Edel McCaul from Northern Ireland went to Canada as part of a “peace and reconciliation” program

 

Every day in Ireland there is something mentioned in a news report about Northern Ireland and “the troubles”, but I have a different story to tell. One that is told from a very different angle, an angle I was so totally blessed to have been given the chance to see and learn from. The International Fund for Ireland, and MAPP, the Monaghan and Portadown Partnership have a program for young adults living in Northern Ireland and the border counties designed to reduce conflict between opposing religions and areas.

 

I was a member of a group of 20 young adults who travelled to Toronto to a leading music industry and media college as part of a “peace and reconciliation” program. The idea behind the program is to immerse people who are forced to deal with conflicting issues on a regular basis, in a completely different environment.

 

This new environment provided us with a real-life demonstration of different cultures and religions surviving and co-habiting together, in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. With the college's heavy regime of classes in multimedia, audio production and the music industry, we did not have time to think whether or not the person we worked beside was a Protestant or a Catholic; they were a person working just as hard and with the same goal as everyone else, to learn and progress forward. The challenging educational environment allowed our group to bond in a surprisingly short period of time.

 

My eyes were opened to the sheer size of Canada. My eyes were further widened with the absence of religious categorization or cultural prejudice in Toronto. I am not saying these things do not exist at some level, but compared to the importance and regularity of these issues in Ireland, they were found in minute levels in Canada. But I was amazed at the change in my fellow classmates and myself as the weeks passed. I listened as questions such as - So what religion are you then? became less and less frequent as talk of classes and meeting new people became more important. I watched as classmates who believed they had nothing in common, talked and worked and laughed together like old friends. I found myself becoming more accepting of people, and developing a newfound confidence that I could do anything I wanted with some effort and determination. We were inspired and motivated by professionals who are active leaders in their field who teach because they want to make a difference.

 

The biggest change I noticed was in one of my classmates. He was one of the youngest in our group, and he had strong opinions on the issues. Living on the Gervaghy Road, the most infamous area of conflict in Northern Ireland, he grew up watching riots and seeing the hatred in people's faces each year as they threw rocks and petrol bombs at their neighbors. In that area, the lines are clearly defined between Protestants and Catholics. Growing up in that area meant that he was taught to act in a certain way because it was an “us against them” situation. So to bring him to Canada, in a class with both religions, was never going to be easy. He was not the only person in the class with an “us against them” mindset, but he was the one who would be tested the most.

 

There were many heated conversations that led on late into the night and one I remember in particular. He began discussing the troubles in the North with another classmate. The discussion turned into an argument and finally an emotional breakdown on both parts. He had grown up with strong beliefs, and his words that night reflected that. It was the following day that I first noticed the change when he openly apologized. He was apologizing to someone that for eighteen years he had believed was the enemy. That morning, he apologized as an equal.

 

I'm sure his mind was truly opened and enhanced with the people and places we came across at the college. The second step for him was forgiveness. It was revealed that many months before our program began, he had unknowingly taken part in a beating on another member of our group. That member had been walking through a park late at night, close to the Gervaghy Road, when he was jumped on and savagely beaten by several teenagers. They did not know the victim, they did not know for certain what religion he came from, but they believed they had a fifty-fifty chance of the victim being “one of them”. When he and the victim realized the horrifying truth, it was one of the most emotional moments I have ever witnessed. He was distressed to admit he had been involved in the beating, and the victim was relieved to get an apology he never thought he'd hear.

 

Although bringing a class to Canada and helping them forget about the issues in Ireland and learn to change their attitudes is invaluable, the true test is when they return home. Just a few days before we were due to fly out of Canada and return home, he came to me for advice. He was almost in tears and at a loss as to how to solve his predicament. He did not know how he was going to manage when placed back in his old environment. He knew he could no longer act the way he had prior to the program. As we talked his confidence grew that he would succeed on the return home with his new attitude. He had developed a deeper understanding of the issues that faced him every day, and a totally different way of dealing with them.

 

He no longer had the “us against them” feelings, how could he when he was now close friends with several of “them”? Faced with this dilemma he knew that he was a different person, and I could see clearly how much he had grown and matured due to the struggle to change his attitude. He told me that no matter what happened when we returned home, he was returning home a new person, and part of a new generation filled with hope of peace. That hope is what lit up his face as he talked; that hope is what connected every single member of our group. The hope that things would get better, that we could go home and help change the views of other people.

 

I believe this story is a largely unheard one. These organizations may not realize the significance of what they provide, but to witness what I have and to see the final and permanent result is an honor and a privilege. I know for certain the extent to which lives have been altered due to our program in Toronto, and can only hope that more stories like mine are heard to provide further hope to many that need it.

  

Twenty-one year old Edel McCaul had previously completed a Higher National Diploma in Media Production and she played a principle role in the creation of a website representing the experience of her group while in Canada.

 

Article contributed by Harris Institute, a private Canadian college specializing in music industry, audio and media studies, has participated in annual programs for students from conflicted areas of Ireland since 1997