I spent a good part of the summer in the north of Ireland. It’s a beautiful country filled with lovely people, who spent three decades at the end of the last century at odds. In true, understated Irish fashion, they called their season of sectarian violence The Troubles, and in those years, more than 3,700 people were killed, 50,000 wounded, and an entire nation was … Continue reading A Cautionary Tale
In Northern Ireland, we coordinated several studio days in different locations around the country. We wanted to hear stories of healing in the wake of their sectarian violence known as the Troubles. As we often do, we partnered with existing groups who are already doing good work on the ground in an effort to amplify voices of hope and healing. We partnered with the Women … Continue reading Northern Ireland studio
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 … Continue reading Northern Ireland update
Here’s the question… Can we do this thing we do internationally? Can we make good connections? Can we find interesting people to interview? Can we understand well enough the issues that other places are facing to listen and engage and learn along the way? Can we navigate the logistics and the language and the varied power supplies and come back with work that matters…to me, … Continue reading Here we go
1000 to 1 Once upon a time, in a place that shall remain nameless, it finally happened. One of my exhibits was vandalized. Someone—apparently—took exception to the message in one of the stories and they chose to respond by writing a contrary message in sharpie across the photo panel. I won’t name the place where it happened, because it could have happened anywhere. It’s one … Continue reading 1,000 to 1
I was in Northern Ireland with a group and students and staff that was convened by the Conversation Project at Willamette University, an initiative on campus to “cultivate capacity for honest, transformative dialogue.” Also in the room were folks from the Center for Engaged Compassion, the Center for Inclusion and Belonging, and the Corrymeela Community, who hosted our gathering and has been involved in reconciliation … Continue reading Corrymeela
I arrived in Northern Ireland today. An overnight flight to Dublin, a rental car, and a successful three hour route to the north, driving on the left side of the road. I’ve done that before, but it still feels a little weird. We get used to doing things a certain way. Our way. The right way. I’m here to meet a group of students and … Continue reading Northern Ireland
Jan Selby is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been screened internationally in settings ranging from film festivals and art museums to university classrooms and on Public Television. BEYOND THE DIVIDE premiered at Montana’s Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and won Best Feature Documentary at the Peace on Earth Film Festival. After a year of traveling to festivals world-wide, BEYOND THE DIVIDE was broadcast on Twin Cities … Continue reading Jan Selby
Andrew Cheung is the senior pastor of Washington Community Fellowship, a Protestant community located less than a dozen blocks from our nation’s capital that strives to practice love as a lifestyle. We talked about his interest in crossing boundaries, his personal walk through life with a sense of wonder, and in our ability to create healing for one another. “I think we can either approach the … Continue reading Andrew Cheung
Adam Russell Taylor is the president of Sojourners, a faith-based organization exploring the Christian call for social justice. I interviewed Adam at the Sojourner’s office in Washington D.C. on the eve of the Poor People’s Campaign’s Moral March on Washington, where I joined Adam and tens of thousands of others in a call for moral revival in America. “One of the things that has been … Continue reading Adam Russell Taylor
