Alistair Kilgore, a Northern Irish educator and peacebuilder, has dedicated over fifty years to fostering cross-community understanding. He emphasizes reconciliation through acknowledging personal roles in conflict and building relationships. His initiatives include supporting integrated education, challenging sectarianism, and creating inclusive spaces for healing and connection among divided communities in Northern Ireland. Continue reading Alastair Kilgore
Patricia Moore is a community activist and longtime Sinn Féin member from Derry, Northern Ireland, whose life has been shaped by the conflict known as the Troubles and the subsequent peace process. Raised in Derry during some of the most violent years of the conflict, she experienced military raids, street violence, and the daily realities of a divided society from an early age. At 17, she became involved in republican politics and later spent more than a year in prison after being detained during a mass arrest operation; the case against her ultimately collapsed when the key witness withdrew her testimony. Continue reading Patricia Moore
Martina Anderson is a lifelong Irish republican, former political prisoner, and veteran political leader from Derry’s Bogside. Arrested in the early years of the Troubles, she spent nearly fourteen years in prison, including a decade in England, before her release under the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Continue reading Paul McLaughlin
Mark Durkan, a key figure in Northern Ireland’s peace process, emphasizes that lasting reconciliation requires community engagement beyond political agreements. His work with the John and Pat Hume Foundation fosters dialogue and understanding, highlighting how truth and mutual adjustment can cultivate a shared future, while recognizing that individuals and communities drive sustainable peace. Continue reading Mark Durkan
Martina Anderson is a lifelong Irish republican, former political prisoner, and veteran political leader from Derry’s Bogside. Arrested in the early years of the Troubles, she spent nearly fourteen years in prison, including a decade in England, before her release under the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Continue reading Martina Anderson
Chris McDonough, a community development worker in Derry, Northern Ireland, focuses on bridging divides between Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods through dialogue and youth engagement. With a commitment to reconciliation and social equity, he believes true peace involves understanding diverse identities and overcoming historical trauma, emphasizing the need for ongoing healing beyond the Troubles. Continue reading Chris McDonagh
Shelley Cowan, a disability advocate from Northern Ireland, founded Justus to promote inclusivity for adults with disabilities. After a decade of health struggles, she regained mobility and earned a master’s degree. Along with caregiver Tracey Farry, they foster connections across cultural divides, transforming personal challenges into community empowerment and empathy. Continue reading Shelley Cowan and Tracey Farry
Martina Byrne, a community builder in Hilltown, Ireland, transformed her personal experiences of isolation into a proactive initiative to connect women. Co-founding a thriving women’s group, she fosters community through diverse activities. Motivated by her desire for connection, Byrne emphasizes peace, trust, and women’s roles in grassroots change, nurturing relationships for lasting impact. Continue reading Martina Byrne
Vincenta Leyden, raised on the border of Northern and Southern Ireland, reflects on her complex identity shaped by the Troubles. Through poetry and art, she explores emotions and fosters connections among communities. Leyden urges a critical examination of inherited beliefs, recognizing the lasting impacts of conflict on everyday life and societal norms. Continue reading Vincenta Leyden
Manorhamilton, Ireland Nula McNulty is a lifelong resident of North Leitrim, Ireland, who returned home in 2003 after years working on Ireland’s east coast and two years in China as a food technologist. Raised on a mixed farm near the Northern Ireland border, she grew up during the Troubles with a father from the North and a mother from the South. Her upbringing instilled in … Continue reading Nula McNulty
