Monday, May 31, 2010

Building Bridges Between History and The Present



We started out the day with the infamous Black Taxi Political Tour in Belfast. Our tour was spent by going through different Catholic and Protestant communities examining history by looking at murals and other landmarks. Our first stop was at the international wall mural site, which changes it murals every two years in order to fully tell the complex stories of Northern Ireland’s political history. Each of these murals hold a significant piece of history, and our tour guide explained the different elements, which were presented pictorially. We continued on at the Most Holy Redeemer Clonard Church. Our tour guide explained it as being like “a jewel in a crown”, saying that the Irish and British met secretly at this church to have conversations about how to end the conflict. This was something that had never been done before.

Next we moved to the Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden, where the peace wall divides the Catholic from the Protestant communities for four miles. This particular memorial garden provided information on the attacks of Bombay Street as well as honored those from that community who had died in the conflict. We then looked at the peace wall, which was erected in 1969. This particular wall has colorful graffiti and is open to autographs and a personal message.

Throughout our tour, we stopped to view murals both in the Catholic and Protestant communities. Each side contains positive and negative images depicting their culture, politics, history, and the conflict. The last mural we visited had an adverse impact.

Our tour guide explained to us about the mural saying, “everyone is entitled to their culture, we can’t change them they can’t change us.” The tour provided us with greater detail the political context of the city we are residing in.

After lunch we visited Paul Smith at the Public Achievement office learning about his programs around civic spaces. It was interesting to learn that Paul modeled his program around the civic engagement programs in Minnesota. Paul is connected to the University of Minnesota faculty in his studies with civic engagement. He used the model of a co-creative process between youth and adults working together. Paul provided us with a metaphor of wearing colored glasses that shape our perspectives on life. This perspective is defined by others and ourselves. Especially in Northern Ireland, many people’s perspective and identities are shaped by the “other” rather than themselves. The focus of Public Achievement in Belfast is bringing youth together against a culture of such a divide (e.g. Where 95% of schools and public housing our segregated). Paul left us with a message, he sees youth work as a craft he is still learning, and “particularly from young people, and that the minute you cease to learn from young people is the minute you are no longer a youth worker.”


We were offered the unique opportunity to visit a cross-community peace mural unveiling through a program led by Steven Hughes called “Crossing Bridges”. This program includes eight groups of youth, four Catholic and four Protestant. These groups see themselves as one culture divided with shared perspectives. The mural depicts a shared history of the communities with a message of peace. Steven Hughes explained how one side is more advanced in changing the negative murals to culturally positive. This mural is part of a project to advance this process.

We then got the opportunity to sit with the youth on a panel discussion on four speakers who were deliberately selected from diverse backgrounds. They each had different perspectives, generations, and involvement with the conflict. Panel members included a Civil Rights chairman, a Republican prisoner who participated in the hunger strike, a Loyalist advocate and a Good Relations officer to the Belfast Council. The discussion began with two of the youth speaking on their experiences in the program. One of the youth stated about “Crossing Bridges”, “we worked on this not just as Catholics and Protestants but as young people together.” The panelists then spoke on insights into important parts of their lives. The discussion also allowed for the youth to ask questions for clarification and a reflection period. The Civil Rights chairman ended with a message saying, “violence led nowhere, progress could only be made through non-violent protests and talks”.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Goodbyes are Hard, but hello's Can be Harder.



Goodbye to Corrymeela, hello to Michael and the bus. We left our happy home with a new found strength and trust. A treat on the way was refreshing and on time. Some crisps(chips) and a nap, with Belfast on our minds. Surrounded by buildings, "what have we awoken to?" Eyes tired & bellies empty, we were not sure what to do. We broke into groups and headed up to our rooms. The best youth hostel in town, still felt like marching to our dooms. We were spoiled the past week, so this can be expected. Happy to head out, our stomach's still neglected. After the Chinese buffet we started to perk up. A short walk around town and some of us had had enough. Naps, Skype, homework and friends. Forcing ourselves to work, we swear it never ends. But of course we are impressed, with the hard work and dedication. Seeing everyone create brought us laughter and motivation. We look forward to a nights rest, in the new beds we inhabit. Sad we won't look out our windows to see flowers or bunny rabbits. But now we are a family, ready to redefine space. Tomorrow awaits us, we can't wait to see this place.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

We are leaving Corymeela and so it begins...

Good hosts, good hospitality and good food; from the way we were treated you would think we are royalty or something but no that is just the Corrymeela way. From sun up to sun down we were to put it simply spoiled. Three solid meals, tea and coffee in between, fresh fruit, friendly smiles and kind words were common things found during our stay. We will have some MAJOR adjusting to do as we move from having things done for us to doing things on our own. Yet the fact that the staff and volunteers here were so freely giving and kind makes us want to do the same for others, kind of like a pass it on sort of deal.

Not only have we met new people while we have been here but we have also melded more as a group. Although we all come from different backgrounds and different youth work practices we are here on this common journey to learn about another place and further our own knowledge. Rather than just scratching the surface or learning simplistically, we have been challenged to learn more complexly. By digging deeper into ourselves and being open to new experiences that just may change the way we see things. Often times when working with people who are different than ourselves, we need to learn how to be flexible and accommodate to others, which is not always easy but important. Many people preach to treat everyone equally but another way to look at it is by treating everyone equitably, meaning taking into consideration people’s needs and treating them fairly. For instance if a person has a hearing impairment it is not fair to treat them like those who can hear, because that leaves out an essential element to who that person is. Rather it is important to take into consideration our differences and assure that people are being treated fairly according to them. This lesson, among many others was told to us by our guest speaker Dereck Wilson.

Dereck has been a youth worker for numerous years, he was “one of the first certified youth workers in Northern Ireland” to be exact. He also set up one of the first programs to train youth workers. Throughout his experience he has focused much of it on peace and reconciliation programs, including Corrymeela. Dereck had a wealth of knowledge he shared with us that many of us will never forget.

Dereck shared that when entering a new youth work situation it is important to remember that not only is each youth coming in with their own history and background but we are as well. Therefore it is important to remember to leave our “baggage” at the door, to become grounded and approach the upcoming interactions with a blank slate. By being grounded ourselves hopefully the youth will be able to become grounded as well, being able to put their past history in the back of their minds in order to be open to the experiences that may happen. When youth are open it creates a sense of diversity and interdependence. Along with equitability, diversity and interdependence are key aspects to have Dereck says, in any situation, particularly when working with groups in conflict.

Taking into consideration that not all youth are at a program of their own volition, perhaps it is mandatory of a sentence or maybe family life leads them to be there, Dereck mentioned that changing the attitude from having to be there to choosing to be there can make a world of difference. How this actually looks and takes shape is the challenge but it basically boils down to acknowledging the youth’s situation and asking them to consider making an active choice to be there.

An interesting quote Dereck shared with us was: “Your feet are walking into new experiences before your head is into it.” When we first arrived at Corrymeela our feet were sure here but our true understanding of this place was far far away. Even after our time here has almost come to an end, we cannot say we fully understand but we are indeed at a deeper understanding of what youth work looks like in Northern Ireland. We began the blog entry a few days ago with a sign we saw our first day on sight. Corrymeela begins when you leave, now as we pack up our bags to head to Belfast, our real challenge begins.

Eleven Roses, Two Thorns

Today had it’s ups and downs. Literally. We began our day on an expedition to explore the wonder that is Northern Ireland. Our first stop on our adventure was the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, which connects the mainland to a small island used by local fisherman. Although it still serves it’s fishing purposes it has also become a well known tourist attraction. For most of us, this was an unexpected physical and mental challenge. This bridge loomed about 100 feet above jagged death rocks and crashing ocean waves, not to mention the rains and high winds that claimed a baseball cap. Many of our group members reluctantly dragged themselves across while others skipped across the bridge with great trust in the ropes and planks that made up this structure. The view on the other side was surreal. This was also a time that brought the group closer through encouragements and extensions of support. It was evident that the group was becoming more attuned to each others needs, which will certainly help us succeed in what we ultimately came here to do.



Moving from one place to the next in our coach van we were provided with constant entertainment by our driver Michael. Throughout our time spent with him he was cracking jokes left and right, telling tall tales, and getting to know us better. While we stopped to have a
countryside lunch, he noticed one of us with our headphones in listening to music. He commented, "Are you jammin' darlin? Strawberry or raspberry?" We all burst into laughter and appreciated his witty Irish humor.


On the way to our next sight, we stopped to visit the smallest church in all of Ireland called St. Gobban's Church. This secluded and
neutral place of worship accepts all religions and all denominations. Donations to a special coin box inside the church is evenly distributed among charities. John Auld's cottage shares the same property as this church and we struck up a conversation with him while visiting. He proceeded to tell us about his service in the United States Navy and gave us the special privilege to enter his cottage. This was a place of wonder holding many artifacts from different generations, including a canoe dated all the way back to 450 AD and items from the Titanic. We've learned that often times relationships in Northern Ireland can take an especially long time to build, however we were welcomed by Mr. Auld instantly. In more neutral areas, such as where this church is located or at Corrymeela perhaps the Northern Irish take a more open and unguarded approach to others.


Our afternoon concluded at the Giant's Causeway, another famous geological treasure. There are two different stories as to how over 40,000 hexagonal columns were formed. One is a mystical tale about two fighting giants and one is a scientific theory about volcanic eruptions. A short introductory movie clip about the Causeway ended saying that there's one kind of rock but two different stories and it was up to us to decide. As this site has awed countless travelers for centuries, it had the same effect on us. These two stories but one type of rock could symbolize the Conflict in Northern Ireland we've been learning about.



Back at Corrymeela we were invited to watch or participate in a talent show organized for a group of kids, "Corrymeela's Got Talent". These youth were staying here for the week going through a program put on here focusing on cross-community integration. This gave us a special opportunity to interact with the young people in a fun way as a number of us chose to showcase our own special talents. Through interactions as well as encouraging the youth, a door was opened for us all to briefly experience direct work with Northern Ireland youth. It was inspiring to see how the youth workers here used fun and interactive activities as meaningful teaching opportunities.




As Michael named us earlier in the day, "The group of eleven
roses and two thorns" (representing the female to male ratio), we have used this day here in Ireland to build a stronger bond within the group. We were privileged to gain insight on another side of Northern Ireland, a very beautiful side...





Friday, May 28, 2010

Participation and Pure Fun!

"No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline."
-Kofi Annan


We had a bit of a "lie-in" this morning (sleeping in) as the volunteers of Corrymeela have come to understand our group to be slow-starters (to put it euphemistically). As we were we gathering for our morning session, we noticed the weans from Dunclug Primary School lining up to leave! So, of course a room of youth workers need to say their good-byes. It was quite sad to see all their positive energy leave our new home community, but we're looking forward to interacting with the next group of young people from a secondary school who we're told are staying until Sunday! We hear their sleeping habits are a bit more like ours...


For our morning session three of Corrymeela's long-time volunteers (LTVs), Sang, Raziyah, and Theresa, walked us through how they work with youth, treating us as if we were a group. Many of the games and experiential learning activities follow similar methodology lines we are used to at the University of Minnesota, but the volunteers took care to point out how many of the activities are geared towards bringing the two groups of the conflict together.

One activity had the entire group holding strings and working together to raise a ball from one unstable pole to another pole 15 feet away. The key was to attempt this process without dropping the ball or tipping anything over - if so, we were to begin the process over! We came to realize this process cannot be accomplished without listening to everyone's perspectives in the circle. The LTV's explained their debriefing they hold with youth groups, and how they ask the right questions to get at the concept of how everyone may see one event (or conflict) from completely different perspectives, but how important it is to consider all sides when attempting to explore solutions to struggles.

Afterwards, Alissa spontaneously led us in a relaxing back-rub circle and group bonding moment. This special moment reinforced what we learned during the activities as well: that even in the few days that we have been together, our group has become very cohesive and good at "having each others' backs", and positively working through any group dynamic struggles. As for us three, we're very proud of our family of 16 (Theresa included!).

For dinner some of us ventured to Morton's in Ballycastle, for "the best fish & chips" in the world, according to folks that have experienced and/or lived here...we have to agree the fish was fresh, hot & flaky, and the chips were tasty! Afterwards, it was off to the town, The Central Restaurant, to have some 'pure fun!' For our first night experiencing the local scene, we were treated to traditional Irish hospitality. One of our group members was even given the opportunity to entertain the patrons with two songs! PURE FUN!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Bitter Spaces & New Beginnings


Today was a much needed day. Here at Corrymeela, we are having many critical conversations, sitting at the edge of an ancient country and attempting to understand its long and painful history. The opportunity to take in some of the beauty and mystery behind this space had most, if not all of us, feeling wide-eyed and adventurous. The thought of our curiosity being intrusive or even destructive did not cross our minds until we ventured into the town of Ballycastle, more than eager to see what lay beyond the hills we had only glimpsed in our photographs. The sense of freedom we had been welcomed into at Corrymeela transcended its lovely walls onto the sandy beaches we followed towards the town. Frolicking in the sand, we pressed on admiring the colorful rocks (the beaches of Ireland are a geological treasure chest).







Shortly after we stepped over an estuary and into the town limits; there were signs of separation all around us. The progress we had made just that morning in our understanding of everyday life in Northern Ireland was now being put to the test. Professor, Ross VeLure Roholt, had challenged us to use visual signs in order to understand who was in ownership of this town. Our inability to comprehend how the people in this community live time, space, self and the other was apparent as we tried to decipher meaning in every mural, street sign, door, gate, symbol, artifact and face we encountered. There was a feeling of tension we were not quite able to understand. Our position as tourists and outsiders left us feeling uncertain of how we fit into and/or affected this space. At the end of this experience we returned to the comfort of our temporary home where a new guest awaited.



Lisa Rae is studied in English, Museum studies, and most importantly has twelve years of experience in youth work. She has helped to provide neutral spaces for youth of a sectarian society in Northern Ireland by supporting them in redefining museum space. Youth of all classes are only welcomed into museums under restricted circumstances, but she has provided them with the opportunity to take ownership of the museum through self-curated exhibitions. A highlight in our discussion with Mrs. Rae was how she put this magic into words:

You need to put them in the right situations, at the right time, in the right place, in order to create an environment for them to uncover what they already know.

We discovered our own meaning in Mrs. Rae's powerful words after hearing the following conversation between two girls also visiting Corrymeela from an Irish primary school:

Girl 1: Why do Catholics and Protestants pure riot all the time?
Facilitator: Well why do you think that
is?

Girl 1: Because the Catholics don't like the Protestants, and the Protestants don't like the Catholics.

Girl 2: But they're not really all that different!

This discussion is evidence that Corrymeela does what Mrs. Rae put so beautifully; We learned that our role as youth workers is to turn bitter spaces into new beginnings, and this place does just that.




Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Day 2 "Where do you belong?"

Fun Fact for the Day! Corymeela means "Hill of Harmony"
-After learning this meaning we had a good chuckle because whenever someone mentioned hills someone else would start to sing "The hills are alive with the sound of music..." and we were never in musical harmony.

Day 2 began with getting adjusted to our new home at Corymeela. We found a great saying on the front door as you exit to help explain what this place is about.


Our day consisted of learning more of how, what, where and why Corymeela does what it does. We still have until Sunday to be here, but we are getting a great idea of how powerful this place is and the work that it does.

The morning consisted of us getting used to the six hour time change. We awoke to find beautiful sunny skies despite "the myth" it rains all the time in Ireland (we knocked on wood after we typed this). At breakfast we were pleasantly surprised to find Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies. Some of us also sampled the other cereal called Wheatabix (we think this is right).

In order to slowly work ourselves back into the school work mindset we met with our small groups to discuss various questions we wanted to ask our guest speaker, Ivan Cross, who specializes in cross-community work in Northern Ireland. After our group discussions we met up in a large group for a quick check-in and debriefing to go over the various questions established which included: Why did he become interested in youth work? What is cross-community work? How is the program funded? How do you approach the youth about attending Corrymeela? How do you avoid burn-out?

After a delicious and filling meal of breaded chicken or vegetarian dish, bread, and salad/slaw we met in our room for our discussion with Ivan. He began the talk by asking us to go around the room and give our names and to answer the question, "Where do you belong?" This was a puzzling question for several of us as we don't often think where do we belong, it is one of those things you could say is often taken for granted. He continued his talk by explaining the significance of belonging, particularly in Northern Ireland. He explained that in order to do cross-community work, a sense of safety and security are essential, both of these elements are developed when the feeling of belonging coincides with where youth are told they belong.

Many of you may be wondering what cross-community work is or what it looks like. It can take various forms but for the most part it is bringing two different sides together to talk and discuss in a neutral setting. An important aspect is to remember it is not about converting or eroding the other group but rather hearing the other group.

Ivan shared with us some very useful and personal stories that many of us found enlightening and meaningful. Some of the main points we took away were noticing how he creates a safe space for the youth to become aware of themselves, taking responsibility for their actions, as well as knowing that they have a choice in what they do. He also takes the time to build trusting relationships with the youth he works with which helps create the secure space that is crucial to cross-community work.

After talking with Ivan we had a brief discussion about tomorrow's agenda then we all rushed off to diner. Tonight we had a version of Shephard's Pie (meat and vegetarian) with chips (french fries) as the mashed potatoes.

As the sun is setting on our day, we are left to reflect on what we have learned today. We have many questions swirling in our minds so we would like to leave this one with you to ponder... Where do you belong? Give it a thought, it may be more challenging than you think!

:)


Monday, May 24, 2010


Above Photo: "Kayla on the rocks"

Day one: Laura Hughes.

This place is poetry.
It is music.
It is the sun and the cloudless blue sky,
a phenomenal first impression for those who have never seen the splendor that is Ireland on a sunny day.
It is the fresh sea air in your lungs and tossing through your hair, peeling back the layers of stress and grime acquired on the long journey of taxis, buses, airplanes, more airplanes, forgotten and misplaced luggage, delays, waiting, and more buses... exhaustion.

It is the feeling that you were meant to be here somehow, and that it was all worth it.

It is the hills that touch the clouds, that make you want to run even though your tired legs felt immobile a minute before.
It is the people who go out of the way to brighten up your room and make you feel at home.

It is the feeling you get, as you sit on the rocks facing an irish sea and an irish sun, that your heart and your soul are both completely alive and completely at peace.

It is the feeling that you needed this, and you need to be here.

This place is the inspiring, breathtaking beauty that you desperately try to catch with your camera.
It is the wish that those back home, or those who have not known peace for some time, could see what your eyes are seeing
... as even your fancy camera could never do it justice.

It is the strange feeling of unity and camaraderie with people you barely even know, but know that you will know, and come to hold dear in your heart.

... right next to your mental picture of rocks and sea and sun and...
green.

This place is Corrymeela, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland... and we are apart of it now.













(above photos, from top to bottom: One of the corrymeela buildings/Sarah and Alissa finding treasures/tidepools on the beach/Robbie exploring the beach/some of the group enjoying the weather/Some of the group enjoying the view/The sun setting on a beautiful day)