For Peace

An Open Space for dialogue among practitioners

Leading Ladies

Peace Building from a Gendered Perspective

Naomi Long

Alliance MP speaks out on CSI

An Integrated Approach to Peace-Building

Irish Peace Centres

Edition Three, Dec. 2010 - Feb. 2011

In this Edition
Page6
Leading Ladies

Page10

Naomi Long on CSI Strategy

Page13

IPC- where are we now?

Page8

Dealing with Difference

Page12
From our Bloggers

Page18

Storytelling as Peacebuilding: How to know when it works

Irish Peace Centres Consortium

Co-operation Ireland is a cross border charity dedicated to promoting better relations and practical co-operation between the people of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.Our aim is to provide opportunities for groups from both sides of the border to meet to learn about diversity and to create a society based on tolerance and acceptance of cultural difference. To achieve this aim Co-operation Ireland works with Youth and Community Groups, Schools, Local Authorities, Businesses and Training Organisations, Statutory Organisations and Governments.

The Corrymeela Community is a Christian community of reconciliation established in 1965. It has a membership of over 140 people from many traditions throughout Ireland and beyond who, individually and collectively, are committed to work for a society whose priorities are justice, mutual respect, the participation of all, concern for the stranger, stewardship of resources and care for Creation. Corrymeela is a highly professional community relations organisation working with a dedicated, skilled, reflective and innovative staff who benefit from the longevity of organisational learning. Over the years the Community has developed methodologies of experiential learning and working that encourages its staff, volunteers and Community members to be flexible and instils a need to be risk-takers in a highly supported environment(Community Relations Council Report 2006/7). This is still what we do.

The Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation was founded in response to protracted violent conflict, and with the conviction that non-violent solutions must be pursued to encourage reconciliation within and between communities.It is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to international peace building and reconciliation with a residential centre in Co Wicklow. Activities at the centre include facilitating dialogues with politicians, survivors, former combatants, women, youth and new communities, creating peace education resources, creating and delivering school programmes and conducting training courses.

The cover image was taken at the For Peace event hosted by Irish Peace Centres in September 2010 (see page 4)

Welcome
s we reflect back over the past two years in Irish Peace Centres, we are reminded of the many individuals, groups and communities which have been involved successfully in our activities at both a local and regional level. The interconnectedness of our approach has demonstrated that by working together, we can provide those groups and communities with a dynamic response that is matched to their needs. However, the scale of this project has inevitably unearthed challenges e.g. how do we implement an integrated and joined up approach within a consortium which comprises four separate organisations which have developed their own cultures and identities over the past forty years? What is the distinctive Irish Peace Centres approach to peace-building? What is the added value of a consortium? How do we demonstrate that the whole is

greater than the sum of the parts? Undoubtedly, the closure of Donegal Peace Centre was a saddening blow to all my colleagues, both at An Teach Ban and within the consortium. The closure presented the first real structural challenge to the consortium. That problem was solved by the successful proposal to SEUPB that the Experiential Learning programme should be continued under the aegis of Cooperation Ireland. Irish Peace Centres strengthened its partnership with INCORE in a jointly organised international workshop in Derry focusing on the evaluation of story-telling as a peace-building methodology. It is remarkable that no universally accepted evaluation tool exists for the widespread peace-building practice of story-telling despite the investment of millions of euros in it in conflict regions worldwide. This is

part of an ongoing project which aims to develop and enhance new methodologies for the evaluation of peace-building. The findings of this workshop will be launched at a seminar to be held in Belfast in January. This will be accompanied by the release of three other publications in our series of Experiential Learning Papers : Faith and Positive Relations; Intergenerational Aspects of the NI conflict; and Prejudice and Pride, report of a conference. Further information will be made available on our website.

Paddy Logue

Experiential Learning and Training Coordinator

Moving Forward
ver the past few months Irish Peace Centres has experienced a great loss on two counts. In May, David Stevens Leader of The Corrymeela Community and member of our Joint Management Committee sadly passed away after a battle with cancer. In the week before his sad passing he attended what was to be his final JMC meeting. This is a clear testimony to his commitment and dedication to peace building and reconciliation to which he made a substantial contribution over the years. He will be sorely missed. The difficult economic restraints experienced by all in todays society were felt closer to home as the Irish Peace Centres consortium member - An Teach Ban closed the doors of its residential premises in Downings, Co. Donegal. Whilst this
Irish Peace Centres, Co-operation Ireland (lead partner), Unit 5 Weavers Court Business Park, Lineld Road, Belfast, BT12 5GH. Tel: +44 28 90891025 Fax: +44 28 90891000 Website: www.irishpeacecentres.org

marks the end of a long-established body in the North West that was borne out of a community need, it isnt the end for the work carried out by its staff and patrons. Co-operation Ireland is delighted to welcome three of the staff from Donegal Peace Centre to continue their work in the Experiential Learning and Training activity of the Irish Peace Centres. Paddy Logue, Owen Donnelly and Stephanie Burns will remain based in Derry to continue to engage with communities and groups in the North West. These challenges are faced by many organisations within the sector but through a partnered approach and collaborative working we have been able, in the face of adversity, to continue the work that we set out to do. The launch of the long-awaited Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration
The articles published in Irish Peace Centres magazine do not necessarily reect the views of the consortium. This publication is protected by copyright and permission must be sought from the original author prior to reproducing any of the material.

(CSI) marks a critical juncture in our reconciliation process and, like many other actors in society, Irish Peace Centres submitted its response to the consultation. Naomi Long, Alliance Party MP shares her views on this document in this edition of the magazine.

Peter Sheridan, O.B.E.

Chairman of Irish Peace Centres Joint Management Committee (JMC)

To view or download a copy of the magazine, visit our website: www.irishpeacecentres.org If you would like to contribute to the Magazine, please contact Bronagh Sharpe, Communications Ocer. Tel: +44 28 90891025 Email: bsharpe@cooperationireland.org

For Peace
Open Space Technology (OST) is a process for facilitating complex meetings. It is people-centred and result-orientated. OST offers a methodology that allows people to broach difficult subjects and address conflict issues. Participants in Open Space meetings are empowered by being made responsible for their own interests, desires and actions. (Susanne Bosch, OST facilitator of For Peace.)

ith the brief of creating an open and inclusive space for dialogue between practitioners in the peace and reconciliation field, Open Space seemed like the logical format for an Irish Peace Centres conference. This innovative and increasingly popular style of conferencing is being used as a creative and engaging methodology for peace dialogue throughout the world. When discussing the channels for dialogue in peace and reconciliation, we often talk about shared space, Safe space (or even contested space), but here the focus was the open space. That free and open space which allowed for honest discussion, is the protagonist in this kind of event; it is a space that holds the complexity of human interaction, energy, constructive thoughts and positive visions. Unlike conventional conferencing, in Open Space no agenda is set. The participants take all responsibility for what they wish to discuss. Instead of setting a specific theme, Irish Peace Centres opted for the overarching framework of For Peace. After a lengthy brainstorming session, it became clear that issues in the sector and what we hoped would be achieved from the event, could neither be pigeonholed nor categorised by a group sitting around a table. Our consensus was that For Peace would be open-ended enough to allow participants to interpret it in a way that was relevant to them. It created an opportunity for participants to take ownership of their topic for discussion, and raise as many topics as they wanted. Open Space as an operating system for self-organising dialogue is underpinned by principles of action, which allow participants to take responsibility for their own learning. The law of two feet meant that when participants felt they had heard enough of one conversation, they could move to the next discussion group. Whilst it may seem a carte blanche for organised chaos, it is in reality a curiously ordered framework for substantive activity. Why is this valuable to peace building? The feedback from participants suggested

that this type of event was a significant opportunity not only for networking, but also to raise issues relating to peace building which impact upon our working practices, and sharing the solutions. The opportunity was a break in the cycle of the daily toil of paperwork that has become part of the normal humdrum of managing programmes. The exchange of creative vision and ideas around the implementation of activities at grassroots level is so vital in a dynamic field that builds on experiential learning to create a long-term strategic direction. The event served as a cautionary reminder that peace practitioners and organisations do not work in a vacuum: through constructive dialogue and reflective thought, strategies can be developed to benefit the work we do. Themes and familiar patterns of thought emerged as discussions progressed. The discussion for one group was stripped to the core question of What is Peace? A simple question, but one that holds different meanings for different people and posits a myriad of responses. Participants shared their understandings and perceptions of what constitutes peace and focused on the need to retain a strong and shared vision of what needs to be achieved. To achieve this vision from the bottom up, it can only be truly relevant and engaging if there is energised and focused activity. After years of collectively piloting peace programmes, many practitioners wanted to understand what of the learning has been captured and normalised, and what of this knowledge can impact the value of the work happening in many areas. In addition to sharing best practice in terms of methodologies for peace building and reconciliation work with groups, practitioners wanted to capture the organisational learning, especially that of working in a partnership or consortium. The innovation of the Irish Peace Centres integrated approach to programme delivery on such a large scale was of particular interest to many participants. Against a backdrop of funding uncertainties, many

practitioners were keen to explore the value and logistics of partnerships as a means of maximising resources available. Other themes discussed in the course of the day included: the Role of Women in Conflict; Talking to Dissidents; Dealing with Apathy; Wisdom of N. Ireland as a Model. At the end of the day a Book of Proceedings was produced for all participants. It is a record of the thoughts and opinions that participants noted throughout the course of the day, and serves as a powerful reminder of all that was discussed. All participants received the book and were invited back in December for a follow-up discussion to explore how, or whether, they have implemented any of the learning in their daily working and even personal lives. The overall event proved to be a resounding success: Irish Peace Centres brought together a mosaic of practitioners working at grassroots level and interacting with groups and individuals, to explore new ways of developing the sector and ensuring that the impact of our work is felt in the communities. A strong network, which can rely on the support of others within the sector, and draw on the experiential learning of others, is an added value that can realistically be maintained in a small region like Northern Ireland. The capturing and sharing of the learning advocated within Irish Peace Centres programme of activities can be implemented even at a smaller scale with just as much impact. Opportunities to discuss, share and problem-solve are valuable to the work the sector does and in Open Space events - nothing remains unsaid.

Bronagh Sharpe

Communications Officer bsharpe@cooperationireland.org

Opportunities to discuss, share and problem-solve are valuable to the work the sector does and in Open Space events - nothing remains unsaid

Leading Ladies:
Peace Building from a Gendered Perspective
Susan McEwen, Co-ordinator for Interface Reconciliation talks about the perspectives of women in society, and how Irish Peace Centres programme - Leading Ladies aims to build the capacity of local women to fulfil their potential

Susan Reid, Anne-Marie White, Susan McEwan, Nisha Tandon he US magazine Forbes recently released its list of the worlds most powerful women. Forbes said this year's index took less account of traditional calculations of wealth and position, setting more store by the women's creative influence and entrepreneurship. Based on this understanding of power they have placed Michelle Obama in the number one spot above Hilary Clinton and Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democrats who is now in her second term as Chancellor of Germany, an economic powerhouse which is arguably the most influential country within the European Union. Michelle Obama is great, but is it not somewhat concerning that she is recognised primarily not on her own merit but as Forbes says: She hasn't won an election, nor led a palace coup, but when you're married to the world's most powerful man the influence comes naturally? The role of women within our society is still one shadowed by prejudice and discrimination. At a recent Leading Ladies lunch, Baroness May Blood spoke of an experience at the negotiations during the Good Friday Agreement where she was asked by one of our male politicians - for sugar for his tea! 6

Sadly this is not an unusual story and while the recent film Made in Dagenham celebrates the achievements of women who, by going on strike, challenged sexual discrimination in the workplace (which laid the foundations for the 1972 Equal Pay Act), the negative experiences and pressures felt by many women, is more prevalent than we would like to think. In the latest of the Leading Ladies Lunches a group of sixteen women came together to look at what they considered to be some of the biggest challenges facing women around leadership. The women were from a variety of backgrounds and yet the prevalent issues which they discussed still centred around the myth that you can have it all: the job, the family, the beautiful house, and the great figure and still have the time and the energy to be Nigella Lawson in the kitchen. Many of the women talked about how difficult it is when they express their opinions with any level of energy, they are accused of being aggressive. Other women spoke of how they sometimes deliberately mask their intelligence because of the response that they have received in the past. The suspicion of clever women is sadly not a new dynamic. In February 2009 University Challenge star, Gail Trimble,

was the focus of public criticism, because of her intelligence. There is of course deep irony in this. In general, women excel academically; girls outshine boys in all sorts of academic areas, all the way through school and into university. They are better at reading, get better GCSE and A level results and make up more than fifty percent of current undergraduates but as recent research at University College London suggests, this reality does not translate into how women see themselves. It is men who tend to overestimate their own intelligence, while women quite often, underestimate. However, further conversations with women would suggest that this underestimation is a deliberate act, the necessity for which arises out of the general dislike of clever women and the perceived threat that they present. The Leading Ladies programme offers opportunities for local women to develop positive relationships and gives participants a chance to look beyond their personal, professional and geographic circumstances to explore new ways to recognise and fulfil their potential and not underestimate it. Women are often considered vulnerable yet in reality would suggest that women are more resilient than their male counterparts. Vulnerability factors affect different women in different ways, as women can feel unsure of their role mother, daughter, partner and

peace builder? The range of methodologies and activities adopted by Irish Peace Centres aims to build the capacity of individuals, and empower them to embed their learning and shared understanding in a community context. The Leading Ladies project comes from an explicitly feminist perspective and recognises that the climate of prejudice is pervasive in society but compound that with conflict and the capacity for women to engage in leadership at any level is made considerably more difficult. It is a creative response that is local and specific, and seeks to develop capacity engagement across

traditional and emerging cultural divides. Leading Ladies is both a series of eventbased trainings and an accredited course looking at conflict transformation, leadership and global issues from a gendered perspective. Leading Ladies aims to create opportunities for learning, challenge and support to women from a variety of backgrounds, who are committed to showing leadership in their lives around issues of growing peace. The project is creative in its approach and hopes to be organic in growth with the capacity to bring on new strands as a response to initiatives imagined by the women. Irish Peace Centres

aims to develop an international element to the project and link up women from this island with women from other conflict areas, such as Israel and Palestine. For further information about any of the Leading Ladies events please contact: Leadingladies.IPC@gmail.com Or call +44 28 90508080. Details will be made available on the Irish Peace Centres website: www.irishpeacecentres.org.

Leading Ladies Leadership Training Programme

D
Belfast

evelop the leadership skills, the capacity and knowledge of conflict transformation and global issues for women in

The training aspect of the Leading Ladies programme will be facilitated by Tides Training. The course will explore the following three concepts from a gendered perspective. Who inspires you as a woman? Who do you inspire? Who could you inspire? Conflict Transformation What is conflict? How do we respond in conflict? How could we respond? Understanding Global Issues Why does what is happening to women in the Democratic Republic of Congo matter to you in Belfast? Women working in the UK earn on average 23% less than men. Women produce up to 90% of food in the developing world, and earn only 10% of the worlds agricultural income. two-thirds of the worlds illiterate

are women. Only 18.3% of the worlds members of parliament are women (UK is under 20%). Clearly there are some systemic injustices at play here. A gendered approach seeks to understand these power imbalances (locally and globally) and explore avenues to work towards a more just and equitable future. A gendered approach takes into account relational and social issues facing women today. It also acknowledges the way in which women engage with diversity and tension (whether it is ethnic, cultural or sectarian), acknowledging the deeper emotional connection to these issues. This approach considers the reality that women are mothers, caregivers, breadwinners, and in many cases (though not exclusively) the glue of community. A gendered approach will emphasise the agency and particular aptitudes specific to women. It is important to remember that a gendered approach is not exclusively focused on women. It both recognizes and affirms the contributions possible by all actors of society. Rather at the heart of a gendered approach is equity. A gender approach offers tools to think critically. It offers tools

to critically approach the status quo and the tacitly accepted power structures that can disempower women. This training programme will approach the courses interactively through case studies and debate around themes of gender roles in society (i.e. at home, in the workplace, in government etc.). Special attention will be given to the complexities inherent in interface areas and other post conflict settings. The training will incorporate a gendered approach by exploring other examples (national, and international) of social movements and the role that women have played as positive change agents, and in doing so increase the ladies understanding of their role, their potential and the challenges they face with regards to leadership in their communities. For more information or to register please contact: Courtnae Dunn at courtnaedunn.tides@gmail.com

Dealing with Difference:

Reaching and talking to the other. The importance of open, honest and exploratory dialogue.
The reality of our present situation, whether we be Nationalist or Unionist, Republican, Loyalist or dissident, is that we have nothing to offer one another other than the opportunity to unite in the building of a happy, just and healthy society, at peace with itself and free from violence: a society which not only recognizes and respects the legitimacy of diverse aspirations, but also guarantees its citizens the right to determine their ultimate destiny through a truly democratic process. Harold Good, (Fortnight, September 2010 No. 472) Hard to reach has become an overused and misleading term to describe those sections of the community that are difficult to involve in peace and reconciliation initiatives. The term has been employed inconsistently in the Northern Ireland context, as it can be used to refer to hidden populations, groups of people who do not wish to be found or contacted, such as illegal drug users or gang members; while at other times it may refer to broader segments of a divided population such as old or young people, people with disabilities, former combatants, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people, homeless people and also dissidents. But surely, regardless of the negative connotations and related stigmatization of associated labels - disadvantaged, marginalised, have-not, illiterate, disengaged dissident, outsider, rebel and apathetic we have a responsibility to engage, include and connect. The Irish Peace Centres consortium has been trying to make efforts by being creative in reaching a number of these so-called hard-to-reach groups. Through outreach, community engagement and dialogue IPC has begun to seek alternatives with some Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist (PUL) communities. My recent work has focused upon groups and communities who feel and think they have been excluded from the peace process, particularly those who feel and think that organisations and authorities dont care about them. They are communities who are also very much detached from their elected and traditional representatives and who feel vulnerable and voiceless. Elements of sectarianism, intolerance, mistrust and communal division prevail among all aspects of community life in Northern Ireland and are most problematic amongst communities who feel isolated, feel they lack capacity and representation or who have been unable to access the economic and social benefits resulting from the absence of conflict, otherwise known as the peace dividend. This leads many to see the peace dividend as benefiting only certain groups and in fact reinforces bitterness and negative attitudes and feelings towards other communities and other national identities. This is not a phenomenon unique to either community in Northern Ireland and is experienced mainly by sections of both the Catholic and Protestant working classes. Many of these communities often have weak community structures and thus lack groups and individuals with the capacity to offer leadership or with links to establish relationships beyond the community. The absence of strong, connected groups within the community results in weak social capital and this further contributes to feelings of isolation and abandonment. This inhibits the development of outward looking communities confident to engage on difficult and challenging issues on a crossborder and cross community basis. It is for these reasons that community empowerment and community development activities are useful components of antisectarian approaches, especially for young people. The establishment of useful links and contact on a cross-community basis can also lead to the exchange of information and enhanced understanding and respect. Empowering communities and potential community leaders to understand their own community, their culture and to understand the causes and effects of sectarianism enables them to begin a process of examination and change within their community. Many of the individuals whom I encountered had to be met on their terms. By seeking and wishing to involve the hard to reach, the disaffected and the range of detached voices I needed to overcome my own prejudices about the people I sought to contact while at the same time working to address the preconceptions/misconceptions of those with whom I was working. I was motivated to contribute and to involve these groups; connecting with them and providing information, which was relevant to their needs. They choose to make use of opportunities through IPC. Outreach and exploratory dialogue involves engagement with 'hard to reach' groups, which is about building new connections, extending assistance or services to persons or groups not previously served through the Peace programmes, and the providing information or services to groups in society who might otherwise be neglected. The Irish Peace Centres programme aims to extend and embed reconciliation within and between communities by creating a strategic consortium to deliver a wide range of activities. It cannot address all pertinent community issues but it can offer and facilitate a safe space for crucial and frank conversations, which can lead to further progressive approaches for change. These activities should reflect the totality of relationships at different levels within a community and should also be dynamic, pragmatic, and risky projects should not just be the same old same old, or even about regurgitating old methods with favoured individuals or existing groups but something tangible and potentially transformative that impacts locally. A

Hard to reach has become an overused and misleading term to describe those sections of the community that are dicult to involve in peace and reconciliation initiatives

Beyond Northern Ireland, the world views our war to be over; there is peace. Whilst this is true in some sense problems still exist. The legacy of the Troubles is real. Northern Ireland is considered to be a post-conict society and whilst for the majority this may be the daily reality, violence still continues
locally informed programme of intervention or community capacity building should be responsive, not a quick solution and reflective of needs. It should also be concerned with ensuring and creating a safe space for exchange and dialogue. IPC is not only based on equality, fairness, and genuine inclusion but builds a better future for everyone that underpins and influences what we can all do in shaping a better society. Beyond Northern Ireland, the world views our war to be over; there is peace. Whilst this is true in some sense problems still exist. The legacy of the Troubles is real. Northern Ireland is considered to be a post-conflict society and whilst for the majority this may be the daily reality, violence still continues, mostly amongst young people in certain interface areas and within communities associated with a history of deep communal division, segregation, paramilitary influence, high unemployment, mistrust and isolation. By providing opportunities for crosscommunity and cross-border activities, groups and individuals can engage together in exploring their culture and communities through dialogue, they can begin to work together to address common issues and by doing so they can begin to develop positive relationships, enhance mutual understanding and improve comfort levels with inter-group contact. Crossborder contact is also a key component of approaches to anti-sectarianism in terms of addressing the relationships central to sectarianism in Ireland, i.e., between the Irish and British States. Cross-border contact has also been shown to successfully contribute to reconciliation across the island and in developing positive attitudinal change. IPCs approach therefore involves dialogue, empowerment, inter-group engagement, exploration and relationship building via north-south and cross-community contact exchanges. Learning and engagement through our activities enables those who would have been unwilling and indifferent to become empowered to explore, to recognise and fulfil their potential within the context of conflict transformation and grassroots change within our society. emotions, values and individual needs are important aspects of building, making and keeping personal local and national peace. The Irish Peace Centres consortium can perhaps help us to get there by working for more and deeper intercultural and intercommunal understanding, and for better communications and improved abilities to address and resolve our differences without violence. IPC and myself must all not only try to work to end sectarianism, bigotry, discrimination, prejudice and violence but also to contribute to designing structures that are capable of creating, and maintaining peace within and between communities. We all can do our part. Barry Fennell is outreach officer with Irish Peace Centres. His role involves bringing the IPC concept to new groups and new communities. bfennell@cooperationireland.org

Concluding remarks
Seeking, constructing and sustaining peace is one of the most complex, intriguing and outright frustrating challenges we face across our global community. Longstanding and bitter conflicts between identity groups continue to frustrate the quest for peace in the world. In Northern Ireland whilst there appears to be a general desire for true transformation there must also exist a desire and collective willingness to build a new future involving the hard to reach regardless of who or what they are or represent. People whether as individuals or within their communities have and will continue to reach out across their divides these efforts are sincere and appear to be persistent. I feel that there is a realisation that by combining energies, creative responses, adopting risky approaches and sitting down together we can finally confront and transcend our differences, extend horizons, explore new political spaces and get on with the task of reconstruction. Grassroots peace building, local activism, participatory methods and honest dialogue can offer alternatives and also strengthen and enhance the search for peace. Peace is one thing nearly everyone in Northern Ireland wants. There is a genuine opportunity for further change, and also in attempting to bring to fruition a more open and tolerant future. This doesnt mean that our many difficulties will go away. There are always problems. This is partly because every person is different learning more about each other, being able to identify and understand ones

IPCs approach therefore involves dialogue, empowerment, inter-group engagement, exploration and relationship building via north-south and crosscommunity contact exchanges

Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration: An Interview with Naomi Long, MP.
1. A big question arising out of CSI is the position of rights in peace building and reconciliation. A key challenge for IPC is to get a statement of values and principles that brings these things together and can underpin a consistent peacebuilding model. Do you welcome the up-front emphasis on rights in CSI?
I personally think that, whilst rights are an important element of building a shared future, there are risks when the emphasis on the rights agenda is out of balance with the other two elements, namely equality and good relations. All three need to be balanced, if a more stable and shared society is to emerge. A purely rights-based approach gives no solution when peoples rights are in conflict: the resolution of those conflicts through compromise and negotiation is the work of good relations. I am also concerned that the emphasis is on group rights rather than individual rights and that runs the risk of setting in stone communal divisions, rather than overcoming them and breaking them down. The worst thing we could do at this stage is further incentivise a two tribes model of development. Good relations is what changes those situations and reframes the debate, so that progress can be made. It simply recognises that, in life, we need to accommodate difference and respect the rights and the wishes of others as well as our own unless we want to be in constant conflict.

3. How do you understand the word integrated in the title of CSI?

For me, integrated simply means lived together. Segregation has allowed communities to grow apart and to lose the sense of shared experience which binds people together. Of course there are differences between people, but in the lens of the stark physical divisions, they have become magnified out of all proportion. Integration is about creating space for shared experience so that we can start to see how much we have in common as a counterpoint to the emphasis we currently have on the differences between us. It is about allowing people to be able to be educated, work, live and socialise where they want to.

The much-anticipated Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration was launched for public consultation in July of this year. The key goal of the strategy is to move forward from a legacy of physical and community division by taking a zero tolerance approach to sectarian, racist, religious and other forms of intolerance and hatred. As a result of a protracted delay in publishing the document, differences of opinion and strong criticism levelled at its lack of clear plans for substantial action, had already entered into public discourse. Bronagh Sharpe, Communications Officer, puts questions to Naomi Long, Alliance MP for East Belfast and Alliance Party Deputy Leader on her views on the CSI strategy.

4. Dierent options of funding models have been proposed in the strategy, which do you think is most appropriate?
I think funding needs to be administered by an independent body for two key reasons. Firstly, some of the work would be significantly weakened or damaged by even the slightest perception of political patronage. Secondly, some of the work is sensitive and even, on occasions, high risk. In those cases where work is so controversial, keeping a distance between government and the detailed funding decisions is important. I think that the Community Relations Council does an excellent job and has the professional skills, expertise and, most

2. Do you think that the CSI strategy might abandon the previous policys (the Shared Future Strategy) prioritisation of good relations?
It is a concern, as some of the parties involved in taking this forward have been at best ambivalent and at worst hostile to the good relations agenda. There is a myth that good relations in some way dilutes peoples rights or interferes with equality. Of course, the reality is that without good relations we can have people who are equal under the law, wanting to exercise opposing rights, and that leads to conflict not cohesion.

10

importantly the relationships of trust and respect, to be able to deliver effectively. It, or something very like it, is necessary if we are to continue to build on the progress made in recent years and I see little in the way of an alternative or even the rationale for needing one in the document.

7. Given the lack of clear targets, objectives and timeframe for implementation, can the CSI provide an eective framework for ending division and intolerance in our society?
I dont think that even the best document on its own can do that, and this is not the best document. That kind of societal change relies on people who really want to drive transformation. A good strategy can, however, be of enormous assistance to those people, placing obligations on government departments to align their priorities and funding to the same objectives and ensuring that we are all working to a shared vision of what a transformed society will look like, whether community, voluntary, or statutory. That reinforcement at every level can increase the impact that each individual action makes and creates momentum which draws others in. A poor strategy, without clear objectives and goals, without targets and timeframes, is at best an impediment and frustration but at worst it can facilitate those who want to obstruct change to do so unchecked and can make it hard to challenge them. In this case, I think that, unless OFMdFM responds to the consultation by revising the document, and making it more robust and substantive, then there is a real risk that CSI will be a lost opportunity for a step-change in building a shared future. I dont despair of the project of a shared future, though. Ultimately, I believe that the desire in the community for change and for a more shared society is irresistible. When the government had no interest in integrating education, parents and teachers came together and filled the void. It was a battle and it continues to be a battle, but a whole generation of young people have benefited from their determination. There are many people who are just as passionate and just committed to making a real difference in every aspect of our community and I believe that they will succeed. The question for OFMdFM is whether they want to help drive the change or be dragged along in its wake.

5. Are some commentaries which claim that the CSI strategy is a weak attempt at integration or even a benign apartheid agenda fair?
I share those concerns, though I dont believe apartheid and segregation can ever be truly benign. There is a real window of opportunity to see genuine transformation, but the document stops well short of being transformational. It seems to be about managing communal division and remains wedded to a two communities model which just doesnt do justice to the increasingly diverse and complex nature of Northern Irish society. It also fails to acknowledge the structural obstacles to integration, which need to be addressed if we are to have the cohesive, shared and integrated community to which its title aspires.

6. Should reconciliation and addressing the legacy of the past be given greater priority in the CSI?
I do think that dealing with the past is a key component of building a stable foundation for the future; however, in fairness, the responsibility for this remains incredibly fragmented. The Executive has responsibility for victims issues, but the UK Government has responsibility for the wider issue of the past and its legacy. Unfortunately, to date, they have shown little appetite for developing a comprehensive approach and, whilst they have been quick to say they want to avoid further public inquiries, they have yet to offer a model for dealing with these issues that would offer an alternative, which could command confidence and respect across the community. Dealing with the past and its legacy is one of the most sensitive, painful and important things we still have to do as a society, not only for the families who are still hurting, but so that we learn from our past and dont repeat our mistakes in the future. It wont be simple or cheap, but ignoring it could have massive consequences for future peace and stability, so ignoring it is not an option.

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www.irishpeacecentres.org
City of Culture, City of Peace 2013 Paddy Logue 11/08/10
Its great news for Derry. And a great challenge to peace-building: how do you do culture in a divided city? Culture is inextricably linked to values and history. A peoples values can only be understood and explained in their narrative about themselves. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz described culture is simply the ensemble of stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. In divided societies the stories not only differ from each other, they come into conflict with each other. In ethnic conflict one peoples culture is another peoples nightmare. Orange culture is seen by the other as a bullying, undemocratic supremacist ideology which is determined to maintain its hegemonic position in Northern Ireland. Republican culture is seen by the other as a threatening, undemocratic ideology determined to ride roughshod over others and force them into a state they want no part of. It works at the high end too. Field Day Theatre Company is being commissioned as part of the City of Culture programme to reflect on the cultural state were in. Its not so long ago since unionist academics (coincidentally from Belfast) were denouncing Field Day as green boosterism. History is a nightmare Joyce tired to waken from. UNO promotes a culture of peace. This means that peace is much more than the absence of war. Peace is considered as a set of values, attitudes and modes of behaviours promoting the peaceful settlement of conflict and the quest for mutual understanding. In fact, peace is actually a way to live together. A culture of peace is a way of being, doing and living in society that can be taught, developed, and best of all, improved upon. By placing a culture of peace at the centre of its mission statement, at the heart of its ethos and in its very title (City of Culture, City of Peace) will enable all the people of the city to achieve consensus about the overriding goals and the programme of activities. Consensus does not mean the recipe for bread that I had requested. This bread had been the breakfast beginning to a lovely Christmas day warm from the oven, with salmon, cheese and melting butter. So, each of our Forgiveness in the Sacred Text meetings began with bread, melting butter and fruity jam. We had rich and meaningful discussions. Last week, meeting with the Director of the Belfast Islamic Centre, we shared more bread. I had brought some along as a happy memory of our time shared. He insisted on giving me half of his lunch. We sat at a table, drinking tea, discussing how the Muslim Community in Belfast may wish to be involved in some of the Irish Peace Centres Faith in Positive Relations programmes. Sharing bread, conversation, and enjoyment with Muhammad reminded me of a few things diversity is never about conformity. He and I have studied different things, speak different languages, and look at the world through many different lenses. But, there is a deeper connection than absence of conflict or a bland homogeneity of expression drifting downwards to the lowest common denominator. Consensus is based on the quest for mutual understanding. This quest begins with the frank recognition of differences and the determination to use these differences to challenge us all out of our comfort zone and into a creative clash with the other. Mutual understanding fosters values vital for the maintenance of peace like non-violent attitudes, respect for others, tolerance of behaviour and the supremacy of human rights. We can make these values the cornerstone of the City of Culture, City of Peace and after 2013 a new narrative will be constructed, new stories will be told and the seeds of a new culture will be planted. Editor: In the months after this blog entry was submitted, Derry/Londonderry witnessed a heightening of dissident republican attacks, which threatened to derail the peace process and cast a dark shadow over the citys triumph. But the emerging optimism and pride of the city, in the face of such devastating attacks testifies to the resilience of the Maiden City.

From our Bloggers

Let them have bread 27/07/10 Pdraig Tuama

A few years ago, I was co-ordinating a dialogue programme between leaders of the Christian and Muslim faiths in Belfast on the question of the meaning of Forgiveness in the sacred texts of each faith. I had become aware that certain publicly voiced stereotypes were prescribing to each sentiments that the faithful of each faith would both deny with their words and defy with their actions. So, for four Wednesdays, we gathered. I was keen to make it a warm space of welcome, and wondered how to do it. Such as is the way of things, something out of the blue occurred. A friend gave me a

ticking boxes of agreed-upon cultural lenses there is the connection of friendship, and shared experience, and the trust to ask questions when something is not understood. In September, a new programme of Faith in Positive Relations programmes will be launched. Bringing congregation and faithcommunity groups together to speak about whats important for them about their faith, we will explore who it is that we would like to meet, and we will provide the space for relationship to flourish. Adrian Van Kaam wrote that human encounter is the essence of cure in the deepest sense. In the context of a region that has known conflict, it is not our religious dogmas that need cure, but rather, our cure is about restoring the depth of relationship across divides that have become fractious. And human beings are full of the richness that makes such relationships possible with a little trust, and a little time, and some good warm bread.

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IPC- where are we now?

Irish Peace Centres is a consortium of long-standing peace building organisations, working collaboratively to deliver a range of projects. When first established in 2008 and until this summer, IPC was constituted of Co-operation Ireland, The Corrymeela Community, The Donegal Peace Centre and Glencree Peace and Reconciliation Centre. Unfortunately, during the summer, The Donegal Peace Centre ceased trading, and now IPC is three. While we have decreased in size in terms of organisations, our work parameters remain the same: to build the consortium and networks throughout the sector; to engage groups and individuals in interface reconciliation; to capture and share the learning through conferences, seminars, publications and training; and to foster sustainable positive relations through the in-depth core group process and faith in positive relations. Core themes run through this wide range of strands that hold them together and provide a supporting backbone to what we do: integrated approach and reflective practice. The idea behind the consortium is that we can be more than the sum of our separate parts by working collaboratively across organisations and through the delivery of our projects with community groups and individuals who come from a range of different backgrounds. Over the last two years we have been developing this integrated approach to delivery and can now really see the added value of working as part of the consortium; it has allowed each organisation to develop and share their expertise to strengthen each partners own peace and reconciliation impacts. IPC also focuses on being reflective in our practice; new and existing projects are delivered based on us reflecting on practice through research, focused seminars and analysis of evaluation of the work we do by self-assessment of the impacts we see and through the evaluation provided by our participants. It is important to us that we capture the learning of our projects. This will further embed the impact of the peace and reconciliation interventions we build, will affect how we design of our projects and respond to the needs we are presented with on the ground.

The other strength to our approach is that it is integrated; the implication of this is that the four main strands of our work allow us to work at different levels; by working in an integrated way, we have worked across sectors and regions, bringing participants together who would not normally have the opportunity to have conversations, share their journey and the impacts the conflict has had on them. For example, this has led to members of a community group engaging in an in depth RE:Mapping process, where they have re-examined their concept of community, as well as providing opportunities for facilitation skills training and has led onto their involvement in the Core Group process. This will result in them being skilled change-makers within their own community at the end of the process. These participants have also taken part in high profile conferences and networking events, adding their perspectives and insights to events that are focused on capturing and sharing the learning. This then has been integrated with the reflective practice that is important to IPC by commissioning a research project that examines the impact of the core group process on direct participants and subsequently, their communities where core group participants return and continue

the peace impact by planting seeds. In the last six months we have also increased the impact of our work through the raising of our profile- both within the UK and Ireland and on an international stage. We have dne this through our website (www. irishpeacecentres.org) and through a range of publications. IPC newsletters and articles in a range of other publications. We have also held events that have included an international and local sector wide audience, which have allowed us to reflect on practice and include examples of best practice in what we do. One such event was the recent evaluation of storytelling workshop, which included storytelling and evaluation experts from the UK, Ireland and as far afield as the USA and Sri Lanka. All involved have experience of working within current and post conflict regions. Combining their experience with our own has contributed to a new insight into the need for effective evaluation of storytelling projects to ensure these projects have a desired impact on participants. The findings and recommendations for this sectoral learning will be launched in a seminar in January and will allow IPC to continue the discussion to find effective evaluation tools that will support the storytelling processes and illustrate the impacts this approach has 13

Story telling event in partnership with INCORE

Peace Craft

Breathing Spaces

on participants. Irish Peace Centres is now entering its final year of this round of Peace III funding. It will be an exciting year for the Irish Peace Centres team and those we will be working with. We will be launching a range of in-depth training opportunities for participants- including Dialogue for Peaceful Change and the ongoing local and regional core group processes. IPC will also host a range of conferences and seminars that will focus on issues such as women and the impact of the conflict and will launch findings from previous seminars, including our evaluation of storytelling conference, the impact of the core group process and

our research paper on what an integrated approach to peace-building means- in terms of IPC and the wider peace-building field. We also intend to host a number of networking events for the peace and reconciliation sector and beyond; feedback from an event held in September For Peace illustrated for us the need for us all to be provided with more opportunities to meet, share and collaborate. If you are interested in taking up any of our up-coming training- for community groups or peace and reconciliation professionals, seminar, workshop of conference events, then please visit our website to find out further information.

Laura Stewart is Co-ordinator of Irish Peace Centres and is responsible for managing the consortium. lstewart@cooperationireland.org

Anthony Quinn, Wilhelm Verwoerd, Paddy Logue, Laura Stewart, Susan McEwan and Owen Donnelly

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The Opposite of Fear

My friend Mark, who is from Ireland, lived in Japan for a long time. Each day, he took an elevator to the 15th floor of a large tall building. Because he was a man who appreciates punctuality, he was, more often than not, on the elevator at the same time each day. So, he got to know some of the others who ascended, with similar punctuality, the fifteen floors on an old and creaky elevator. One of his co-travellers was a five-year-old Japanese boy, who peered at Marks white face with increasing curiosity. Eventually, the five-year-old spoke what must have been brewing in his mind. He said: Do you have a bellybutton? A few years ago, when working with a class of young adults on an employment scheme, one of the participants mentioned the word gay. Another participant made a noise of disgust and said: Theyre all disgusting - I dont like being around them, theyd just want to screw me. The response from the pupil who had initially started the conversation was, for me, memorable. Thats cos you think youre hot and youre not. And at the heart of it, there was great wisdom. The way we think about someone who represents difference often indicates hugely the way we think, and feel, about our own selves. At the heart of this, the five-year-old was asking are you human? Are you like me? For him, the possession of a navel was a centralizing factor in human recognition. So, we have these two things the recognition of humanity in someone who appears different, and the projection of our own deepest fears, and maybe even fantasies, onto someone. In these two small stories, there is much of the history of the world. We have the barefaced clear question from the Japanese boy who is, in the face of evidence that might seem to suggest otherwise, asking if the stranger in front of him is human. And in the other story, we have the presence of fear and assumption. The seedbed of fear is one that does give rise to powerful growth dehumanization, alienation, violence of belonging and a strangely blinkered life. As part of the Sustainable Positive Relationships activity of Irish Peace Centres, there is a strong focus on engaging with vast membership of faith communities in Northern Ireland and its border counties. How, though, do we understand an engagement? Is it to bestow principles of peace and praxis upon faith communities to whom the concept of peace is alien? The answer to this is no. Rather, it is to be present with the communities of faith whose deepest ethic is that of peace, and to work together with them in respect. Religion has gotten mixed press. There are stories of humanity, and there are stories of fear. There are devastating stories of religion in our news regularly stories of individuals who draw justification for acts of violence from a religious view of the world and of reality. Their actions say: Your existence is an abomination. It is not possible for you and for me to co-exist and I can not consider you a friend. And so, we have what has become predictable virulent and violent talk that undermines the humanity of someone who represents difference. However, this is not the only story. I dont know that Religion is to blame for this, because we see hatred in other corners of society, whether religiously based or not. In many ways, religion is the excuse used to justify a hatred that pre-exists a religious outlook or doctrine. Other factors can be blamed too nationality, gender, history, identity Obviously, none of these factors are wrong in themselves, and when livedwith well are points of departure that can give rise to beauty and dignity. My argument is that religion, when lived with well does give rise to beauty and dignity. I know a Muslim man whose brother was murdered. I know a Jewish woman whose son was murdered. I know a Protestant woman whose husband was murdered. I know a Catholic woman who lost two sons to the Irish conflict. I know a lot of people, with a lot of stories, and a lot of them are alive and living well today because they have been gifted by religion-lived-well. The story of the Good Samaritan is one that has entered into public discourse. It tells the story of a man who left on a journey, but who was set upon by thieves. The man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. He was bruised and bloody by the side of the road, and was in great need of help. Members of his own religion and nation came by, but passed by, somewhat guiltily, without offering help. However, a Samaritan, who represented that thin wedge of difference, did come by, and offered help bathing the wounds of the injured man, helping him up from the road, bringing him to an inn, and providing money for the care. Taken as a story of be good, and help others, it is not much of an original story. However, there is another way of understanding the moral of this story. Instead of Go and help someone, it is entirely possible to read the moral as When you are in need, be prepared to accept the help of someone you have despised. Then, we get into the beauty of the story. How often are we surprised at the benevolence of someone whose benevolence we have disdained? We are so used to making judgements. Some of them are subtle, and others are not. Last year, when Susan Boyle wowed crowds with a beautiful voice, it seemed to be perfectly acceptable for people to say: I am amazed that someone who is so ordinary-looking could have a talent. We are amazed when we encounter kindness in the face of someone who we have previously discriminated against. We associate threat with someone of difference. They are the canvas onto which our own deepest misgivings are projected. And, instead, what we have, as a gift of religion, from a Jewish man who is honoured by Christians and Muslims alike, is a story that goes to the heart of things: Accept help from someone whose help is a threat to the security of your own prejudice. There are many stories to be told about the power of religious observance in the context of the Irish conflict some are stories that underline hatred, and some are stories that undermine hatred. We have debates over whether religion did, or didnt contribute in a tangible way to hatred or peace. We distance religion and politics from each other, and yet still use religious words to delineate political perspectives. To think about Peace, we do not need to be religious, but we do need to know how to speak intelligently about, and with religion. We must move beyond the surface reading of Do good to your neighbour and toil at the difficult personal terrain of allowing ourselves to desire deeply, the help our once-distant neighbour. Padraig OTuama is the Irish Peace Centres Fieldworker for Faith in Positive Relations. padraig@cooperationireland.org 15

Intractable Intergroup Conflicts and their Peace-Making

Stephanie Burns is Irish Peace Centres Research Fieldworker and is currently studying a PhD in how children and young people conceptualise the meaning of respect for diversity in a post-conflict society. Here, she recounts her experience at the European Association of Social Psychology Summer School Workshop.

t the end of August I was fortunate enough to travel to Aegina, Greece for the biennial summer school of the European Association of Social Psychology. The workshop I attended centred on social psychological approaches to conflict resolution, peacemaking, and peacebuilding. The main questions discussed were what psychological factors contribute to the eruption of violent conflict; why do they continue and escalate; how and when do peacemaking processes evolve in these societies; and how is it possible to launch the reconciliation process and construct a culture of peace? Dr Daniel Bar-Tal of the University of Tel Aviv and Brandeis University, and Dr Karen Trew of Queens University Belfast led the workshop. The workshop included students who had lived in, or were studying in conflict or post-conflict zones all over the world, including Moldova, Georgia, Sri Lanka, the Basque Country and Cyprus, as well as Northern Ireland. The workshop included formal lectures on theories of conflict and peacebuilding, as well as small group discussions. Working in the Northern Irish context, I was most interested in the discussions around the psychological aspects of embedding a culture of peace. The nature of reconciliation was defined as mutual recognition and acceptance, invested interests and goals in developing peaceful relations, mutual trust, positive attitudes as well as sensitivity and consideration of other partys needs and interests (Bar-Tal and Bennink, 2004). In addition, effective reconciliation was based on several principles: (i) Mutual regard, as in recognising the humanity and collective identity of the other people and acquiring knowledge of the other; (ii) Mutual security, meaning the absence of structural violence and a sense of safety in individual and collective lives; (iii) Mutual trust, with both sides expecting positive behaviours and not negative behaviours of each other; (iv) Peace, underscoring a common future, cooperation, respect, institutionalised mechanisms for conflict resolution, and security for all the parties; (v) Pragmatism, as in taking in to consideration the new possibilities

and opportunities along with the threats; (vi) Justice, as in correcting the unjust structural conditions and compensation and restitution to individuals and collectives; (vii) Shared Truths, meaning developing shared beliefs about what happened in the past and what is happening currently between adversaries; and (viii) Mercy, as in acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, developing empathy and sensitivity to each others needs and experiences, and healing. The needs-based model of reconciliation was also discussed (developed by Shnabel and Nadler, 2008). It states that victims in a conflict need empowerment to restore their sense of power, which will result in an increased willingness to reconcile; and former perpetrators of violence seek acceptance in order to restore their moral image, which will also result in an increased willingness to reconcile. Furthermore, several conditions for building a culture of peace were put forward during the workshop: Planned & implemented: Plans should be result-oriented and practical, and actions must be carried out with short- and longterm plans for their implementation with benchmarks and indicators. Actions should be reciprocal: Culture of peace actions have to be coordinated and carried out by both sides, with adaptation for local conditions. Special attention should also be given to reciprocal acts that are valued by the other side. Gradual: Implementation of the different steps of a culture of peace should be taken as gradual steps, with each evaluated and improved before the next step is taken. The different steps should be proceeded by pilots and adapted to the progress of the peace process. Continuous: Actions should not be one-time events and should be part of an ongoing process for solidifying and maintaining peace. Monitored and evaluated: In order to increase the level of mutual trust, actions should be monitored to increase their credibility and effectiveness.

Involve all sectors of society: All sectors of society should be involved in planning and management of the projects. Projects should also involve the participation of all sectors of society. Use accepted authorities: It is important to use figures and channels that are considered credible and knowledgeable by their respective publics. These include religious, military, educational, local and community leaders. Go through all channels: A culture of peace activities should use all channels of communication, education and culture, including formal and informal, interpersonal and institutional. Carried out by trained staff: a professional and diverse staff should design actions and activities. Develop local ownership: Actions should involve as much as possible local gatekeepers and leaders and should give local communities a sense that they are part of the process, especially in planning and carrying out actions. Invite open and legal dialogue with opposition: The campaign should not exclude an opposition but provide a voice for dissent. The campaign should not delegitimize its opponents while still being firm. The final days involved students collaborating in groups to design research projects that would be feasible to complete after the workshop ended. The research projects that were designed included: The emergence of leadership in times of conflict; Building a shared collective memory through trust; How apologetic acts alter willingness to engage in peacebuilding: case studies of Northern Ireland and Cyprus; how empathy or perceived threat can affect humanisation of the other and acceptance of the others collective memory; and relegitimisation and identity. sburns@cooperationireland.org

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Complicating Theology (...in a good way).

No one has ever been able to see the future. If we cast our eye back to Ireland in, say, 1959, no one was warning that civil conflict might engulf Northern Ireland a mere decade later. With the benefit of hindsight, we can look back and see the warning signs appearing. But no one was reflecting on the situation at the time- certainly not our clergy or our theologians. Again, hindsight allows us to see how theology- our thoughts about God and each other- played a role in exacerbating the growing tensions, but not in easing them. We see virtually no examples of Irish clergy or theologians prophetically speaking out on social and political issues of the day, urging tolerance, mutual understanding, reconciliation, or displaying practical examples of love and peace. We dont know what Ireland, north or south will look like in 2020. But if our future is to be different form our past, we need to do Irish theology differently. But how? I would argue that our theology in Ireland has lacked complexity; it has been uncomplicated. Because of our long history of cultural and political conflict, we have craved simple, uncomplicated absolutes - of doctrine, identity and belonging. We have demanded theology of exclusiveness and stark contrast. We have talked about the others theology, but rarely with each other about that theology. Throughout the conflict, we did not worship together, did not seek after God together. But now that the worst of the recent conflict has receded, we face a moment requiring sober and mature theological peacemaking, and it demands embracing complexity- in a sense, complicating our lives, complicating our theology. One such moment of the type of complication Im speaking of occurred for me while living in Montana in the US. Montana has the distinction of having the largest number of Native American reservations in the US. There are deep social and cultural divisions between Native Americans and the ancestors of European settlers. A 400-year history of violence and disenfranchisement is manifested today in levels of poverty, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide on native reservations that are, on average, many times higher than national averages. I was a working musician travelling with a band, and our tour took us onto the Crow Nation Reservation where we were scheduled for a concert in a community hall. Part of our show involved a set of Irish music that I had put together. With me on whistle and bodhrn and others on guitar and mandolin, we played a mix of jigs, reels and traditional Irish songs. The response from the crowd was extremely positive; there was a deep respect for preserved tradition among these people who were fighting a continuous struggle of their own to keep their cultural identity alive. Well past midnight, back at the house of a Crow family who graciously offered me a bed for the night, I sat up talking with my hosts, their teenage sons and some of their friends. The conversation eventually turned to Ireland. As I related in broad strokes some of the main events in Irish history, some of the emotions of the Irish people in those accounts - the feelings of loss and marginalization at the hands of those perceived to be powerful foreigners, as well as ongoing sadness and resentment - seemed to resonate with my hosts. Wow, commented one young man quietly. It sounds like what happened to you people is the same as what happened to us. For me and this Crow young man, this was a moment of complication. When we first met, I was simply an anglo, the generic and slightly derogatory Native American term for whites. Now I was complex, I had a history and a story, and in certain ways, our stories intersected. We shared a bit more humanity than either of us had previously thought. We both came from people who desired life, dignity and peace. And we both worshipped a God who we believed desired those things for us as well. We cannot plan how our lives will be complicated by meaningful interaction with each other. It might involve discovering the devout Catholic who votes Unionist; the Church of Ireland priest who is a staunch Republican; the Free Presbyterian who marched in the anti-war demo; the thoughtful and doctrinal Christian who is gay; the asylum-seeker selling newspapers who has a degree in physics; the pastors wife who is a committed feminist; the Ulster Rugby supporter who cheers for Celtic. The Irish Church in all its diversity needs theology that makes it easier for these complicated encounters to happen. We desperately need to cease doing theology simply by ourselves and start doing it complicatedly with each other. This is about doing theology publicly and together or not at all, about encountering God together or (dare I say?) not at all. Jon Hatch is a facilitator with the Irish Peace Centres and a PhD research student at Trinity College Dublin.

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Storytelling as Peacebuilding: How to know when it works.

Kenneth Bush, INCORE; Maureen Hetherington, The Junction; Paddy Logue, IPC n international workshop was held in Derry in September to evaluate the ways in which storytelling, in all its forms, might contribute to peace-building and reconciliation. The workshop of over forty experts drew on cases from Northern Ireland, Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. Jointly organised by INCORE and the Irish Peace Centres, the three-day event was attended by internationally recognized researchers, practitioners and evaluators from across the world. The workshop is the first step in an ongoing project on the topic being managed by Dr Kenneth Bush (INCORE), Maureen Hetherington (Towards Understanding and Healing), and Paddy Logue (Irish Peace Centres). The project is supported by the PEACE III Programme, managed by the

Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB). Dr Bush, Research Coordinator for INCORE described the workshop as breaking new ground. The nature of the challenges being addressed underscores the necessity for collaboration between universities, practitioners, community groups, policy makers and funders. It is being driven by the knowledge that storytelling initiatives can have both negative and positive impact. We have a responsibility to systematically examine and understand how they work, so that we can do more of the right things, and fewer of the wrong things. Evaluation is the Rosetta stone for understanding the link between this type of work and its impacts.

Paddy Logue added that the international workshop was part of the reflective practice of Irish Peace Centres, which seeks to evaluate key aspects of the work continuously as we go along. The transactions of the workshop have been published and will be launched at a seminar, along with other research publications, at a seminar on 20th January 2011 in Belfast. Details of venue and times will be made available on our website www. irishpeacecentres.org

Taking Ethics Seriously: piloting a community-based ethics review group

In October, the inaugural meeting was held to pilot a community-based research ethics and peer review group. Initiated by Irish Peace Centres and INCORE, this Ethics Review Group will review communitybased project proposals which contain a research component, and which are likely to raise ethical issues in the course of its implementation, e.g., due to its work with/ on vulnerable communities, or due to levels of potential risk to researchers, project 18 workers, participants or communities. At the moment no such mechanism exists to review the ethical dimensions of this kind of work. The developments of an Ethics Review Group attempts to systematically identify and address the ethical risks in our work so that we might optimize the positive impacts, and minimize potential negative impacts. The need for such a mechanism is underscored by the volatility of conflict/ post-conflict environments in Northern Ireland; the emotional and psychological sensitivities of individuals and communities in such contexts; and, in certain instances, elevated levels of insecurity. The ethics review group will consist of representatives drawn from the research community; community-based programmes and funders.

The Armagh Cathedrals Partnership: Mutual Understanding and Reconciliation in the city of Armagh.
n the ninth day of June 2010 the day when the Church remembers and celebrates the life of St. Columba of Derry and Iona a group of around forty people shared a walk in the City of Armagh from one cathedral to another. Nothing remarkable about that you may say, but that walk was representative of the beginning of a new relationship among people of differing religious and cultural identities in a City which has experienced much trauma and violence over thirty years of the Troubles. The two cathedrals stand tall on the skyline of Armagh, both lit up at night to the traveller entering the City on the two highest hills, and somehow they symbolize the ancient struggle of humankind to understand and respect the differences of the other. The new Armagh Cathedrals Partnership began as many of these new ventures do with small foundational steps towards building up cordial and good friendships among the church leadership in both cathedrals. As peace time has brought the positive benefits of many more visitors coming to Armagh from all over the world, it became clear to all concerned that a united welcome makes a much more powerful statement about any Christian message of love. For these visitors to Armagh, most of whom visit the two cathedrals, and seek to know more about the ancient Christian heritage of the city, as well as coming to understand the recent and difficult challenges of sectarianism and reconciliation, the partnered approach extends a welcoming hand of togetherness and inclusion, which it is hoped will have a ripple effect in the local society. The Armagh Cathedrals Partnership is an opportunity to show, in practical ways, that

both Christian traditions can work together with respect and willingness for mutual understanding for the benefit of the whole community. A group of people, representative of both cathedrals, was formed with two main goals. Firstly, to get to know each other as friends and, secondly, to see if a shared vision for working more closely together could be achieved. The Irish Peace Centres facilitated the programme as part of its Faith in Positive Relationships activity where the focus is to undertake 'deeper' peace work with fifteen mid level leaders on an annual basis. These leaders will in turn influence people and communities with which they work; in a ripple effect. Throughout the process there were all kinds of discussions, which sometimes brought to the surface sensitivities about identity. For example, it was originally thought that the relationship might be called the Cathedrals Covenant but that word Covenant meant different things to the two traditions. For Anglicans it was rooted in the Old Testament, and a very positive thing - God made a Covenant with his people. For Catholics it was too reminiscent of the Ulster Covenant and a negative thing. Another example Anglicans see themselves as part of the world-wide, catholic, Christian church, and sometimes differentiate their identity by using the term Roman Catholics for members of that tradition a particular strand of the world-wide catholic church, and not the only Catholics. However, Catholics found this demeaning as if they were only a sect of the church. On the other hand, Catholics wondered why The Church of Ireland was so named did they imagine that they were the church of the whole of Ireland? And so it continued

Over many weeks warm friendship combined with honest discussion - and humour, when appropriate - brought about the Armagh Cathedrals Partnership information leaflet. It contains many practical ways of working together for the future benefit of the cathedrals - and indeed the whole City of Armagh and its community. And so the leaflet was launched not in any high-powered way with Cardinals and Archbishops present, but with the real people of both cathedrals and their clergy, with many entering the sacred building of the other for the first time. St Columbas Day was chosen because it reminds us of the man who set out in the small coracle on the wide ocean, not knowing where he might end up. A tiny, almost unimportant act of faith, and yet centuries later Iona remains a very powerful place of pilgrimage and connection with the ancient Celtic Church for many who travel there from all parts of the globe. In Armagh it is our vision, our hope and our prayer (and when we use that word our it means the whole community), that this small step of faith The Armagh Cathedrals Partnership - will lead to new friendships, new understanding and new beginnings. Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or some other time. We are the ones weve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. (Words attributed to Barack Obama). For more information see www.stpatrickscathedral.org www.armagharchdiocese.org www.celtic-spirituality.net Grace Clunie is Director of Celtic Spirituality, Armagh. contact@celtic-spirituality.net

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 Verbatim...on peace

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein, Nobel Laureate in Physics Dierence is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conict. The answer to dierence is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity. John Hume, 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Winner We must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. Martin Luther King, Jr. I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends Abraham Lincoln The real dierences around the world today are not between Jews and Arabs; Protestants and Catholics; Muslims, Croats, and Serbs. The real dierences are between those who embrace peace and those who would destroy it; between those who look to the future and those who cling to the past; between those who open their arms and those who are determined to clench their sts. William J. Clinton Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. John F. Kennedy I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of their way and let them have it. Dwight Eisenhower
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