Today we got up, got ready, ate breakfast, & were on the bus by 6:30am. It was way too early! We headed to Belfast where we were able to walk around & see some more murals & also went to the peace wall. We signed it really quick, hopped back on the bus, & headed for Stormont, home of Northern Ireland's Parliament. There we met with a politician from the Alliance Party. It was interesting to get an insight on the politics in Northern Ireland. We then headed to lunch (I had a delicious black bean burger) & then to the WAVE Trauma Center. It is an organization that helps victims & survivors from the Troubles. We spoke with the director of the Belfast branch (a very smart man who lost his wife during the Troubles) & then were able to speak with a survivor. He was so amazing! He drove a taxi back in the early 90s & one day a bomb blew up in his car. He lost one leg, part of the other, & was given a one in a million chance to live. Now he is working with this organization, helping others that are trying to cope with their experiences.
After WAVE, we stopped really quickly at the ship yard where the Titanic was built. It was pretty neat. We were in a hurry though, so we looked at it for a minute & then headed to the East Belfast Mission (EBM). A lady named Sara had been with us all day & it turned out that she worked at the EBM. She came to Ireland in the 90s on a study abroad program (just like us!) & then came back a few years later to help with community reconciliation. She was really an amazing person. She is making such a difference here, which I think is so great. So she talked to us about what the EBM does & what she has personally done in the area to help the community come together. It was pretty fascinating to see that side of the situation. We went on a quick bus ride & looked at some more of the murals & the interfaces in the area.
It was interesting because she told us that about three weeks ago, two new murals appeared in the area, across the street from each other. They had been painted over previous murals & some advertising, without permission from the building owners. They were both black & white, & pretty ominous. One had men holding guns & said, “We seek nothing but the elementary right implanted in every man: The right if you are attacked, to defend yourself.” Creepy, right? Anyways, Sara said that the community was all pretty fearful since the murals had appeared. She felt that some of the progress they had made with people in the area was erased. We asked why they didn’t just cover them back up or why the police didn’t stop them from being painted in the first place, & she replied that everyone is afraid of starting the violence again. It is so strange to me that, what seems like some graffiti on the walls can make such a huge impact.
Next we saw the interfaces in the area. Interfaces are basically areas that are surrounded by giant fences. Neighborhoods that are being vandalized can request that the city erect these walls in order to protect themselves. I can’t imagine having barbed wire fences between me & my neighbors. Or having my children grow up in an area surrounded by them. Most people in the area agree that the fences need to be removed, however no one knows exactly how to go about it. Those that requested the fences are afraid that once they are down, things won’t have changed & they will be vandalized again. It is such an extreme situation here. People want to reconcile, but all sides are nervous & don’t want to make the first move. There are no easy answers! After driving around for a while, we returned to EBM, ate dinner there & then Sara spoke until about 8pm. We grabbed the bus again & made it back to Inch House at about 10:30pm. It was a long day but amazing day.
Its official, I am in love with Ireland. There are so many unbelievable people here doing incredible things! It sort of blows my mind. It is so beautiful & I never want to leave. Of course I want to see my family & cats, but I love it here! One day I want to come here & buy a little house & raise some sheep. Wouldn’t that be amazing? I sure think so. Maybe one day!
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