Peace and Conflict in Northern Ireland
Bonnye Stuart
Department of Communications Arts
Johnson C. Smith University
In one word, my participation in the Peace and Conflict in Northern Ireland faculty seminar sponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) was: Awesome! I had not expected to be so impacted by the experience, but I was, and still am.
The Northern Ireland program was broad enough in scope to include many different points of view, yet intensively focused on the peace process and the issues and players in that powerful drama. It is almost impossible to put into the words exactly what I gained from the experience, but I will try.
First, the camaraderie among the attending professors was inspiring. Although we all came from different backgrounds, different research perspectives, and different institutions, there was an immediate fervor to help each other discover that which would help the group both collectively and individually. I was looking for information relative to my research which focuses on the relationship between Martin Luther King and the American civil rights movement and the civil rights movement and protests in Northern Ireland. My colleagues not only pointed me toward people and places from which I might gather important information, they also supported my discussions and questions which always seemed to get back to my area of interest. As an added plus, by the end of the seminar I was assured I would have pictures of important people and places emailed to me by those in the group who were taking documenting photographs.
Second, the number of people we met from all different perspectives, walks of life, economic levels, academic and political persuasions was astonishing. We met with people from many different political parties, some with an agenda to espouse, others with more diplomacy. We also met representatives from the “man on the street” sector, ex-prisoners, a woman whose husband had been killed, psychologists and others dealing with the trauma as a result of The Troubles, and teachers.
Third, the information we were exposed to was overwhelming. We received detailed background information, took study tours of governmental offices, walked the wall in Derry, attended lectures, discussions, information sessions and most importantly, we were able to question in depth the many experts we met. Because of this I was able to gather information, not only in my area, but in all the academic interest areas of the other participants which were equally interesting and just as compelling as I felt mine was.
Fourth, there were two personal pluses for me. The first was seeing a tribute to Martin Luther King, a framed picture and dedication, placed at the Bloody Sunday memorial site in Derry. The second was a meeting over afternoon tea with Ivan Cooper, leader of the peaceful protest which resulted in Blood Sunday, who acknowledged to me that King was indeed a model of the march and a personal hero of his.
As to what I will do now that I am back on campus and ready to start a new semester, I am very excited to use some of what I learned and experienced in my individual classes. I think it is important to share with students the depth and breadth of experiences that are available in the world and all over the world, often just for the asking. Accessing research organizations, submitting research grants, planning study abroad semesters, and integrating international travel in academic programs should be seen as the norm, not the exception. Sometimes students just need a little nudge to open their minds, a little help to expand their dreams, and a little push in the right direction to realize international experiences.
Specifically I will use my experience to talk about my research in class. Many students, of course, will know something of the Northern Ireland conflict, but most will not be familiar with the connection of Martin Luther King and the fight for Irish civil rights. I hope to encourage them to identify with another country and another culture and to realize how high in regard the people of Ireland hold their own home-grown hero. I also hope to inspire some students to use this as a reference point for some of their own research, making new and important connections.
Other plans to incorporate my experiences on my campus include setting up a display in January to celebrate Martin Luther King Day which will get further exposure for the international connection between the US and Ireland. I have also asked faculty for the chance to speak about my experiences in their classes, specifically those in mass communications as I also focus on the media coverage of civil rights events in my research.
I am working on an article about my experiences in Northern Ireland and plan to send a version to the school’s student paper for possible publication. I have posted pictures of my experiences on the bulletin board outside my office door and have faculty, not just from my department, but also others who pass by, asking about my international seminar.
I am also continuing to collect information and have been spurred to action by my experiences in Northern Ireland. I have secured an interview with a woman who was involved in both civil rights movements and will use this “internationalism” of my subject matter in my public relations writing classes where students learn interviewing techniques. I will also use the many benefits of an international experience when I talk about research techniques, first-hand documentation, networking, and cultural learning.
Finally, let me say, that we as participants in this seminar stay in touch with each other. I am working to get a professor from my campus in touch with one of the participants in the same research area. Also, two of us are talking about trying to bring a traveling art exhibit of The Troubles to several college campuses across the country.
The experience was more than I could have hoped for or imagined and I am indebted all those who made it possible with special thanks to the ExxonMobil Foundation, NAFEO, and CIEE.