A walk through the past on the way to the future.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 will surely be remembered as an important day in the history of Northern Ireland. A day of closure and healing for the families of the victims of the January 30, 1972 Bloody Sunday Massacre that took place in the city of Londonderry/Derry during a civil rights march through the town. And 'victims' is indeed what the Saville Report determined them to be - innocent protesters; not brandishing weapons or nail bombs as the British authorities have asserted for nearly 38 years now. Now they can be recognized as unarmed civilians, inspired by the likes of Mr. King, that marched in peaceful civil protest. They did nothing wrong. Twelve years and £200 million later, the report has finally confessed that the protesters were murdered by British paratroopers. Although, the dirty 'm' word was danced around in an ever so delicate fashion.

I had the opportunity to walk in the reenactment of the civil rights march that took place nearly four decades ago. This time it ended in Guildhall Square free of violence, much like the civil rights organizers had intended the first time around. Emotions ran high. The crowd pulsed with anticipation as the the British Prime Minster, David Cameron, revealed the findings of the report. Cheering ensued as the words 'innocent victims' rolled off his lips. His mood was respectfully somber as he plodded through the findings. Rightfully so.

The middle aged woman next to me sobbed uncontrollably as her daughter held her tightly in a loving embrace. I can only assume that those tears released a sort of emotion that I will never fully understand. Hearing the Prime Minister speak those words must have jarred loose many years of frustration, unlocking the healing mechanism and opening the flood gates. Yet another step on the road to reconciling these shattered communities. If I have learned anything in my time in Northern Ireland thus far, it is that peace is not obtained with any single event but rather it is an ongoing process. One that requires steadfast commitment. As far as I can tell, NI is blessed with plenty of committed individuals that are working to build this shared society from the ground up (there will be more to come on these inspiring people later).

To be sure, Tuesday was no doubt a watershed moment in the NI peace process. Standing in Guildhall Square that day I knew that I was witnessing something special. I shared in their sorrow; I felt their joy. I too felt the wave wash over me as the crowd collectively released four decades worth of anguish and sorrow. I was part of history and it was special. However, we mustn't dwell for too long. When it comes to the peace process, forward is the only direction in which to move. I am now sure that this vision of a shared society is obtainable. And we all have a role to play.

For coverage of Tuesday's event:

NPR:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127859277

NY Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/16/world/europe/16nireland.html?emc=eta1

Welcome Friends!

Greetings and welcome to my first blog!

Less than two weeks ago I found out that I would be joining a group of undergraduate students as a global service-learning (GSL) facilitator for the NGO Amizade on its "Peace, Reconciliation, and Identity: Literature and Politics in Northern Ireland" course. I am most grateful for this wonderful opportunity to again get to explore, serve, and understand with Amizade while traveling with the students to Ireland. Since finding out, it has been a bit of a whirlwind preparing to depart on such short notice. Whirlwinds can be fun. This is certainly one such whirlwind.

I leave for Dublin tomorrow, where we will spend about one week before traveling North. It is my hope that I can remain objective and flexible in my attempt to understand the decades old conflict of Northern Ireland. I will also be striving to understand the many complexities of an ongoing peace process and how it is critical to building a sustainable future. This course will also be an opportunity for me to further my own inquiry into my role as a global citizen while also helping the students to explore this complex topic. I have decided to blog as a means for communicating this experience and with the hope of providing some insight into the conflict and the peace process, both topics that I knew next to nothing about just a few weeks ago (and still have very far to go). I also intend to use this space as a means for reflecting on other topics such as identity, service, global citizenship, as well as some of the many other thoughts, emotions, or ideas that this travel experience is likely to jar loose. Thank for choosing to 'follow' this blog and please know that I look forward to the possibility of a shared dialogue among us. Until then...I am off to Dublin.

For more information on the wonderful organization that is Amizade, please visit www.amizade.org