{"id":31,"date":"2026-06-17T16:49:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T16:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/?p=31"},"modified":"2026-06-17T16:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T16:49:10","slug":"day-11-belfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/2026\/06\/17\/day-11-belfast\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 11- Belfast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the most interesting parts of the day was seeing how different organizations are working toward the same goal: helping Northern Ireland move from a divided past toward a shared future. Throughout the day, we met with representatives from the Irish Language Commissioner, the Ulster Scots\/Ulster British Commissioner, the Electoral Commission, and the Commission for Victims and Survivors. Even though each organization focuses on different issues, I noticed that all of them were concerned with identity, representation, and creating relationships that allow people with different backgrounds to coexist peacefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A concept from our readings that connects to these experiences is reconciliation. According to Bloomfield, reconciliation is “a process through which a society moves from a divided past to a shared future” (Bloomfield, 2003, p. 12). Rather than ignoring differences, reconciliation involves finding ways for communities to live alongside one another while acknowledging the past. After listening to the speakers throughout the day, I realized that many of the organizations we visited are contributing to that process in different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During our meeting with Terry and the Irish Language Commission, we learned about efforts to preserve and expand the use of the Irish language. I was surprised to learn how political support for the Irish has changed over time and how much work goes into translation, education, and media production. One story that stood out was hearing how just five families helped create an urban Irish-speaking community, showing how cultural change can begin at the local level. Terry also spoke about language as an important part of identity and culture. Hearing this made me realize that preserving a language is not only about communication but also about helping people maintain a connection to their history and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also met with Lee, the first Ulster Scots and Ulster British Commissioner. His presentation added another perspective on identity in Northern Ireland. One point that stood out to me was when he said that the Good Friday Agreement did not fully resolve questions surrounding identity. He discussed the importance of culture, heritage, arts, and language, and used a pond analogy to explain how communities need ongoing care and investment in order to thrive. Lee also spoke about programs such as NICE (National Identity and Cultural Expression), which encourage conversations about cultural and national identity. His emphasis on connectedness and empathy reminded me of the game we played at Corrymeela, where understanding another person’s perspective was necessary for cooperation. Listening to both Terry and Lee helped me understand that reconciliation does not require people to abandon their identities. Instead, it creates space for different identities to exist alongside one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Electoral Commission presentation focused on democracy and civic participation. Representatives discussed their efforts to increase voter turnout, educate young people about elections, and combat misinformation online. I found it especially interesting that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in future elections. The commission’s outreach through schools, social media, and programs like Welcome to Your Vote Week reflects the idea that democracy depends on participation. Our reading explains that democracy is a way of managing differences without violence and allows different viewpoints to coexist peacefully (Bloomfield, 2003, p. 10). Seeing how much effort goes into encouraging participation made me appreciate the role democratic institutions play in maintaining peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The presentation from the Commission for Victims and Survivors was probably the most impactful part of the day. Andrew discussed the lasting effects of the Troubles and the reality that many people continue to live with trauma decades after the conflict ended. One statement that stayed with me was when he said, “Peace isn’t the absence of violence; it’s the presence of justice.” The commission works to ensure that victims and survivors receive support, recognition, and dignity. Hearing about counseling services, survivor stories, and efforts to address generational trauma demonstrated that reconciliation is not about forgetting the past. Instead, it involves acknowledging painful experiences while creating opportunities for healing and coexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, today’s visits showed me that reconciliation happens in many different ways. It can involve preserving a language, celebrating cultural traditions, encouraging democratic participation, or supporting people who have experienced trauma. Although these organizations approach peacebuilding from different angles, all of them are helping Northern Ireland continue the difficult process of moving from a divided past toward a shared future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bloomfield, D. (2003). Reconciliation: An introduction<\/em>. In D. Bloomfield, T. Barnes, & L. Huyse (Eds.), Reconciliation after violent conflict: A handbook<\/em> (pp. 10\u201318). International IDEA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the most interesting parts of the day was seeing how different organizations are working toward the same goal: helping Northern Ireland move from a divided past toward a shared future. Throughout the day, we met with representatives from the Irish Language Commissioner, the Ulster Scots\/Ulster British Commissioner, the Electoral Commission, and the Commission […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}