’t a lot of discussions surrounding reunification, but there was a lot of discussion around peace building, which I still found interesting and necessary.

A personal highlight for me would be meeting people in the different cities we went to. My friends and I had a long conversation with two people around our age from Derry about politics, life in Northern/North of Ireland versus life in America, music, and more, and it was an eye opening experience. I felt like I got to know the soul of Derry through them. An academic highlight would be the panel we had with an ex IRA prisoner, an ex loyalist prisoner, and an ex British soldier. This panel was a great one to start with because we got three main perspectives of the conflict right off the bat. All of the panelists were informative, respectful and open with each other, and were graciously willing to answer any questions we had. I felt like I learned a lot just from this one meeting because I was getting so much insight into different aspects of the Troubles.

A challenge of mine was our meeting with the RUC. Due to my own personal beliefs, I knew that this meeting would be difficult for me because I knew I would disagree with what was being said. It was hard sitting through something that was upsetting to me, and I was actually surprised by how difficult it was. That being said, I’m very glad that I got to hear from them because although my opinion hasn’t shifted, my understanding of the conflict would not be complete without hearing from them.

From the standpoint of my career goals, which are centered around writing for feature length films, historical lessons are valuable and an immersive lesson into the Troubles is an excellent look into history and the human condition. Writing stories that feel real isn’t possible without these things. We must know why people operate the way they do in order to write them well. So although my career goals may not be directly related to this course, they are still closely intertwined. Overall, this travel course was eye opening, fun, uncomfortable, and incredibly lovely and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to go on it.

Before going to Northern Ireland, I expected to learn about conflict resolution in a general way. I did not realize how deeply the history of the troubles would affect me both personally and academically. Being there, walking through the divided neighborhoods, and hearing directly from people who experienced the conflict opened my eyes to how complicated peace and healing truly are.

One of the biggest academic highlights was learning about the conflict not just from a political angle, but from a human perspective. We met with individuals who were directly impacted by the violence and who are now working toward reconciliation. Visiting the peace walls and listening to former prisoners and community leaders helped me understand how public health, trauma, and history are all connected. These experiences gave me a deeper appreciation for the importance of mental health and community healing in places that have gone through long term conflict.

On a personal level, one of the most powerful moments was hearing from people who had lost loved ones but still chose to promote peace. It made me reflect on my own values and what it really means to help others. This has shifted how I see my future in the health science field. I now feel more drawn to working in areas where health care and social justice come together, especially in communities that have been impacted by violence or division.

The biggest challenge was processing everything emotionally. There were moments when the stories we heard were difficult to take in. I was surprised by how strongly I reacted, but that reaction showed me how invested I have become in this field. I learned that being uncomfortable is sometimes a necessary part of growth, and I am grateful for that.

This trip changed my perspective. It made me more aware of the real world impact of conflict and how important it is to approach health care with empathy and cultural understanding. Northern Ireland taught me lessons I will carry with me into my career and beyond.

Looking back on my initial post, I expected something completely different from what I experienced. My highlight of the trip was interacting with locals, and my academic highlight was learning more about audience members in a community. I have never taken peace studies or sociology classes, so my perspective was ignorant. My mind was set up in a way that focused on theories that would apply to the situation; however, I quickly realized the complexity of understanding the context behind the community’s perspectives. My major is health and strategic communication, so I was thinking logically about how to create a prosocial campaign in these communities. My experiences caused me to step back and change my perspective multiple times. There were times when speakers would give me some context and influence me to pick a side, and then, when another speaker would share their experiences and reasoning for things, it influenced me to switch sides again. By the end of this trip, I realized that it’s not about sides. The point of getting to know these layers in conflict was to see the community as a whole. This trip caused me to look at campaigns in a completely different way that I couldn’t have learned in a traditional classroom. Interacting with locals and being able to ask follow-up questions fostered an environment for deep understanding. During this trip, identity was a crucial reoccurring variable that challenged my knowledge of segmenting audience members by allowing me to see that a community that would initially be seen as a group can be split into different subgroups. A takeaway from this is to remind me always to ask, “Is there a subgroup within?” and “What values, beliefs, and attitudes do they hold that differ from other subgroups that can affect my approach to persuasive messaging?”

This trip also expanded my understanding of what I can do with my future career. Before this trip, I was so focused on improving hospital patient-provider communication that I didn’t realize I had developed this kind of tunnel vision. Everything shifted for me on Day 6, during our first day in Derry/Londonderry. After visiting the Loyalist community and meeting at the Free Derry Museum, I noticed something that both sides brought up: the mental health and suicide rates of youth in the community. Hearing people from opposite backgrounds agree on this issue made it very powerful. At that moment, ideas started running through my head. I began thinking of ways to create health campaigns focused on supporting the youth’s mental health in that community. That’s when it clicked that I don’t have to limit myself to hospitals. There are so many ways I can apply what I’ve learned to help entire communities. This trip helped me see that I can make a bigger impact than I had imagined.

One of the biggest challenges I faced during the trip was distinguishing between the different groups. I often had to refer back to my notes from the first day because I kept confusing terms like Nationalist, Unionist, Loyalist, and Republican. As we heard from more speakers, it became harder to keep the groups straight, especially those that shared similarities in religion or political views. What surprised me most was how some of the speakers identified themselves. I had expected people to express pride in their group identity, but during the peace wall tours, both guides described themselves as “former” members of their respective communities. This made me realize that, for them, these identities were part of a past they had chosen to leave behind, perhaps as a way of moving forward or distancing themselves from the conflict.

On the final day of our Peace Communication trip in Northern Ireland, June 11, our group explored a wide range of topics, including museum curation in post-conflict settings, international support for peacebuilding, gender advocacy, and the role of education and culture in promoting nonviolence. This full itinerary gave us an impactful and productive cross-section of how different elements contribute to the peace process in the North of Ireland, and how nonviolent strategies can take many forms beyond what we typically imagine.

(Photos from the Ulster-Scots Discovery Center)

We began our day at the Ulster-Scots Discovery Center, where we were introduced to the history and identity of the Ulster-Scots community in Northern Ireland. Deirdre, our speaker, discussed how Ulster-Scots, a primarily Protestant community, historically migrated between Northern Ireland and Scotland and faced persecution, including famine and massacres during the 1641 Rebellion. Many eventually migrated to America in search of stability and new beginnings. Despite being underrepresented in the broader national narrative of Northern Ireland, Ulster-Scots culture survives through music and marching bands, showcasing how communities preserve identity through cultural expression.

(Photos of the speaker Katy Radford and the British Council in Belfast.)

Next, we visited the British Council Northern Ireland, where we heard from Dr. Katy Radford, a social anthropologist. Radford emphasized the importance of nonviolence through the lens of storytelling, art, and education. She spoke about working with both victims and former combatants to create immersive narratives that offer empathy and understanding. This is a form of nonviolent resistance, what Smithey (2018) calls prefigurative collective action, where communities use symbolic, cultural, and educational tools to construct a more peaceful future.

Jonathan Stewart, Director of the British Council Northern Ireland, spoke after Radford, outlining how the organization offers international trust through English language education, arts programs, and cultural exchanges. These efforts, he explained, are essential in promoting peaceful democratic values, especially among youth and the younger generations. This nonviolent strategy aligns with Smithey’s broader definition of nonviolence, which includes proactive, educational, and community-based initiatives.

Kater Hughes from the Electoral Commission further reinforced this concept by discussing how educating young voters about democracy and elections builds political trust. His work aims to reduce the spread of misinformation on social media and empower informed civic participation, another pillar of nonviolent engagement.

In contrast to the British Council’s active peacebuilding role, we also spoke with a representative from the Irish Consulate. Their work in Northern Ireland remains limited due to the region’s ongoing constitutional status, though they support cultural exchange and reconciliation efforts. This contrast helped me appreciate how different governments approach nonviolence with varying degrees of influence and commitment.

(Photos from the Ulster Museum at Queen’s University)

We then visited the Ulster Museum’s “Troubles and Beyond” exhibition, where artifacts and memorabilia from the conflict — including a poster listing 300 murdered RUC officers — were displayed. The curation of memory in this context serves as a nonviolent mechanism for truth telling and collective reflection, allowing society to process trauma without resorting to violence.

(Photos from the Elaine Corry panel and of the speaker)

Our day continued with a panel discussion at the Maldron Hotel with Elaine Corry, a Women’s Sector Lobbyist with the Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA). Corry discussed how loyalist paramilitary violence and gender inequality still affect women in Northern Ireland. Her advocacy for reproductive rights and childcare infrastructure through cross party coalitions, including members of Sinn Féin, is a prime example of nonviolent protest. Smithey (2018) discusses how nonviolence is not passive; it is often revolutionary. The WRDA’s panels, campaigns, and educational outreach all fall under this definition.

(A photo of Bebhinn McKinley the speaker.)

Our final session of the trip was a course reflection with Bebhinn McKinley, a Peace and Reconciliation Practitioner. McKinley works with local government on issues like territory, protest rights, and peace walls. She emphasized that lasting peace requires community ownership, open dialogue, and cultural sensitivity. Her work highlights the structural challenges to nonviolence, including spatial segregation and generational trauma.

As I reflected on the day, I realized that nonviolence is not a single method but a diverse strategy encompassing art, protest, education, gender advocacy, and community healing. Elaine Corry’s WRDA activism and Katie Radford’s narrative work both fall within this tradition. Even museum curation and voter education can act as tools of resistance against extreme divisions and violence. Smithey (2018) describes this, showing how the Peace People in Northern Ireland combined principled belief in nonviolence with strategic public protest to build a mass movement for peace.

However, this does not mean nonviolence is adequate on its own. During our visit to the Free Derry/Bloody Sunday Museum, Caitlin Asking reminded us that paramilitary violence and unemployment still deeply affect younger generations. Nonviolence must be coupled with economic justice, trauma-informed education (such as transgenerational trauma), and community-based therapy to address the root causes of conflict. Peace is not just the absence of war but the presence of justice and opportunity.

Our final day of the trip brought together multiple layers and forms of peacebuilding from the symbolic to the structural and challenged us to consider what a nonviolent society would require.

Smithey, L. A. (2018). The Peace People: Principled and revolutionary nonviolence in Northern Ireland. In F. L. Flesher Fominaya & G. C. Johansen (Eds.), The Troubles in Northern Ireland and theories of social movements (pp. 203–221). Amsterdam University Press.

Professor Paul Arthur

Paul Arthur is Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Ulster and the former Director of its Graduate Course in Peace and Conflict Studies. His research interests have included the politics of Northern Ireland, British-Irish relations, and the nature of political violence.He started off the discussion with a historical walk down memory lane where he talked about how he’d participated in the civil rights movement march that led to bloody Sunday where he then went on to explain the pillars of peaceful protest (Popova, 2015) namely; 1. determining where injustices are alive, 2. Negotiation, 3. self-purification, 4. taking action, with an emphasis on self-purification he explained that a lot of the troubles conflict was because people were not well trained to purify themselves from violence so what would have been a peaceful protest built up a conflict of continued retaliation. The problem was that there was no shortage of solutions, but all based on a British solution which was factionalized and intimidatory and a big part of it being willful ignorance he went on to explain that Northern Ireland needed a full reform. 

The role of the US government in the peace processes of Northern Ireland stands as a success story of U.S diplomacy. The United States wholeheartedly supports peaceful means for finding a just solution that involves both parts of the community of Northern Ireland, as well as the Governments of Great Britain and Ireland. In the event of such a settlement, the U.S. Government would be prepared to join with others to see how additional job-creating investment could be encouraged to the benefit of all the people of Northern Ireland. In a statement made by Carter in August 1977 (P. J. McLoughlin, Alison Meagher, 2019) events such as the celebration of St Patrick’s day at the white house echoed how much the US stood with people of Irish descent having Peace, as well as political pressure across the UK exerted by the USA. 

Track 2 diplomacy is an unofficial, informal interaction between representatives of adversary groups that aims to develop strategies and create an environment that could contribute to the resolution of their conflict, it can serve as a forum to bring together the different elements to the Northern Ireland problem and put it in touch with a wider community which might have some expertise and good will to expend (Arthur,1990) through unofficial backdoor partnerships with international actors and local paramilitaries, the establishment of technical committees made up of experts to deal with issues without suffering at the hands of bureaucracy, the role of arts; film and writing in telling the stories of the Northern Ireland conflict has created and continues to create massive awareness on conflict dynamics as well as the steps that have been taken such as the Anglo-Irish agreement that set the pace for the good Friday agreement to ensure that Northern Ireland today is not involved in violence. 

A light moment with Professor Paul Arthur

References 

Popova, Maria. (2018). “Martin Luther King, Jr. on Justice and the Four Steps to Successful Nonviolent Resistance”, The Marginalian (2018, March 18th) Martin Luther King, Jr. on Justice and the Four Steps to Successful Nonviolent Resistance – The Marginalian 

McLoughlin, P. J., & Meagher, A. (2019). “The 1977 “Carter Initiative” on Northern Ireland.” Diplomatic History, 43(4), 671–698. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27212432 

Arthur, P. (1990). “Negotiating the Northern Ireland Problem: Track One or Track Two Diplomacy?” Government and Opposition, 25(4), 403–418. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44482532 

Today, we focused on current politics in Northern Ireland. We spent the first half of our day at Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly legislative building. There are nine parties represented in Northern Ireland, with most popularity in the Democratic Unionist Party (Unionist) and Sinn Fein (Nationalist). Upon arrival, we had the privilege of having a spontaneous conversation with Pat Sheehan, a member of the legislative assembly for Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland. Anna McErlean, support officer for the Alliance Party, gave us a tour of the building, which included fascinating political history. In an assembly room, she discussed the party’s current state and future goals. Next, assembly member Daniel McCrossan spoke about the Social Democratic and Labour Party. Lastly, we visited the Irish Secretariat to speak with Róisín Hinds and Lawrence Simms about their role in political collaboration between the North and South. 

Pat Sheehan gave firm declaration that Sinn Fein is headed towards a United Ireland and why it is necessary. All three politicians touched an the subject as an ongoing political contention. However, Róisín Hinds and Lawrence Simms offered unique insight into the logistics of that occurring in the near future. Realistically, Simms stated that there is not much of a political plan for a united Ireland. For example, it is uncertain how the vote would be conducted in regards to a potential referendum in the South. It is fascinating that there is no plan for how Ireland would unite, despite decades of it being a top political concern. This demonstrates how the Secretariat’s unique role of considering the perspectives of the North and the South reveals technical issues with merging economies, public services, and ideologies. 

A strong theme of politics’ role in the transition to nonviolence emerged. Previously, hearing from a variety of perspectives helped contextualize how violence was the method used because oppressed communities could not use democratic means. Catholics were allowed one vote per household; voting was just one example of nonviolent methods not being accessible. Politicians now strategically represent all voices to prevent reverting to violent means to be heard. It is notable how Pat Sheehan introduced himself as a former political prisoner and 1981 hunger striker. Although violent actions have been condemned or denied in many cases, prominent politicians center their beliefs and campaigns on their historical commitment to the Republican cause. This is striking because it undeniably ties them to a violent and arguably criminal past. As a politician’s responsibility to represent the population, his identity as a political prisoner is crucial to fully represent Republican voices. It is an essential peace-building lesson that the Republicans transformed from a violent military strategy to a political strategy. Erica Chenoweth’s research argues that post-pandemic, nonviolent movements have shifted strategy. Since 2020, there has been significant movement toward “relationship-building, grassroots organizing, strategy, and planning” (Chenoweth, 2020). This nonviolent switch reflects the success and potential of a larger nonviolent movement. 

Another key aspect of their political system is the multi-party system. Sinn Fein and the DUP have nearly equal political power, and parties like the Alliance Party and SDLP represent everything in between. Both the SDLP and Alliance party discussed their assistance in ending the violence because neutral voices were necessary to foster collaboration. This is an important takeaway, that representing all voices in the population in a political system can prevent violence. 

The representatives of the Alliance party and the SDLP touched on the long shadows that violence casts, proving its harm for generations even in a “post-conflict” or post-peace agreement society. Both discussed disbanding paramilitaries as a top priority for local politics. The Alliance Party discussed offering a way out of paramilitary cycles because the paramilitaries still operate as a means to control and for money instead of political means. The SDLP discussed a recent bomb scare in West Belfast. Even if it is only small amounts of violence, its effects are felt by the community. Both parties adamantly stated that violence did not lead to a solution, and struggling with the echoes of a violent past proves that point. The readings discuss the myth of necessary violence as a paradox in that violence guarantees the continuance of violence (Barry, 2013). This reflects these parties’ sentiments towards violence, contrasting with various speakers that supported the myth of necessary violence. Both political parties’ goals are towards comprehensive nonviolence, where nonviolence “must be both means and ends” (Barry, 2013, p. 102). Therefore, violence must not ever be permissible. Regardless of whether it was necessary to achieve the peace process and equitable political process Northern Ireland has now, violence is undeniably part of their past. Moving forward, their representative politics offer comprehensive representation to sustain the larger nonviolent movement. 

References 

Chenoweth, E. (2020). The future of nonviolent resistance. Journal of Democracy 31(3), 69-84. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jod.2020.0046.

Barry L. Gan. (2013). Violence and Nonviolence : An Introduction. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 

Tour of Stormont with Anna McErlean

The Travel Group with Daniel McCrossan, Assembly member for Social Democratic and Labour Party

Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly legislative building

Pat Sheehan, member of the legislative assembly for Sinn Fein, outside Stormont

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.

On our first day back in Belfast, our group engaged in a full day of site visits and lectures focusing on work around reconciliation and memory after the Good Friday Agreement (1998). We started our day at Ulster University’s Belfast campus, located in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, where we attended several lectures that illustrated how memory, identity, and creative expression shape peacebuilding processes.

Chapman Students meeting with Kate Turner and Brandon Hamber

We first heard from Kate Turner, director of Healing Through Remembering (HTR), and Brandon Hamber, professor and board member of HTR. Their work centers on how society deals with the legacy of the Troubles through five main themes: Day of Reflection, Memorialization, Truth Recovery and Acknowledgement, Oral History and Personal Narrative, and Commemoration.

The Day of Reflection occurs each year on June 21, offering space for individuals to reflect on the past and ask personal questions such as “What role did I play in the conflict?” The day also features art created by a student artist known as the “Art of the Day” and explores themes of memory and identity and ritual.

The Truth Recovery theme focuses on the impact of language in storytelling, while the Oral History and Personal Narrative component formed the basis of a diverse network for individuals to work together and help each other known as the Stories Network. The final theme, Commemoration, addresses how to ethically remember events of the conflict through a network of grassroots groups.

One interesting project Turner and Hamber shared was “Everyday Objects Transformed by the Conflict,” an exhibition showcasing items like kerbstones or lampposts that gained political meaning during the Troubles. The project emphasizes how seemingly normal objects can be transformed into powerful symbols of division, identity, or healing. Art installations such as Rita Duffy’s Veil represent forgotten narratives and voices, especially the experiences of women during the conflict and the grief they experienced.

Images of Mailboxes in Republican and Unionist areas to mark the territory.

“Veil” by Rita Duffy. Mixed Media Art Installation featured in Everyday Objects Transformed by Conflict

For more information on Healing Through Remembering: https://healingthroughremembering.org

Turner and Hamber also discussed the challenges of involving women in the post-agreement reconciliation process. Women were often excluded from the formal peace dialogues, and when they did share stories, they often centered men’s experiences or experiences of others rather than their own. Everyday Objects challenges this by offering space for women to reclaim their narratives outside hierarchical victim/perpetrator roles.

This theme was expanded in our second lecture by Márie Braniff, who discussed how legacies of conflict continue to shape the present. Braniff explained how suicide rates are now higher than those from the Troubles. Poverty is entrenched and has deepened, and Northern Ireland has one of Europe’s highest rates of violence against women.

Braniff also emphasized that peace for many women means working to make sure a conflict like this never happens again, but despite this, they are often denied seats at the negotiating table. She highlighted UN Resolution 1325, which calls for women’s inclusion in peace processes but was not implemented in Northern Ireland due to the United Kingdom’s role in the conflict. She also explored how many women lost jobs to returning male ex-prisoners, reinforcing systemic marginalization and disenfranchisement.

To address this, initiatives like the Shared Island Initiative’s “Birds of a Feather” project emerged, connecting women across the North and South through cultural exchange. Women share crafts like textile work and storytelling while also engaging in conversations about identity, religion, and politics, building cross-community dialogue through arts like crafts, music, and dance.

For more information on Márie Braniff: https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/persons/maire-braniff#:~:text=Biography,involved%20in%20international%20research%20partnerships.

For more information on UN Resolution 1325: https://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/

For more information about the Shared Island Initiatives “Birds of a Feather” project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Toz2nacvU

Two core themes I saw emerge from today’s sessions were the role of women in peacebuilding and the power of art in memorialization and activism.

In Chapter 3 of Bridging Divides Through Gender-Just Citizenship, the authors highlight how “women’s work” (e.g. raising families, sharing stories, and caring for others) became political acts during the Troubles. Holmgren, shows how while women were mostly erased or viewed in supportive roles during the conflict, they were foundational for resistance and survival during the conflict. Building networks and organizing cross-community dialogues (e.g., Mothers of Belfast) became a form of resistance for women, allowing them to bridge the divide in Northern Ireland and contribute to peace. Despite this, they remained excluded from politics. The chapter emphasizes women’s leadership in organizing grassroots peace initiatives, even when denied formal recognition in the peace process.

The Everyday Objects exhibition reflects the idea of everyday spaces being turned into political sites, but on a smaller scale. Displaying objects and their stories shows how these objects became political. It disrupts dominant narratives by offering multiple voices and experiences. Similarly, maternal activism, focused on care for family and future, reflects how women often frame their peace work. This connects directly to projects like Birds of a Feather, which uses craft and community to bridge divides and restore confidence in women excluded from traditional political processes and work across political divides to overcome division and work towards a better future for other generations.

Women’s creative work becomes a form of resistance nurturing solidarity while building economic empowerment. Groups like Women in Politics also provide confidence-building workshops to support women’s political engagement, illustrating Braniff’s call for seeing women as “agents of change.” In addition, the work of organizations to fight for their role in leadership as seen by the groups of women that elected two representatives into the Good Friday Agreement challenges the structural barriers keeping them from power.

The second theme art and everyday items for social activism and memory also played a central role in both lectures. In Chapter 3 of Visual Activism in the 21st Century, titled By a Thread. The space left to activism when fashion deals with the refugee ‘crisis’  by Elise Gomis, textile and fashion arts are seen as means of resistance. Gomis explores how clothing becomes a tool for visibility and storytelling, particularly for displaced and oppressed communities.

One example is the use of refugee blanket-inspired garments worn by celebrities at a peace gala, intended to draw attention to displacement of refugees. Textile art, like that of Birds of a Feather, functions similarly: it preserves memory, expresses identity, and fosters healing. The women use textile crafts to connect and reclaim space in post-conflict society, with some selling their work to sustain themselves economically and attain autonomy.

This practice aligns with Miriam Schapiro’s concept of “femmage,” which reclaims undervalued “women’s work” (like quilting or sewing) as legitimate art. Femmage challenges the art world’s gender biases, making the personal political. Artworks like Veil and objects in the Everyday Objects exhibit use this framework to tell complex, underrepresented stories.

By turning everyday items like prison doors, trash can lids, and kerbstones into political artifacts, these projects subvert traditional historical narratives. They honor grief, memory, and identity, showing that healing requires more than formal policy; it needs storytelling and recognition of all voices and truths, especially those overlooked in the conflict.

Overall, our morning activities have given us a better sense of the ways gender and art play roles in the peace building processes. From Everyday Objects to Birds of a Feather, women’s stories told through the arts, stories, and memories offer paths towards healings and challenges community division. They show us how we can preserve the past while simultaneously uplifting the hidden or overlooked voices to make progress across communities for the future.

Gomis, E. (2023). By a thread: The space left to activism when fashion deals with the refugee “crisis”. In E. Golańska & I. J. Petersen (Eds.), Visual activism in the 21st century: Art, protest and resistance in an uncertain world (pp. 47–63). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33488-7_3

Holmgren, L. E. (2023). Bridging divides through gender-just citizenship: Women’s political participation, grassroots peace building and transversal politics in Northern Ireland. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83475-2

Schapiro, M., & Meyer, M. (1977–1978). Waste not, want not: An inquiry into what women saved and assembled—Femmage. Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics, (4), 66–69.

Sunday, June 8, 2025, centered on the power of dialogue in reconciliation, defined as the process of rebuilding relationships after conflict (Bloomfield, 2003) and the role of cultural remembrance, which preserves shared identity through traditions and stories (Conciliation Resources, 2024), as a form of resistance. Our visit to Corrymeela, a peace and reconciliation center in Northern Ireland, was the heart of this theme, as it taught us that reconciliation is not only about resolving conflict but also about rekindling a shared cultural identity (Corrymeela Community, 2025). Practices like dance, music, and language help nurture peace by bringing people together and helping enact actions that promote long-term healing.

Corrymeela was the most significant stop of the day, embodying ideals of healing and communication. It was founded by Ray Davey, who witnessed the devastation of Dresden in 1945 and envisioned a space where people could talk through conflict instead of repeating cycles of violence (Ray Davey, 2025). Davey believed that the memory of past violence shapes how cultures understand themselves and others. To combat that, in 1965, he bought nine acres of Irish countryside and began building Corrymeela as a community grounded in peace.

Initially, the center welcomed members of the Protestant community to discuss tensions that would erupt into the Troubles (The Troubles, 2025). During the height of the violence, Corrymeela served as a refuge for children and a site for retreats and discussions, offering hope and tools for reconciliation. One of Corrymeela’s most powerful messages is that lessons learned there should be applied back in one’s own community. This reminder is inscribed in the main building (Quakers in Britain, 2024).

As the Troubles deepened, Corrymeela recognized the need to open its space to all communities. A vote decided that Catholics and individuals of any faith (or no faith) would be welcomed. This milestone encouraged inclusive, cross-cultural conversations grounded in empathy and shared experience. Participants were encouraged to tell their stories and listen to others, creating a foundation of humanity that had been lacking in many conflict spaces at that time. As discussed in Bloomfield’s work on restorative justice (2020), true reconciliation begins through active listening and storytelling. Correymeela’s devotion to dialogue highlights these principles. These connections fostered meaningful communication, transforming Corrymeela into a lasting haven for peacebuilding. We experienced this spirit of community and openness during our visit, greeted by a handmade sign on the front door welcoming our group.

After visiting Corrymeela, we heard at least two additional speakers recommend the center to aspiring peacemakers and community leaders. Its legacy of effective reconciliation also emphasized the role of cultural reclamation, something we explored later through two other experiences: the Giant’s Causeway and the Ballycastle Trad Trail.

Giant’s Causeway is a natural wonder formed around 60 million years ago (National Trust, 2025). We explored both the geological and mythological explanations for its hexagonal rock formations. Scientifically, the rocks were shaped by volcanic activity when Europe split from North America. Lava cooled and cracked into even patterns, creating the unique hexagonal shapes (National Trust, 2025). These distinct shapes can be seen in the photo below:

Long before these facts were known, the Irish passed down a story through generations. According to the myth, the giant Finn McCool built the causeway to cross the sea and fight the Scottish giant Benandonner (Ireland.com, 2025). Using wit rather than brute strength, Finn won the battle, and what remains today is the stone “walkway.” This story feels more meaningful than the scientific version because it celebrates Irish cleverness and pride. It reflects how storytelling preserves national identity and shared values. In 1986, the site was named Northern Ireland’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2025). This acknowledgment during the Troubles signaled that Irish nature and culture are worthy of preservation and global recognition.

The significance of cultural remembrance was furthered in our meeting with two members of Ballycastle Trad Trail, Conor and Michael, who spoke about the role of music in preserving Irish culture.

Michael described how most Irish families included a musician or writer, showing how music was woven into everyday life. Both emphasized that remembering this heritage through music is especially important because Irish traditions were heavily suppressed under British rule, specifically dialect, music, and dancing. So, continuing music is a form of rebellion against that suppression. Conor also teaches young people to play the Irish bagpipes, a continuation of this rebellion (Uilleann Pipe Academy, 2023). He spoke about how recently there has been increased interest in Irish music as people reclaim their history. He viewed this enthusiasm as part of a broader cultural movement where Irish people are reclaiming and honoring their identity. We concluded with Irish dancing, which I greatly enjoyed, and have attached the Video here.

Overall, our visit to Corrymeela, the Giant’s Causeway, and the Ballycastle Trad Trail brought together reconciliation and cultural remembrance. These experiences highlighted the significance of sharing stories, shared humanity, and cultural pride. Through peacebuilding and cultural reclamation, Irish people continue to honor their identity and build a hopeful future.

References:

Ballycastle Trad Trail. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/ballycastletradtrail/

Bloomfield, D., Barnes, T., & Huyse, L. (Eds.). (2003). Reconciliation after violent conflict: A handbook. International IDEA.

Conciliation Resources. (2024). Reconciliation focus: Approaching reconciliation in peacebuilding practice. Retrieved from https://www.c-r.org/learning-hub/reconciliation-focus-approaching-reconciliation-peacebuilding-practice

Conor Mallon Music. (n.d.). Instagram profile. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/conormallonmusic/

Corrymeela Community. (n.d.). Our history. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.corrymeela.org/about/our-history

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). The Troubles, Northern Ireland history. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/event/The-Troubles-Northern-Ireland-history

Ireland.com. (n.d.). Giant’s Causeway. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/attractions/giants-causeway/

National Trust. (n.d.). History of Giant’s Causeway. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/giants-causeway/history-of-giants-causeway

Quakers in Britain. (2024, May 15). Time to breathe. Quaker Blog. Retrieved July 1, 2025, from https://www.quaker.org.uk/blog/time-to-breathe

Ray Davey. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Davey

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.). Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast (World Heritage List No. 369). Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/369/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Uilleann Pipe Academy. (2023, December 18). Uilleann pipes: A guide to Irish bagpipes. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.uilleannpipe.com/blog/Uilleann%20Pipes%20A%20Guide%20to%20Irish%20Bagpipes

Today on June 7th, 2025, the peace studies and communication class went into the city center of Derry/ Londonderry to walk around the city wall, one of the oldest city walls in the world that is still erected. Built in the early 1600s by English and Scottish settlers, this wall was constructed in order to separate the settlers from the indigenous Irish population. The settlers, who were Protestant, felt the need for this wall to be built because they felt an impending conflict between them and the Catholic Irish natives, who were not allowed to reside inside the city walls and subjected to living on the lower side of the town, called the Bogside, which by definition is much more susceptible to flooding and wet conditions, which is not a good foundation for building houses. Furthermore the housing of the Native Catholics are much smaller and closer together than the homes within the city wall, which contributes to the disparities and oppression that is everlasting within Derry ever since the colonization of the Island by the British. While at the wall of the city we learned about the importance of the ‘Apprentice Boys’. During 1688, the Catholics went to siege on the inner city of Derry but were stopped for some time when the Apprentice Boys closed the gates of the city walls, saving the town. It is speculated that this actually resulted in more Protestants dying through starvation, however, the Protestant community still celebrates the act of bravery displayed by the Apprentice Boys through parades and yearly celebrations. Both sides of the conflict believed they were fighting for the greater good of their country, which further complicated the futures of the community in coming together after the conflict and restoring their relationships. 

After the tour of the City Wall, the class walked into the center of the city within the wall to a nonprofit organization, called Holywell trust which was created during the Troubles in 1988, to try and bring together the two communities through communication and reconciliation. During and after the conflict the whole town, and country as a whole, are left with trauma and emotions that need to be processed and Holywell offers many courses and programs to allow people from both the Protestant Loyalist side, and the Catholic Nationalist side to come together and work out the trauma they went through and heal together. These programs open up conversation for both sides to be heard by one another and through communication trust is built and healing can be formed. Instead of looking for punishment against one another for the crimes of the past, these courses allow people to come together and learn the reasons for their conflict and how it has affected their respective communities. Through restorative justice, people can meet with the perpetrators from the other side and have an open dialogue on why the conflict happened and form relationships to ensure it will not happen again. It is essential for groups like Holywell to exist, so they can mediate these conversations and courses and allow people to heal together, rather than holding in personal trauma and not being able to heal. Communication is what brings people together, and is essential for healing and growth within the town, without communication the violence of the conflict would have not ended and people would still carry deep intergenerational trauma which would subconsciously divide the community of Derry even more than it has been. 

Through reconciliation people are able to come together as a community and grow together, which is vastly important for the sustainability of that community to stay peaceful and become united. There are many forms of nonviolent peace building, however, reconciliation can be the most effective in keeping the peace within a state and making sure conflict does not start again. When people talk out their differences and understand the other side, they will not feel the need to resort to violence again since they have already had these resolution conversations. By encouraging conversation and having these open dialogues, people see more eye to eye and instead of finding ways to hate each other, they find ways to relate to each other, building upon their community and creating connections between people that were previously not there.

Here is a link to the Junction website, the company that runs Holywell, if interested in learning more about them and their services:

https://thejunction-ni.org/ 

https://thejunction-ni.org/page/ 

Sources: 

17th century city walls – derry~Londonderry. Discover Northern Ireland. (n.d.). https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/17th-century-city-walls-p685431  

Boslaugh, S. E., PhD. (2024). Restorative justice. Salem Press Encyclopedia.