Want to go plant trees with Americans? Friday, Feb 24

 Tuesday, Feb 21. Derry

The last two days have been rich and packed with experiences, information and lots of brisk walking in the cold.

We began yesterday by walking all the way across Belfast to meet up with a representative of the Unionist/Loyalist community – Mark -- who was to be our tour guide through Shankill Road, the traditional Protestant neighborhood of Belfast. He relayed his own story as a member of the British army and a member of the security services, and, as the family member of two who had been murdered by the IRA. He then walked us through an array of memorials, murals, tributes and some disturbing imagery of death and explosions to help us appreciate the loss and sacrifices that his community has faced. He raised some powerful questions about how to move on after such losses, and touched our students with the depth of his passion and commitment. When we reached the “peace wall” that divides the Unionist/Loyalist community from the Nationalist/Republican community, he handed us over to a tour guide from The Other Side. 

On the other side, we met Pader, a former IRA political prisoner, who told us about his participation in the Blanket protest in the prisons, and witness to the hunger strikes.  His energy was contagious, light, witty and spirited. We enjoyed his style and the students were fascinated that he had been basically involved in the very military operations that the previous speaker – Mark from Shankill—had described with such resentment and pain. It was confusing, to say the least.

He led us through residential neighborhoods of the Falls Road, memorial gardens and murals, and then took us right into the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church which many students found to be moving.

The final set of murals he walked us through included colorful images and depictions of IRA/Nationalist/Republican cause in the company of several anti-colonial/revolutionary movements from around the world – including Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Palestine, Solidarity etc. And, we stood for quite a while before the most famous mural of Bobby Sands, where we found ourselves in the company of other visiting tourists.

Lunch and a Panel of Ex-Prisoners

We were lucky then to have a break with a lovely lunch at a bistro attached to a museum and center for ex-prisoners and war veterans and prepare for the afternoon presentations. After a refreshing pot of tea, we all settled into a room with a circle table to listen to an amazing panel made up of Noah, a member of the UVF (Unionist, loyalist) who had been imprisoned for killing, Mickey, a member of the IRA who had been imprisoned for killing and Lee, a former British soldier. Each proceeded to tell us their stories…how they grew up in an insular and deprived community and learned early to suspect, fear and hate the community on the other side as they grew up, how they sought the opportunity to join the paramilitaries, (or the military) to avenge a hurt or a death imposed upon their families, and how their experience in prison had changed their lives. Each had come to feel more committed to a peace process that they knew involved reaching out to one another and learning to trust each other. And each had slowly come to appreciate the value of electoral politics, instead of taking up arms. Our students were overflowing with curiosity after their mural walks in the morning and began to ask thoughtful, sensitive compelling questions to each of the men and helped to facilitate a fascinating and inspiring discussion. In fact, the men sent a note later saying how much they appreciated our group and their curiosity and excellent questions. We left the panel just reeling with the intense wisdom and bravery shared by these men and generated by their discussion.

Morning with Professor Morrow at Ulster University

This morning we followed all of this by attending a wonderful lecture with Duncan Morrow, from Ulster University, who gave the students a tour de force overview of the history of British-Irish relations, theory around violence and community and identity, and a fascinating explication of how Brexit had jeopardized the Good Friday Agreement. And, he got us all tea, coffee and biscuits on the house. Again, our students asked astute and thoughtful questions, listened carefully to his words, and kept us all engaged with a very high level academic discussion for 2 hours! It was exhilarating.

AND THEN….we literally ran to the train station with our bags and made the 1:15 train to Derry.

The train ride was beautiful...green hills, sheep, wide horizons and spectacular coastal views of ocean waves and cliffs. Students napped, ate sandwiches, wrote in their journals and enjoyed still more chatting.

Upon arrival in Derry, we were greeted by the wonderful John Harkin, our teacher partner here at Oak Grove, who whisked us off to another walking tour along the river with Daisy, a survivor of the famous Bloody Sunday, who relayed her tales and memories to our still engaged and inquisitive students. In the increasing chill and then rain of the evening, they kept on walking with her and listening carefully to her words. Their stamina was very impressive to this not-so-young person.

It was an exhilarating, thought-provoking, two days. As several students remarked tonight in their reflective moments..."Just everyone we have talked to has been inspiring. And everyone makes me think something I've not thought about before." "Just when I thought I had something figured out, the next person who talks to us makes me think about even in another way." And that can exhausting. So, after we finally settled into our new Derry digs at the St. Columb's Park House, ate a delicious curry dinner, students were given a chance to rehearse their poetry for the school presentation tomorrow. They simply could not stop giggling. Could not stop. Falling on each other and the floor with unstoppable laughter. And none of us was willing or able to stop them.