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PARTING
THOUGHTS ON LIFE AND LEAVING
As I walk along a desolate beach near my home in North Florida, a Navy
helicopter skims across the Atlantic invading my solitude and returning
me instantly to North Belfast. I volunteered in Northern Ireland for the
previous twelve months on behalf of a peace and reconciliation programme
sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA). My reasons for volunteer service
stemmed from a passion for social justice, a motivation rooted in faith
and bolstered by a belief in human rights.
I arrived in Northern
Ireland hoping not to solve the cyclical conflict but to better understand
it. I wanted to ignore media-exaggerated depictions so that I could learn
first-hand from people with whom I would be living and working. My hope
was that I could understand the situation in such a way that I could offer
my perspective based on twenty-eight years in the United States. Growing
up in the South in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, I saw a possible
parallel as the cancers of racism and sectarianism affect society similarly.
My exposure to Belfast
was diverse. I lived in a working-class Catholic neighbourhood in North
Belfast, one that had seen more than its share of violence. Stories and
statistics of years past were hard to comprehend in the relative safety
of today's ceasefire. I served as a youth worker in this environment, working
with marginalised teenagers on the street and young children in an after-school
programme. I also worked with two other organisations that were cross-community
in ethos but comprised largely of middle-class Protestants. This experience
was quite different, as the walk from Antrim Road to city centre reminded
me daily. I enjoyed working with these organisations both because I was
able to assist in a professional capacity - designing websites and coordinating
marketing efforts - and it broadened my understanding of life in Northern
Ireland. Without these contrasting work environments, my exposure would
have been one-sided.
The longer I lived in
Belfast the more complicated the Troubles became. As questions were answered,
new ones arose. As soon as the situation made sense, new interpretations
further complicated the issues. I realised quickly that my understanding
would be limited, but I took comfort when others admitted they were confused
as well. Few people seemed to have the answer though most were eager to
discuss the problem.
The longer I lived in
Belfast the less interested I became in discussing the politics of peace.
I concluded that change also begins with each individual, and that establishing
relationships with people from the local community was as important to fostering
reconciliation as negotiating the finer points of the Agreement was to securing
peace. And these relationships resulted in a meaningful contribution to
the community and created a space for change in me as well.
My initial impression
of Northern Ireland was the friendliness and hospitality of people from
both sides of the religious divide. Few times in my life have I experienced
this level of community - such openness and willingness of people to share
their lives. I connected immediately with the culture in Northern Ireland
as I realized that sarcasm was a common expression of acceptance and affection.
I cherished the abundant wit and humour, admiring gregarious gifts of laughter
and story-telling. I also respected the importance faith still commands
in people's lives and the resistance expressed towards an increasingly materialistic
society. Additionally, the natural beauty of the rolling countryside and
rocky coastline offered inspiration and a nearby escape from intense inner-city
living. For all these reasons and many others, I valued the people, culture,
and environs of Northern Ireland.
I leave Belfast optimistic
for the future. Despite seeing a new assembly suspended and then sustained,
despite watching a prisoner released and then retained, despite hearing
the constant drone of helicopters and landrovers, despite witnessing riots
and paramilitary gunfire, I am still optimistic. I am encouraged by the
vast number of people and projects working towards reconciliation. I am
encouraged by those struggling to raise awareness within themselves and
their neighbourhoods. I am encouraged by the peace process, as slow and
awkward as it seems at times.
I leave Belfast with
new lenses, a better insight into life in Northern Ireland, into my lifestyle
and spirituality, and into the advantages and limitations of life in America.
I leave rejuvenated and replenished, regardless of acute feelings of loss
over the conclusion of an endearing experience. I leave with friendships
and memories, adventures and awareness. I leave humbled by receiving far
more than I gave.
I give thanks for the
people who touched my life, for ECONI that provided an opportunity, and
for all those who strive for unity and equality in a divided world.
Tucker
Ball volunteered with ECONI this past year in conjuction with the PC(USA)
International Volunteer Progamme. Tucker left Northern Ireland in August
and currently resides at his home in Atlantic Beach, Florida. |
