Belfast Day One
Our first day in Belfast we jumped right into discussing the Troubles. We took a quick stop to see one of the peace walls. The one we saw was in an area called Lower Shankill, and the divisions here are very salient. This particular wall has been added on to over the years, starting with a cement base, then the next level is corrugated metal, with the top level being a wire fence. Many of the walls have been increased in height over the years to stop petrol bombs and other things being thrown over. Across the street from the wall, which has been covered in murals promoting peace and remembrance, is an open dirt field where the locals were busy building one of the bonfires. It was going to be huge, based on the size of the base. It looked like they were about a third of the way through when we saw it.
After viewing the physical realities of the modern conflict, we went around the corner to the Republican Museum. I just want to say that every stop we made, we talked to people, and all of them were kind and hospitable. The citizens of Belfast, or at least the dozen I talked to, were some of the nicest people I've met. We talked to two former political prisoners, one from either side of the conflict. Both had gotten involved in the fighting when they were 15 and 16 and had been in and out of jail multiple times on different charges in relation to the violence. They told us their stories, and how they were extremely abused in prison, which was just up the road from where we talked. Talking with them was a sobering experience. They both have been working to bring the two sides together, and they work specifically with ex-prisoners in order to help them get back on their feet and readjusted to normal life.
We then crossed back over the dividing line to visit the Loyalist Museum. Here we talked with another community leader who had also been a political prisoner. He was focused on community housing and infrastructure, of getting people the help they needed to get back on their feet and to stay there. He wanted the walls to come down too and explained to us a bit more about how the city was laid out. We ended our visit there with a tour of the neighborhood. He pointed out that he and his organization had moved to bring in a health and wellness facility near the centre of both communities, in hopes that a non-divisive environment would promote peaceful reconnection. While we toured the neighbourhood, we noticed that there were tons of murals painted on the sides of houses. Most of them were about remembering the fallen, the lives lost, and on focusing efforts on building peace. There are murals like this all over the city, and though lots of them have been refurbished to have positive information, there are lots that still call for violence and division.
That first day was pretty heavy, and it set a tone for the rest of the week. It brought the struggles of random people to life, it made the troubles real for us. There is a lot of conflict around the world, and seeing the after effects of it in person was definitely an experience I learned a lot from.
The peacewall stands at about the height of a 3 story house.
This bonfire was expected to reach the top of the peace wall. It was being built right across the street. 
After viewing the physical realities of the modern conflict, we went around the corner to the Republican Museum. I just want to say that every stop we made, we talked to people, and all of them were kind and hospitable. The citizens of Belfast, or at least the dozen I talked to, were some of the nicest people I've met. We talked to two former political prisoners, one from either side of the conflict. Both had gotten involved in the fighting when they were 15 and 16 and had been in and out of jail multiple times on different charges in relation to the violence. They told us their stories, and how they were extremely abused in prison, which was just up the road from where we talked. Talking with them was a sobering experience. They both have been working to bring the two sides together, and they work specifically with ex-prisoners in order to help them get back on their feet and readjusted to normal life.
We then crossed back over the dividing line to visit the Loyalist Museum. Here we talked with another community leader who had also been a political prisoner. He was focused on community housing and infrastructure, of getting people the help they needed to get back on their feet and to stay there. He wanted the walls to come down too and explained to us a bit more about how the city was laid out. We ended our visit there with a tour of the neighborhood. He pointed out that he and his organization had moved to bring in a health and wellness facility near the centre of both communities, in hopes that a non-divisive environment would promote peaceful reconnection. While we toured the neighbourhood, we noticed that there were tons of murals painted on the sides of houses. Most of them were about remembering the fallen, the lives lost, and on focusing efforts on building peace. There are murals like this all over the city, and though lots of them have been refurbished to have positive information, there are lots that still call for violence and division.
That first day was pretty heavy, and it set a tone for the rest of the week. It brought the struggles of random people to life, it made the troubles real for us. There is a lot of conflict around the world, and seeing the after effects of it in person was definitely an experience I learned a lot from.
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