Nan and Bruce will be on a “Pilgrimage to Corrymeela” with a group from Tatamagouche Centre from May 4th to 17th.
Below is a story about Corrymeela from this week's Seasons of the Spirit.
Founded in 1965, Corrymeela’s objective has always been and continues to be promoting reconciliation and peace-building through the healing of social, religious, and political divisions in Northern Ireland. Corrymeela’s history is built upon committed work with individuals and communities which have suffered through the violence and polarization of the Northern Irish conflict. The vision of Christian community and reconciliation has been expressed through a commitment of promoting interaction between and building positive relationships among all kinds and conditions of people. This is one of their stories.
Peace Walls, Sign of Security, Sign of Fear
In Belfast there are huge barriers, 16- to 18-foot-tall walls, erected to keep neighbours apart. They run down the interfaces where Catholic areas meet Protestant areas. These huge structures mean that some people have to keep the light in their kitchen all year round because they live in the shadow of these ‘Peace Walls,’ as they’re called. At the one time they are symbols of security, and symbols of fear.
We have been bringing families who live on both sides
of the Peace Wall together. They had decided to try to do something with the fear, and find a new way forward. The dialogue started with a feelings box. Each person put a single word on a piece of paper representing what it felt like to live in the shadow of the Peace Wall and put them into a slot in the box. Then the pieces of paper were taken from the box and read out anonymously. People were free to add something if they wished. It was impossible to tell from which side of the wall they came – whether they were Protestant feelings or Catholic feelings.
Sadness was the most common. Sadness at the loss of loved ones, the lost childhood for their young people growing up with constant violence on the streets where they lived. Several people put in the word hatred. As ‘hatred’ came out of the box one woman said, I don’t mean to say that I hate anyone. What I meant was that I don’t wish to carry on knowing that I am hated, and that my children are
hated. That’s what we hear, as the young people yell abuse as they see if they can throw bricks over the massively high wall.
The
group went on to discuss what they understood as ‘community.’
Both sides had no problem agreeing what was
important for them. They
talked about what they hoped for in the year two thousand. Both sides
wanted peace, and better amenities for their children, and jobs. At
the end of their residential the Catholic group and the Protestant
group decided they needed to work together for the development of
their area.
One of
their dreams was to have a common community
centre where both
communities could continue to meet and support each other. Meanwhile
the children were meeting. They watched a clown as he came into the
room, dressed in an outlandish costume. The more the children laughed
at him, the sadder he got until he was crumpled up on the ground
sobbing. They recognised that feeling, being laughed at because you
were different, and both sides talked about their experiences of
bullying in school.
They
then began talking about their favourite pastime throwing bricks over
the Peace Wall. Since they met a day ago on arriving at Corrymeela,
Paddy and William, a Catholic and Protestant had become the best of
mates. Paddy was the best shot in the district. “Paddy what if you
hit William.” “Oh I wouldn’t.” “How is that?” “I’m a
good shot. I wouldn’t aim at William.” “But sometimes you can’t
see who you will hit, the wall is too high.” Paddy thought, long
and hard. “Yea you’re right. I’m going to have to climb up to
the top of the derelict house where I can geta really good aim.”
“But Paddy, last weekend you could have injured William with a
stone, because then you didn’t know him. How would you feel about
that now?” “Bad!” said Paddy. Eventually Paddy and the rest of
the group decided that they would stop throwing stones.
The
person who led that programme was passing through the area where they
lived a couple of weeks later and saw some of the children hanging
around opposite the one place where you could see through the wall.
She was curious as to what was going on. So she stopped. The children
said they wait there every day on the way back from school, to wave
to their new friends on the Protestant side. It’s the way they keep
in touch with their new friends. When we hear one another, a new
reality is created between us.
Reproduced
courtesy of Corrymeela Community, Northern Ireland.
www.corrymeela.org
Copyright
© Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2012
Seasons
of the Spirit™ SeasonsFUSION
Lent • Easter 2013, p. 139
