pictures, pictures, pictures!

I decided that rather than battling with the blog site and patchy internet to put up my pictures I would just go the Flickr route. You can see some of my pictures at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36308618@N05/

Enjoy!

Working 9 to 5

It's been awhile since I've posted on here. Really it's been awhile since I've had time to post on here. Working everyday tires you out pretty  quickly. I now sympathize with all the 9-to-5ers. I now get the exhaustion. Despite the exhaustion the internship really has been pretty great so far. I've had the chance to get around to a lot of the different Alternatives sites. I have been out in the schools and out working with the youth on the streets. I had the opportunity to attend the District Policing Partnership Forum that brought people together from all areas of work in the community, the police, the government, residents and youth to discuss various issues. The main topic of discussion was underage drinking and antisocial activity. I was actually able to give input in the discussion, which was kind of a new thing. I have also been able to sit in on a board meeting for the organization. This allowed me to see the direction that the organization is heading in and also where they have come from. On Friday afternoon my supervisor took me out for lunch at one of the local pubs that all the community workers and artists gather at for political discussion. We had a great time eating good food (real meat that wasn't chicken!), having a glass of wine, and just generally getting to know one another better and also discussing more ways that I might be able to help out at Alternatives. I had a great time. 

On Saturday I attended the first meeting of a new youth program run out of East Belfast Alternatives. It brings together youth from the Protestant community, the Catholic community, and youth from Dublin. They participate in a 15 week long program that looks at living healthy, creating relationships across communities and borders, and teaches the children how to play ice hockey. Yes, a very few people do play ice hockey in Northern Ireland. The kids participate in a week-long residential hockey clinic at the end of the program. Volunteers come in from Canada and they work with the Coors Belfast Giants hockey team to teach the kids how to play. They piloted the program last year and had reasonable success. They are looking to change a few things and hope for more success this year. Yesterday was all about getting to know one another and the program. We spend the afternoon at a youth center playing ice breaker games and listening to a presentation about the program. Then we took all the kids to a Belfast Giants hockey game. They had extra tickets so Jordan and Drea tagged along for the game as well. It was quite the interesting experience. Within the first five minutes Jordan described the games as being similar to watching the team play their first game in Mighty Ducks. It was quite a different level of play than we are used to in Minnesota, but it was fun to watch and an experience I am glad that I got to take part in. The kids definitely enjoyed themselves.

Outside of work I haven't really been up to a whole lot. I'm exhausted when I get home and usually stay in after dinner. We did have the chance to see some live music last Thursday. One of our flatmate's supervisors was playing with his band at a performance venue. Really it is a townhouse that has been converted into a performance space/art gallery type of thing. They were promoting the Botanic Arts Festival that will be taking place next weekend. There was free wine and good music. We didn't stay very late, but we had a good time. Today we got out and walked along the river a little bit and went grocery shopping for the week. I have to work on a paper proposal tonight and then probably call it an early night. We are going to visit the U.S. Consulate and Stormont (the building that houses the Northern Ireland assemble) tomorrow. It's our study day so we will get to see everyone from Derry and Nigel too. Now that I'm more settled in at Alternatives I should be able to keep up with this a little bit better.

Before I sign off I should probably write a little bit about the events that have been happening in Belfast recently. I'm sure most of you have probably seen news about the shootings in Northern Ireland on the news by now. Last weekend two soldiers were killed and four others were injured in a shooting at a military base north of Belfast. Two days later a policeman was shot and killed just south of Belfast. These shootings were carried out by two different splinter groups of the IRA - the Real IRA (RIRA) and the Continuity IRA (CIRA). These are two very small splinter groups that split from the IRA awhile ago. The IRA no longer remains active, but these two, much smaller groups still do. The people in these groups are trying to ignite the Republican quest for a united Ireland once again. They are doing so by targeting security forces, like the British Army and the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI). They have said that they will continue to commit such acts until Britain leaves Northern Ireland. Political leaders and officials from all sides have said that they will not stand for this behavior and that they will not allow the actions of radicals to bring this country back into conflict. The vast majority of the Irish people condemn these acts and want the peace process to continue. The heads of the Loyalist paramilitary groups have promised that there is no talk of retaliation on the part of the paramilitaries. It was a very interesting time to be in the country because we were able to see on people's faces and in their voices the terror that these shootings brought back for those who have already lived through any part of the conflict. It brought people back to the days when they would hear of a shooting and have to wait to find out if it was a family member or someone they knew. Because of this terror, no one we have encountered wants to enter into that sort of dispute again. They are all very much committed to peace. So, in summary, I am safe, we are all safe, and we will wait with the rest of the country to see what happens next. The political leaders are all working to make sure that peace is maintained and that the process can continue to move forward. In fact, many of  Northern Ireland's political leaders are in the United States right now. St. Patrick's Day is one of the few times when they are able to step into the spotlight and use it to advance their cause and their goals for the future. 

I am being called to go make dinner now so I had better get to it. Miss you all tons and wish you all well!

Belfiesta!

I'm a working girl now! I officially started my internship on Monday and I am loving it! I have worked two days now (we had class/seminar today). On Monday morning I took a taxi to the East Belfast Alternatives office where I was met by one of the workers there. She was the only one in the office at the time (there are only two staff who work in the EBA office full-time). She showed me around the office. It is small, but comfortable and got me situated in my desk...yes, I have a desk complete with computer and stapler. Her first task of the day was to meet with one of the young girls that she is working with and I was allowed to tag along. I don't think I have explained yet how Alternatives works so I will give a quick overview. 

Alternatives is an organization that utilizes a community-based restorative justice approach to anti-social behaviour (which here means throwing rocks at homes, petty theft, vandalism, bullying, etc.). There has been a rise in Northern Ireland of the informal justice system. People are still vary wary of the police and other statutory agencies and find that the response time is not good if there is a response at all. Thus, people head down to the local pub when they have a grievance against youth in the community. People know which pubs are still frequented by local paramilitary members. They present their case and request that the paramilitaries take care of it. This can result in a warning, a beating, a shooting (to injure and teach a lesson, not to kill), or exclusion of the offender and their family from the community. Alternatives works through referrals to intervene in this process and offer an alternative to paramilitary violence. Victim, offender, and community are all involved in restoring justice to a situation. Victim and offender both receive separate counseling and mediation until they come together to work out an arrangement that will benefit the victim, offender, and community. The victim is able to receive closure and repayment, the offender is able to see firsthand the way that their actions hurt themselves, the community and others, and the community is bettered. This, in a nutshell, is why Alternatives was formed. Since the 1990s Alternatives has branched out to include prevention programs, mediation training in schools and the Northern Ireland parole office and various other programs and services, including dealing directly with paramilitaries as I will be soon.

So...on Monday I was able to accompany one of the case workers to work with a little girl. This little girl had been kicked out of school for possession. She has also stolen from local shops. She is only 12 years old. We took her to play pool at a local community center and then out for McDonalds. One of the things that Alternatives looks at is the circumstances in the offender's lives that may have led them to commit the crimes that they have taken part in. This girl is in the early stages of her restorative justice program and the emphasis is really on building a relationship of trust and support. It was quite the interesting experience. She is really a sweet girl who just comes from a bad home situation. That is the experience of a lot of the youth who work with Alternatives. After returning from that outing I had a meeting with the three people that I will be working closely with and they kind of "called" which days they wanted me to work with them. It sounds like I will be able to get around to most of the Alternatives offices (they have 5) and will be able to experience a wide variety of their programs. Later in the day on Monday I was able to attend a meeting with the more formal branch of restorative justice in Belfast. They operate under more of a statutory protocol than does Alternatives. Until recently the two groups did not work together, but because of government recognition of Alternatives they are now working together on joint projects. They were very welcoming and informative and I was invited back to visit and learn more anytime. This was pretty much the extent of my first day. I read some literature about the organization and really oriented myself with the office. That is really what the first week is about. I am fairly free to choose my own projects and to work in the directions and the capacities that I choose. I have, however, been delegated the task of designing their website (they don't have one at the moment). I will be compiling the information needed for their website and deciding how it can best be laid out.

On Tuesday I got to work on a little bit of research needed to formulate a layout for the website. I don't have a real strong idea of what to go on so I decided to orient myself more with the organization. I read reports and pamphlets and I also looked at other restorative justice organizations' websites to get an idea about what might be included in an Alternatives website. In the process I found an internship dealing with restorative justice in Minneapolis for the summer that I am going to apply for. I think I should have a pretty good shot at it. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Later in the morning I went out on a home visit with one of the case workers to talk with a parent of a child that might participate in one of our programs. The day was pretty slow for the most part and I filled it with research. However, in the afternoon I had the chance to attend a meeting. This meeting was made up of various organizations in the neighborhood. There were community groups and the housing executive and the Belfast City Council all represented. Basically the group meets to update one another on the various projects that they are working on. They ensure that there is no overlap and they work together to accomplish what the neighborhood needs. I was told that this is fairly rare in Belfast so I was glad to experience the cooperation of the Woodstock neighborhood.

Oh! In other interesting news I experienced the public transportation of Belfast for the first time on Tuesday. In order to get to my internship I have to take a bus into the city center and then another bus into East Belfast. The website is not particularly helpful in planning your routes, but I found out which buses to take from my co-workers. Thus, I knew the bus numbers that I had to take and I found those buses just fine. What I did not know, however, was where to get off of them. It was a big guessing game, but I did alright. I think I should be ok to do it again. I didn't particularly love standing at the bus stop in the cold and the rain, but such is Belfast (I could have it much worse; some people have to walk). It did rain the first two days of our internships, but today was nice and sunny.

Today, as I said before, was our seminar day. We were joined in Belfast by our classmates in Derry. We went first to WAVE Trauma Centre. This is a center that deals with victims of the Troubles. This means that anyone who feels that their life was affected by the Troubles can get whatever help they might need from the center. After that we made our way to the Shankill office of Alternatives. The rest of my group was able to learn a little bit about what we do at Alternatives. It was an interesting day and it was SO GOOD to see the Derry people again! We've really missed them. It always feels like some of our group is missing. I think some of them might be coming to stay and visit with us this weekend. 

It's getting late so I should probably wrap this up. Tomorrow I will be heading out into the schools to work with Alternatives' Peer Mediation program. It should be interesting. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you at home. Talk to you soon.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

Hello from Belfast!

We moved in on Friday and have officially been residents of Belfast for 4 days now. It has been a very full 4 days and doesn't show any signs of slowing. There is a lot to tell from our last night in Coleraine to our first day at our internship sites so I had better type fast so that I can finish this before I have to write papers and do work and stuff. Who knew that we had to do any of that while we are here?

Thursday was our last night as a big group for awhile. Eight of us are living in Belfast and the other five are living in Derry. I was really sad to split into two groups. It felt like after three weeks we were well connected as a group and we were getting more comfortable all the time and then we had to move and go and change things. I'm hoping the separate living and experiences won't change the group dynamic too much. I guess time will tell. We went out one last time to the Anchor on Thursday night to hear some traditional Irish music. It was my favorite night here so far! Like the stupid Americans in a foreign country that we are we danced...and we were the only ones who danced...and we didn't know how to dance correctly. At first it was just 4 of the girls dancing. Then Jordan and Justin came and joined us and we polkaed. Later in the night Justin danced with me. Justin has taken a ballroom class so he knew more what he was doing. All I had to do was point my toes, pick up my feet and follow. We were both dressed in red on top and black on bottom. We looked like we were entering a dance contest. We had all eyes in the pub on us and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! A few songs later the band played a well-known folk song and I danced with an Irish guy named Kevin who taught me the actual dance. Brie and I got to know the band a little bit and I think we made quite the lasting impression on the Anchor. We will be missed...at least until we return in May.

We left for Belfast bright and early on Friday morning and checked into our flat at Stranmillis College. We got an 8-person flat that comprises an entire floor of the building we live in. Each room has its own bathroom complete with a good-sized shower. We share a kitchen and a bathtub. The flat has recently been renovated and they are very nice. We were very excited when we arrived and we finally have internet in our rooms!!! It's a little spotty, but we don't have to walk a couple of blocks to get it.  This makes life so much easier for the spoiled Americans who can't live without their wireless ; )

We spent the rest of Friday settling in and doing some grocery shopping and unpacking. We decided to throw a fiesta for our first night in Belfast so we cooked fajitas and had rice and chips and salsa. It was delicious and an excellent start to our time here. I passed on going out Friday night. I was still exhausted from Thursday and I'm always trying to save money when I can. 

We spent Saturday exploring the city and generally wandering around. We were lucky to have such nice weather. The impression that Belfast has left on us might not be nearly as nice if we were battling the wind and rain (like we were today incidentally). We spent most of the afternoon shopping and mingling with the crowds and crowds of people. My one goal on Saturday was to watch the big rugby match in a pub with all the local Irish people. Ireland played England and expectations were high. After a quick stop at McDonald's for a snack (I know, I know, I didn't want to go there, but we needed something quick and cheap and not crowded) we managed to snag a much coveted table at The Kitchen Bar in Belfast city center. We watched the rugby match with some chips and a Guinness and I cannot imagine a much better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Belfast. Rugby is so much more entertaining to watch than American football and the fans say much funnier things here when they have had a bit to drink. They are much more original than your typical NFL drunks. It is somehow charming. We walked home from the pub after the match and that about did it for me for the night. I had a grilled cheese - or cheese toastie - and relaxed. We determined that the walk into the city center took about 30 minutes. However, once we made it to the center all the entertainment and shopping was pretty centralized. It wasn't too bad and the walking doesn't hurt any of us (at least on Saturday it didn't).

Sunday was a big day. None of you probably knows who Ian Paisley is, but I need to give you a very simple summary to impress upon you the importance of the day. Reverend Ian Paisley has been the most prominent political figure in Northern Ireland for probably the last 40 years and he is the most outspoken Unionist commentator. He is the former First Minister of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. This is the highest office and he has only recently stepped down. He is the founder of the Free Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland. This is a quasi-Presbyterian sect of Protestantism that has gained quite the reputation here. They are a very fundamentalist religion that has managed to mix politics and religion quite effectively. Ian Paisley was one of the foremost advocators for Unionism throughout the Troubles and there is great controversy surrounding his views regarding the Catholic and Nationalist movement. Though he never advocated violence, many paramilitaries claim to be inspired by Ian Paisley to join the various Loyalist organizations. In recent years his views have moderated quite substantially. Once thought never to waver in his belief in a Unionist Northern Ireland, Paisley became the first head of a power-sharing government. He served with former enemy Martin McGuinness and preaches a message of peace and efforts toward agreement today. It is amazing to see what circumstances and prolonged violence can do to people. Apart from his history Ian Paisley is still seen as very radical today because of his views toward Catholicism, homosexuality, abortion, and the like. Many more liberal minded people in Northern Ireland (including many Republicans) still harbor great hatred toward him and many of his own side have begun to see him as too moderate and as yielding to the demands of the other side. Despite the ill feelings toward him Ian Paisley is still highly respected by many and those in his church remain his devoted followers. Regardless of all feelings whether good or bad he remains a celebrity and one of the most well-known names throughout the British isles.

So the short biography got a little long. Everything is so complicated here; it becomes very difficult to condense any information into a bloggable format for a general audience. Anyway, what you need to know is that Ian Paisley is a big, big deal. He has come up time and again in our lectures. His church, the building that he founded, is located in Belfast and he still preaches most of the time. We decided to check it out on Sunday and we walked into East Belfast for the 11:30 service. We got lost and ended up arriving about ten minutes late. We were welcomed enthusiastically by an elder sitting outside the door. However, we had to wait in the entry until the prayer was over so that we could find a seat without disrupting the service. When we were able to enter I expected to see a sanctuary filled with people...and I didn't. There were far fewer people than I would have expected, but they were much more interesting than I expected. All of the women were wearing amazing hats, Kentucky Derby quality hats with flowers and lace and big brims that matched their perfectly coordinated dresses. It was a scene right out of the movies. And there was Ian Paisley atop a giant platform at the front of the church. We entered during the sharing of the peace and were promptly greeted by an elderly man from the congregation. We were seated about 7 rows back from the pulpit, but we were the closest to the front. During the announcements Ian Paisley looked right at us and welcomed all the visitors (we were the only ones). The service was really very beautiful. The hymns were unfamiliar, but the congregation knew how to sing and we caught on easily. The sermon was preached on Malachi chapter 3 and it was not at all what I was expecting. I was listening for a political agenda or undertones, but I found none. The focus was on the text and the worship. This was not the Ian Paisley I had read and heard so much about. After the service was over Ian made his way up the aisle and made a beeline straight toward us. He shook all our hands and welcomed us to his congregation. He wished us a happy stay here in Belfast and welcomed us back any time. I wish I could convey what a big deal this was. It was crazy. This is one of the most hated men in Northern Ireland (by some at least) and certainly one of the most powerful and he was so accessible. There was no security and there were no precautions made for his safety during this service. We were very surprised. He continued on his way after greeting us to catch up with other members of his congregation, but we talked to him again on our way out. We got a picture and some autographs. On an interesting side note he always signs a verse when he signs his name. He gave us the verses Ephesians 6:19-20. They read as follows "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should." It was so exciting and he was so nice and welcoming. It really changes your perception of a person to hear about all that they have done and all that people believe they are and then to juxtapose that impression with your actual encounter with that person. It's all part of making everything more confusing here day by day. I don't know if I have said this yet, but they told us time and again over the first few days that we were here: If you aren't confused, then you aren't understanding the conflict...or something to that effect.

I was really hoping that I would have time tonight to talk about my first day at my internship, but it's getting late and I have to work in the morning so that will have to wait until tomorrow perhaps. I just got too caught up with talking about Ian Paisley. I know you're all on the edge of your seats. Hope all is well! More soon!