There are times in life that you experience another person’s life story in a way that really resonates with you. You feel their sadness, joy, anger, frustration, confusion and/or love as they tell you how their worldview was shaped. Each of us is a combination of our experience, shaped through our family, community and world our  perspective is a tapestry of not only how those interactions with others has occurred, but also our response to them. My experience here in Belfast has been profound in seeing how resilience and courage come together with family and community ties to shape each person’s life. While there are strong similarities and binding identities within communities there are also the different responses that each person has to those identities.

I now have an even stronger sense of appreciation for how the people I have met are turning extremely hard experiences and differing community and personal identities into working towards a common goal.  Experiencing their courage and resilience as they do such important work is inspiring, especially in the way each of them brings their own worldview into working on that goal. It is an important lesson in how a community with such a difficult past can bond together to accomplish amazing feats.

Today we visited what is properly known in Britain as Londonderry. Well the name depends on which side someone is on. The republican Irish call it Derry, because they are not comfortable with anything Protestant/Presbyterian/British there.

The feeling of sadness was palpable in the city. We entered at a point, “the river side,” where the English had originally built a fort, and took command of the valley. Over time, the Catholics were pushed away from the water, and down into the “bogside” where they remain today. After that small detour, I will proceed to explain the tangible sadness we experienced. As the class walked down the main street, we saw mural after mural which all depicted the tragic history of trauma and politics that has dominated the Northern Irish culture.

So this image, among others, sent chills down my spine. Both for the fact that the image, among others, had to be passed by every day, and because they reminded the people of Derry, daily, what the city had endured over hundreds of years. In the 1600s there was a siege, and then of course the Troubles, and even the past 20 years with the IRA and British fiercely contending for the Bog side. What will become of Derry/Londonderry, is yet to be known. But I have the feeling that the resiliency of the people will carry the city through it all, and hopefully, one day, the people of Northern Ireland will really know peace.

It is amazing to me how quickly the time has gone by. I am having an amazing experience with some very incredible people. Everyday is a new adventure and you never know what you might hear or the unbelievable things you are going to learn that day. Yesterday, we met with two separate individuals. The first man worked for a restorative justice program. It was so touching to me how much this man wanted to give back to the community and create peace. No matter how many times their ideas fail or how slowly things are moving they never give up and continue to fight to bring peace among Belfast. The second woman we met with was a Minister of Sinn Fein. The most intriguing thing to me was that she really wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be talking to us about, but as soon as she got started she had no problem educating us on the history of Belfast, what she has been involved in and what she is doing to help now. Every single person has a story in Belfast and are more than willing to share. The amount of history and the feeling of resilience and community is overwhelming. It is like no other place I have ever been.

There are many times in life we face adversity. During those times it may seem like we are all alone as we face trying to overcome whatever obstacle has risen in our life path. However we are not alone, especially if we can find the strength to reach out to those in our lives who love us. During my time in Belfast I have been reminded of the power of community and how those bonds can take away that sense of isolation and help with resilience in even the hardest circumstances. The hardships many people in Northern Ireland have experienced are many times hard for me to comprehend. However the strength of their relationships and connection to community I can not only appreciate, but admire. I think this incredibly strong sense of connectedness to taking care of one another is the reason that they have been able to continue in spite of the hardships. I find myself learning many lessons as I talk with the individuals at PIPS and others throughout the city, many of which will stay with me forever, including how community can build resilience.