Introduction
We would like to welcome you to the online journal of the Bluffton Northern Ireland program of 2005. The object of this journal is to give students and parents an opportunity to become involved with the activities of the overseas group. The students on this program have committed themselves to keeping you regularly updated on their progress.
The program, which lasts 15 weeks, aims to provide students with a variety of situations to help them integrate into their new environment. In their academic studies they learn to appreciate, and understand the divisions within Northern Irish society, the host families provide them with ample opportunities to interact with local people on a day-to-day basis, and through the cultural component of the program they learn to play the tin whistle, and dance to Irish traditional music.
Adam’s Placement
Cumann Gaelach Chnoc Na Rós is a great organization to have my placement in and there are three main reasons why I feel this way. First of all, its purpose is very well connected to the purpose of our program. CGCNR helps bring children with Catholic and Protestant backgrounds together to promote cross community relations. Secondly, CGCNR is a very good placement for me because I plan to be an art teacher and this placement has given me an opportunity to work with young children on both art and creative writing projects. Finally, although there is a lot of work to be done it is all important work and it helps me feel as if I was doing something for the community.
At the first workshop with the children CGCNR employees have the children sit by people from different schools so they can get to know each other. The children are then encouraged to get to know the person sitting beside them. After the children get to know their new friends they then let the children play together and do projects together which they continue to do each time the children get together. I think this is the best way to promote peace in Northern Ireland because it involves the children. The children are still young and by getting them to learn early in life, before they have formed strong political opinions, that there is nothing wrong with being Protestant or Catholic it helps avoid the problem of having to change their opinions.
As I said before I want to be an art teacher and this experience has let me help young children with art. The first three workshops I went to I helped the children paint which was a great practical experience for me and although not all the workshops involved art they did all involve teaching which is an experience that I need.
While at the office I have had to photocopy, make Christmas cards, count tickets and various other things which kept me working all the time. But it was no problem because I knew that it wasn’t just busy work it all needed to be done. Counting tickets may sound like busy work but in fact it the organization needs those tickets for funding.
Working here makes me feel as if I am making a difference and it has helped me gain practical experience in my field of study. So altogether my experience at this placement was very positive and I would recommend anyone that comes after me in the program to come here.
Adam W. Shaw, Nov. 25, 2005
“Reflections on a semester abroad”
This morning I left Corrymeela, the peace and reconciliation centre on the north coast where I have been living and volunteering for the past few weeks, and made the ninety minute drive back down to Derry. I caught a ride with a Belfast native, a visiting professor who now teaches at a college in Pennsylvania. It was a foggy morning, (more than typical Northern Ireland weather), “pea soup” as they call it. Up and around the hilly curves we drove, in and out trees shedding leaves past their prime, past fertile pine woods and grey wandering sheep…in and out of conversation we drove, conversation on sectarianism, religious affiliation, education, the conflict of Northern Ireland, the definitions of reconciliation, intolerance, prejudice. Shortly after we passed through Limavady, lamenting the fog that kept us from glimpsing the coast, the pea soup broke instantly into fresh blue sky and sunny day. It was delightful. “There is hope,” he told me.
He later asked me, “What will you take away from Ireland?”
“That’s a big question,” I told him, my mind travelling back over three months of memories. With hope in mind, I answered him…tea, and not only the frequent drinking of it but the concept of it – to be drunk slowly, a reminder to pause, to take a breath, to take time to sit and have a cup with someone…the pace of this place, seeking to keep a piece of this slower, more mindful lifestyle in the full-speed world of Bluffton…a deeper awareness of the complexity of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and a deeper appreciation for its people …a new way of thinking about reconciliation…independence…generosity…a wider world view…
A few roundabouts later, we arrived in Derry. The misty fog had returned, and things were grey. Typical Derry. I made the familiar walk to University that I made a million times this past semester, now a bit unfamiliar, already a bit distant. Soon it will all be distant, leaving me with recollection, segments hope, and my cup of tea.
Anna Roeschley, Nov. 22, 2005
As part of the week, our group sat in on a lecture surrounding the 1916 uprisings, which were based in Dublin, and we also were able to sit in on a session of the Irish parliament. We also toured Kilmingham jail, a famous prison that has held many political prisoners over its years of operation. In the evenings, we went to see two different Shakespeare plays: “A Winter’s Tale” and a modern, avant-garde rendition of “Hamlet”. We were also given plenty of free time to walk around and explore the city. I, along with several others, went to visit the Museum of Modern Art and went on a walk through Saint Stephen’s Green (a fantastic park in the middle of the city) and Trinity College, which is the famous host to the Book of Kells.
Overall the week was a good one, and it provided us with a welcome change of scenery.
Hannah Kehr, November 2005
In the beginning of October, our group of fourteen took a five day trip to the city of Dublin, a city far bigger than Derry. The week was a well-received change of pace for us as we transformed from “student” to “tourist.” Mervyn and Terry made sure we tourists had plenty to do and filled our days with a visit to Parliament, a lecture on the famous “Easter Rising,” two Shakespeare plays, as well as a trip to Kilmainham Jail .
I enjoyed my first-ever stay in a hostel. For those, like me, who enjoy meeting new people, hostels are the place to be. I often found myself playing cards with the group or reading in the common area with an eye on the door. A person just never knew what kind of interesting individual would walk through those doors next. (It’s the same feeling I get when calling for a taxi; you never know what kind of story that taxi driver may have up his sleeve!)
On our free day, Maria and I wandered toward St. Stephen’s Green, a historical park. When we walked through the gates, an instant joy and peace slipped over me. The paths were lined with colourful trees and young and old walked among them. From the businessman to the young mother, people sat in the grass reading and eating their picnic lunches and it felt as if I had just jumped into the painting “Sunday in the Park with George.” Maria and I enjoyed sitting on the benches to soak in the sun and simply be still.
Of course I cannot help but remember the little café that I visited daily to grab a cup of chai tea. It was absolutely the best hot drink I have had since being here…so homey and so wonderful! Each time I entered the shop, the woman behind the counter immediately started making my drink. I’ve always wanted to be a regular at a coffee shop!
Heidi Martin - Nov. 1, 2005
Well, our class papers were due on Friday, so now that the stress of finishing them is over, the stress of waiting for our grades to get back begins! Luckily, our internship placements will be keeping us busy for the remainder of our time in Derry. After expressing our preferences for a placement, we were each assigned to an organization to work in for our last 4 weeks here. I have been working at the Methodist City Mission, which is a hostel, housing about 40 homeless men. They work with each man to find housing and employment, while working to correct destructive behaviour that may have landed them there in the first place.
The staff members are amazingly knowledgeable about the problems these men face, and the proper steps to take in order to instigate change. Whether it is to help the residents figure out the housing points necessary to acquire a residence, or to teach the skills necessary for a healthy life, the Methodist City Mission is working to help get the men back on their feet. I’ve only been working there for a week, but I’ve learned a lot about the housing system, and am really looking forward to learning more about the residents in the weeks to come.
Layne Simcox - Nov. 7, 2005
