It’s been a whirlwind since I returned from Ireland a couple weeks back, but I wanted to update you on what’s unfolding from this exploratory trip.
The short story is wow. Just, wow. But, of course there’s more.
I had in mind that this could offer a chance to build on some existing relationships and develop new ones, all to lay the foundation for a return trip this summer to gather stories about how Northern Ireland has navigated its history of sectarian violence and the tensions that remain today.
Before leaving home, I had a series of meetings lined up to help me understand the lay of the land and identify who was doing interesting work. Every connection led to others and I found the days too short to walk through all the doors that opened while I was there.
Already, I’ve shifted work in the States to make room to spend an extra week in Northern Ireland this summer. It still won’t be enough, but it will be more, and we will fill it up.
We will be working with a women’s group in the small towns along the border with the Republic of Ireland, talking about the long and slow reconciliation work they have been doing for years. We arranged to be a part of an ongoing series of public art and dialogue called Borderlands. We will do work at the Black Mountain Shared Space, a community center that was built to straddle the physical and ideological divides between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in Belfast. We are in conversation with the new Peacemakers Museum in Derry. We are ironing out the details for public projections, a partnership with a photo collective, and one other big presentation that I am bursting to share, but I really shouldn’t until it firms up a little more. (They get the first chance to announce it, plus the bird is not quite in the hand…holy cow, I’m excited, though.)
We have an interview lined up with the folks who started the first integrated high school in Northern Ireland (more than 90% of schools are still segregated by religion.) A filmmaker who made a documentary exploring peacemakers. A mural artist who launched a festival to create art that welcomes everyone. Ex-paramilitary members. People who lost family members in the conflict. Clergy, authors, and more. I can’t wait to dig into these stories and learn.
I don’t know that I’m going to show the folks in Northern Ireland anything they don’t already know about themselves, but then again, A Peace of My Mind has a way of helping people see themselves and others in new ways. So, who knows…
But I am certain that I will learn in the process. And that together, we will learn. About how to bridge divides and build community. About how to have hope in hopeless times. About how to find joy in difficult circumstances. About how to believe that small voices can make a big impact. About how to be brave.
And this summer, we’re hoping to learn how to work with a team. We are working through the final details to have three summer interns from Willamette University travel with me and we’ll explore different ways to share content, posting more videos on social media and on our website. I’ll hope to share some combination of hard skills and wonder with the interns as they help me learn how A Peace of My Mind might mentor the next generation of storytellers.
And in the bigger picture, I’m learning how to gather international stories. How to build relationships and partnerships so that I can come from the outside, get a handle on the situation, and tell international stories that are relevant, fair, and human-centered. This template seems promising: research, e-mail and zoom calls from home to get a foothold, then make an exploratory trip to really build relationships that can help me understand the place and its people, and finally, return to do the interviews. It’s a slow process, but it’s worth doing it right.
I’m enamored with Northern Ireland. It’s a land of heartbreak that is filled with warm-hearted people. It’s a country that weaves the trauma of the past with the beauty of contemporary art and poetry. Not so long ago, Belfast was home to horrific violence and is now one of the safest cities in Western Europe. Like the rest of us, Northern Ireland is a work in progress. And there are lessons to learn.
We are taking a big bite and making bold plans to bring people together. Because the world needs it. Because I need it.
Many thanks to the donors and others who helped make this work possible. Thanks to the generous and kind folks at home and in Northern Ireland who have opened doors for us. We head back across the Atlantic in about 9 weeks. I can’t wait to take you along for the ride.
