Within the conferences that we have attended in the past two days, I am coming to a conclusion that the people of Northern Ireland desperately want change. As outsiders, it is very easy to assume that there is too much hatred within the island, for people to even dream of a change for at least three or four generations. However, I have met, and heard people these past two days, who are fighting with all that they’ve got, to make sure that their children can live safe and happy, right now. I marvel at their courage, determination, and faith for a means to move past the sectarian violence. It is an awesome and powerful thing to see people, with their own stories of trauma, asking others to follow them, but with the intention of transforming their pain and distrust into one of peace and acceptance. One speaker, said something that really struck a cord for me;
“Until we stop pointing fingers, we can never hope to move past this. We must instead, recognize each other where they are, and move forward. And we must not wait, any longer, to do this.”
That was a rough quotation, but it still captures what she said.