Northern Ireland # 6 (Feb. 27, 2011)

Setting the Scene
As I sit to write this post, I am accompanied by a country music play list that created recently via an online music service and a dram of Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Strictly following the advice of the distiller, I am enjoying this single malt responsibly!!


Below, I've inserted a few pictures in this blog of scenes around Corrymeela. These do not relate to any specific in the content of the post, but give you an idea of some of the things I get to see every day.


Reflections
When walking along the beach (where else?) a couple of days ago, I reflected on the simple fact that I am here on the north coast of Northern Ireland doing something that is truly unique and being able to make a contribution to important work. Coming here with few expectations, this experience continues to be enriching in so many ways. 

When my consulting work slowed down significantly a bit over two years ago, I have to say that I found this unsettling. In looking back, however, I certainly didn't envision the things that I've done since then. The Habitat for Humanity work in various countries over the past couple of years has been extremely satisfying and to add the Corrymeela experience on top of this I feel very blessed. While I still value my consulting work and the great people I get to work with and want to continue doing this, it's important to not miss these great volunteering opportunities.

Corrymeela Happenings
Since my last post, I have been involved with some interesting stuff. I have taken on a couple of small projects that are using my professional experience in communications and organizational strategy. These involve strategy development and writing skills - two things that I truly enjoy.

On Friday, I was part of a team that facilitated a number of activities with 60+ teens in the 12-14 year age range. Working with groups of 10 to 12 kids, the goal was to undertake a range of outdoor activities that provided opportunities for leadership to surface and be a topic of discussion. In reality, these activities were mostly about team work and it was very interesting to see how these young folks responded.

I was responsible for a station that involved having groups lower a stick (approx. six feet in length) from chest level to the ground. Groups were split into equal numbers on each side of the stick and each person held out their index fingers so that the stick rested on top of the fingers. Then, I placed the stick on their index fingers, with their task being to lower the stick to the ground with all index fingers maintaining contact with the stick all the way. If contact is lost or people tried to use tactics to grasp the stick, they had to start over. In theory, it seems like a really straightforward, maybe even simple, task. In reality, it is extremely difficult and requires teamwork and typically for someone taking charge. It really is a combination of teamwork and leadership. I have been familiar with this activity for a long time and, at the outset with every group over the years, the stick is lifted up, not down (that's likely what it is called Helium Stick). Some people found this very frustrating and gave up. Conversely, others really embraced the challenge and stayed with it until the mission was accomplished.

Working again in groups of 10 to 12 kids, we moved to discussions about leadership. These discussions covered things like examples of good leadership, poor leadership and the qualities of good leaders. Each group produced a poster of pictures, drawings and words that reflected what they thought reflected good leadership, including examples of people they considered to be good leaders. Believe it or not, the biggest challenge with this activity was to get the kids to talk. Things changed dramatically, however, when it came to creating the poster. All it took was for one person to start and then others quickly joined in.

Sidebar
I'm going to insert a few pictures here moving to the rest of the text.

The building in which I am living (Coventry).

Three buildings below used for creative, arts and recreational activities, including disco music/dance sessions!!

The view to the Centre from one of the gardens. Walk through the garden several times a day.

Weekend Group
From 8:00 pm on Friday until late morning today, I was part of a team that supported a wide range of activities for a group of about 40 young people (15-18 years of age) that were on site to work on ways to gain attention and support for ending child poverty. These young people are from Derry and Belfast, where they are working in a variety of ways at the local level to elevate the profile of the impact of poverty on children. Their efforts are connected to the work of Save The Children.

They are an impressive group of people!!!!!

In addition to some team building and other fun physical activities, their program had a big focus on communications/public relations. This too provided many opportunities to draw from my professional experience to help them with their planning and strategy work. It really is good to be around young people who are not held back in their thinking and strategies based upon years of experience. While I added value to what they were doing, I also learned a lot from them.

The hours were long and there was a lot to do, but I really enjoyed these young people. I was drawn to them for many reasons - their enthusiasm, energy, creativity, sense of fun and play, openness and care for each other. There are many social and political challenges in Northern Ireland and it is  encouraging to see people like this are making a difference. It's impossible to find the words to describe the weekend's experience, but I simply liked being around all these young people. Lots of substantive conversations sprinkled with laughter and fun.

Thanks for reading this post. I'm closing this post with a picture I took about 10 days at Corrymeela as it seems like a good sign-off. Reminds me of the children's book "Goodnight Moon."

Ernie

Northern Ireland # 5 (Feb. 18, 2011)

Random Stuff

Here's a little story that seems to symbolize some of the characters you encounter in Northern Ireland. As you know from previous blogs, my favourite place to walk near Corrymeela is along Ballycastle Beach. On Sunday afternoon (Feb. 13) I walked into town and noted that the waves breaking on the beach seemed to be a bit larger than normal and also that there were many fishermen had set up their fishing rods on the beach. Seeing fishermen on the beach is a common sight, but there were many more this time. Several of them even had small tarps to sit under (sort of like a tent fly) and seemed to be there for a bit of a stay. I was intrigued to know what they were they were trying to catch, so asked one of them. With a bit of a smile, his response was pretty cryptic - "anything." This is the type of answer one comes to expect here, but with a couple more questions I learned they were fishing for sea bass, which is a tasty fish.

About 10 days ago I was walking along the beach and must admit I was surprised to see three surfers. While some areas of the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland are known for attracting surfers, I just didn't expect it. It made me think of a friend from Tofino, BC.

Since arriving here more than five weeks ago, the amount of daylight hours has increased by about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I especially like this in the late afternoons when there is an opportunity to be outside. On the sunny days, spring definitely is in the air.

Hospitality
One thing that continues to impress me and warm my heart is the hospitality of the people here!!! It seems that every few days, some form of hospitality is shown that is totally unexpected and is given with sincerity and warmth. It is easy to see why people are drawn to this place after even a short time here. On my first night in Belfast, I joined a few friends and their friends for a small potluck dinner. The evening`s hospitality was further extended when the hosts (who I met that evening) warmly welcomed me to stay with them over night.


Day One: City Centre & Golden Mile

As with so much of my experience since arriving in Northern Ireland on Jan. 8, I didn't know what to expect before visiting Belfast last week. I did know about a good local cafe-coffee shop (Common Grounds) and a couple of bookstores as well as stuff I had read in the Lonely Planet guide.

Common Grounds is an interesting place - not for profit, uses Fair Trade coffee and has excellent food. Along with a couple of stops at a Starbucks, I had the best coffee since leaving home.

Belfast has many attractions and I got to sample a few of these along with a couple of Corrymeela related meetings. Compared to many new cities I have visited, I found it quite easy to get my orientation in the city centre and the Queen's University-Botanic Gardens areas. I like the compactness of the city as I was able to easily walk every place I wanted to see on this trip.

On the first morning, the initial stop was at the Belfast Welcome Centre located near the imposing landmark of City Hall. Equipped with a city map and information, I set out to familiarize myself with the downtown. Having been strongly encouraged to tour city hall, I stopped to check it out. However, the timing didn't make it possible to complete a tour then and also make a luncheon appointment. So, I set out for Common Grounds near Queen's U by walking what is called the Golden Mile (actually it is about 1.5 km) along Great Victoria Street, through Shaftesbury Square and Botanic Avenue. I stayed in this area for the next two nights, so the walk helped with orientation. There are dozens of restaurants, bars and an eclectic mix of shops and stores on the Golden Mile. It was a very enjoyable walk in great weather.

Two of the historic sites near the start of the walk on the Golden Mile are the Grand Opera House and the Crown Bar, with the latter displaying Victorian decor at it most flamboyant. Across the street is the famous or infamous Europa Hotel, which has hosted US presidents, prime ministers and other celebrities. US President Bill Clinton stayed at the Europa on his visits to Belfast in 1995 and 1998. The hotel has been described as the "World's Most Bombed Hotel" as it was the target for several bombs during the worst of  the conflicts in Northern Ireland. The Europa was also a favourite hotel for foreign media and one rumour is that the bombing were brought to this area of Belfast to make it easier for reporters. (I have no idea how much truth there is to this, but it does make for interesting speculation.) Also in this area is the main bus centre and a key train station. Further along the Golden Mile on the Botanic Avenue portion is a small bookstore called No Alibis, which was recommended by a few people. While it didn`t have a large selection of books, I like bookstores and spent a fair amount of time there. It does have a good selection of mystery novels.

Day Two: Queen`s University, City Hall, the Murals and More

The day started with a walk through part of the Queen's University campus, with its red brick and sand stone buildings, followed by a relaxing stroll through the Botanic Gardens and about 90 minutes exploring the Ulster Museum (no admission charge). It is an impressive facility with many display areas. I focused on the section devoted to Irish history from the prehistoric period through "The Troubles." (See below for a brief explanation.) I then finished my stroll through the campus before heading back toward the city centre. I always enjoy walking around university campuses with all the energy of youth combined with what I find to be a relaxing environment. I must admit, however, that many students may not quite agreement it always being a relaxing place.

I then headed to city hall for a guided tour and must say that it was really worth while, including the fact that there is no admission charge. Its doors opened in 1906, which the brochure describes as a time of ``unprecedented prosperity and industrial might in the city.`` The building style is classic Renaissance with white stone and when entering through the main door at the front, one cannot help but be impressed with the 53 metre high dome, the entrance hall and the grand staircase with landings that use four types of marble. There are many windows of stained glass, murals and classic light fixtures. The guided tour included the Council Chamber, with the opportunity to sit in the Lord Mayor`s chair, the reception and banquet halls, and the Great Hall. Check it out www.belfastcity.gov.uk.

Belfast Murals
Other than spending time with some friends, the main attraction for my first visit to Belfast was to see the murals. I understand that Belfast has a tradition of political murals that goes back about a century and this tradition really came alive during the late 1970s as ``The Troubles`` continued. Murals have been used (still are in some areas) to identify sectarian territory as well as acknowledge historical events and actions by terrorists and others. In Belfast, there are many republican or nationalist murals related to events such as the hunger strike at Maze Prison and other that extend wider political issues, some well beyond Northern Ireland. The republican murals tend to be artist and rich in symbolism.

Loyalist murals are numerous in Belfast and tend to be more militaristic in tone. The battle cry of `No  Surrender` is common in loyalist murals in Belfast and other places in Northern Ireland such as Derry. The colours of red, white and blue are common on loyalist murals as well as images of paramilitary activities and King Billy on a prancing white horse.

Late in the afternoon of my second day in Belfast, I was met by two friends and we did a walking tour in the Falls Road (Catholic) and Skankill Road (Protestant) areas of the city. Due to unforeseen circumstances, it was getting to be late afternoon before our walk started and then we encountered heavy rain that unfortunately cut short our walking tour.

While there is debate about the Belfast murals being a reminder of a violent past that many want to leave behind, many others feel they are an important part of the history of Northern Ireland. Regardless of what a person thinks about the social, sectarian and political issues, I think the murals are a striking part of the Belfast visual landscape. If at all possible, I want to return to Belfast to see some of the same murals again as well as others in different parts of the city.

My trip to Belfast was topped off by have dinner and totally great evening with three friends I have known for some time (one of whom first told me about Corrymeela) and a new friend. We shared an excellent time of home cooking, conversation and a few cold beverages.


Day Three: Chill and Travel Back to Corrymeela
On my last day in Belfast, I relaxed in the morning and then slowly walked to the bus station for an early afternoon journey back to Ballycastle. While sitting in the bus-train station, I unexpectedly saw one of the  Corrymeela long-term volunteers. We had a short chat as we were headed in different directions. The trip back to Ballycastle was interesting simply because it was the first time I had seen most of the area we traveled through during daylight hours. Back in BC, I was treated to another enjoyable walk along the beach!!

The Troubles

Before and since arriving in Northern Ireland, I have heard the term "The Troubles" used in many conversations. It may be helpful to provide a definition, but I must emphasize that this will be a very basic or simple definition for a complex topic. In brief, "The Troubles" refer to a period of social, political and sectarian (often intertwined) conflict in Northern Ireland that geographically extended at times to the Republic of Ireland, England and even further afield. The period for these conflicts is generally considered to be from the late 1960s through the "Good Friday Agreement" signed in 1998, but some consider the time frame to be slightly different. Even today, violence or threats of violence occur from time to time. The principal issues relate to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and the relationships between the unionist (mostly Protestant) and nationalist (mostly Catholic) groups and communities in Northern Ireland.

This post is much longer than anticipated, but I hope you enjoy it.

Northern Ireland #1 (Jan. 17, 2011)

Introduction

I arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Jan. 8 for three months of volunteering at Corrymeela, which is located in the town of Ballycastle on the north coast of Northern Ireland. Over the next three months, I hope to share some of my experiences through this blog. I am not committing to a specific frequency, but hope to provide an update on a regular basis.

Corrymeela – what is it?

Established in 1965, the best and briefest definition I have for Corrymeela is the statement on the side of the Corrymeela van: “Working to embrace difference, heal divisions and enable reconciliation.” I will learn more over the next few months about what Corrymeela is and does, so this definition is likely to expand.

Corrymeela is comprised of a mix of people – staff, volunteers for varying lengths of time and the Corrymeela Community. I don’t know the details of the last group, except to say they are a large group of people who have a connection and commitment that in some way supports the activities and programs of the organization. At any time, it seems that one or more of these people will be on site to undertake various types of work. 

The Corrymeela Welcome

From the time I arrived in Belfast and was met by someone from Corrymeela, I have felt warmly welcomed by all the people here. Time seems to have flown past with many people to meet, much information to absorb and plenty of new experiences. My experience thus far indicates that the people of Northern Ireland generally are friendly and welcoming.

One of the initial highlights for me was a trip to Belfast the day after I arrived for the annual dedication service that welcomes new members into the Corrymeela Community and an opportunity for volunteers to publicly express their commitment to the work of the organization.

Life at Corrymeela

I am living in a building called Coventry, which houses volunteers and a few staff. Most of the volunteers are here for one year, but there are a few of us who are here for three months or even shorter lengths of time. Another highlight in the short time I have been here is getting to work with and hang out with the long-term volunteers. They are young adults, mostly in their 20s, from a mix of countries - Germany, the US, Hungary, the Philippines, Cameroon and England as well as places in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They bring a great diversity of cultures, experiences and perspectives to the life and work of Corrymeela.

While there are patterns to the life and schedule of Corrymeela, there certainly does not seem to be what could be described as a “normal” or regular day. It will take a bit more time to become conversant with how things work here, but it is clear that a substantial part of the programs take place on weekends between Friday evening and early Sunday afternoon. Groups also come during the week, either for a day, portion of a day or for a couple of days. 

Monday is a day when there normally are no external groups on site and the focus is on aspects of community life – clean-up of Coventry, regular meetings, training and some other aspects of community life.

Each day, there is opportunity for people to come together for a time of shared reflection led by someone in the community on a self-selected basis. While attendance is not mandatory, I have found these to be excellent times. The building typically used for these times of reflection is called the Croi – a Gaelic word which means the heart. It is unique building in that it is shaped like the human heart.

Community life at Corrymeela also involves sharing in an array of things – sweeping, vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning rooms of various types, washing windows and more. All mid-term and long-term volunteers (I am mid-term) undertake these activities on a rotation basis. Working alongside people is a great way to get to know them.

Corrymeela is a busy place. but there is time for fun and play. One evening, all the mid-term and long-term volunteers drove to a town quite near Ballycastle to bowl. Lots of fun. On another evening, I joined a couple of the staff for a cold Smithwick’s at O’Connor’s Pub. Live traditional music made for what could be described a classic Irish evening.

Ballycastle

Corymeela sits on a hill overlooking the ocean, which means that the site is regularly exposed to high winds. To take advantage of this, there is a windmill on site that provides some of the required electricity. The view from Corrymeela are spectacular – ocean, coastline, town of Ballycastle, fields and Rathlin Island. Rathlin is located about four or five miles off shore and, while there are about 100 people who live there, it is home to 10s of thousands of seabirds. An interesting bit of history is that Robert the Bruce from Scotland came to Rathlin after a significant defeat at the hands of the English. While on Rathlin, he apparently was inspired to return to Scotland to once again wage war against the English. There is daily foot passenger ferry service to/from the island. 

During orientation, I walked into town with one of the long-term volunteers to check out the town. It’s small and reminds me of many small towns that I’ve hiked through in Scotland. For a small town, it seems to have all the basic services that one would need. In terms of businesses, there seem to be more pubs, pharmacies and restaurants/cafes than other businesses.  

The walk from Corrymeela into the centre of town takes about 25 minutes and passes a picturesque sandy beach. The walk also passes a golf course and provides excellent views of the harbour. About 25 km directly north of Corrymeela is the southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland. While the Kintyre is not always visible, I have seen it once.

The Weather

A couple of friends questioned my sanity over coming to Northern Ireland during the winter. Since arriving here, however, the weather has been better than anticipated. While there has been some rain and lots of wind, there also has been plenty of sun.

Initial Work

During my first full weekend at Corrymeela, I helped facilitate sessions with a small group of 13 and 14 year olds. These sessions focused on building trust, understanding, national identity and related topics. We used a mix of inside and exterior experiential learning. These kids come from a community that has many sectarian issues at play, so the challenges are big for these young people to re-shape the direction of their community in the future. Other groups over the past week have included university and young adult groups. I don’t a complete picture of the programs and participants, but groups come from across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and other parts of the UK, Europe and the U.S.  The work of Corrymeela seems to be far reaching.

Stay tuned for more.

Northern Ireland # 2 (Jan. 24, 2011)

Introduction
It seems hard to believe that I have been in at Corrymeela for more than two weeks. There are many details about the programs and life here that I am continuing to learn, but I feel like I'm fitting into life here. After nine days of work, I had three days off this past week. Here are a few highlights from these days. Clear and sunny weather for all three days were much appreciated.

Bushmills

On Tuesday morning, I walked to town to catch a bus for a day trip to the town of Bushmills about 30 minutes from Ballycastle. Much of the bus trip is along the Antrim Coast and, without a doubt, this ranks near the top of the most scenic drives I have ever been on. Lonely Planet describes this area as being like a giant geology classroom and having some of the most beautiful scenery in Ireland. In addition to places for hiking along the rugged coastline, it is the home of the best surfing in Northern Ireland.

Shortly before getting to Bushmills, the highway turns away from the coast. Bushmills is a town of about 1400 people and is a destination for connoisseurs of Irish whiskey of the same name. According to their promotional materials, Bushmills claims to be the oldest legal distillery any place, having been granted a licence in 1608. Not one to argue about things like this, I decided to take a tour. It was interesting, informative and followed by tastings. I stuck up a conversation with the bartender (from Gdansk, Poland), which paid off in a bit of extra sampling. While one of the samples was very good, I still prefer single malts from Islay and other parts of Scotland.

I then headed back to the centre of town for a browse through a used bookstore recommended by one of the other volunteers at Corrymeela. I enjoyed spending time browsing the shelves for a while and then went for a walk around town. I found people very friendly - here's a good example. I asked a man getting ready to jump into a delivery van if he knew which bus stop I should use to catch the bus to Ballycastle. While he didn't know about the bus stop, he quickly went into the closest craft shop to ask his wife (she owns the shop). He invited me in, made introductions and we struck up quite a conversation. Before long the bus arrived and it was back to Ballycastle. With the full moon shining over the ocean, the views almost equaled those earlier in the day.

Derry

The next morning (Jan. 19), I woke at 5:15 am to catch the 6:50 am bus for the trip to Derry, which is one of the places I wanted to visit even before arriving in Northern Ireland. I was the only passenger on the bus from Ballycastle to the town of Ballymoney, which meant I had a great conversation with the driver. In Ballymoney, I was to catch a train to Derry. The bus does not have a stop at the train station (about 10 minute walk between the bus and train station), but the driver said that he was early by about five minutes and would take me to the train station. Now, that's what I would call great service. The train ride from Ballymoney to Derry provided great vistas for virtually the entire journey.

 

With a population of about 85,000, Derry is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and has a lot of history to absorb. The city centre is enclosed with a wall, which is a fantastic way to view the city. My plan was to walk the wall first, but there had been heavy frost overnight and many parts of the wall were treacherously slippery (there seems to be very little use of de-icer here). So, I decided on plan B - go to the Bogside area.

Bogside

The Bogside developed as a working class, predominantly Catholic residential area in the 19th and early part of the 20th century. By the 1960s, it became an overcrowded ghetto  characterized by poverty and unemployment. Along with many people in Belfast, a civil rights movement emerged and both cities became hotbeds for unrest and discontent over the conditions facing their communities.  A series of events (marches, protests, confrontations and more) ended in July 1972 when  thousands of British troops supported by armoured vehicles moved in to take over Bogside from local residents who had established what they called 

"Free Derry." The sign "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" still stands. The most memorable event of this 

period was the well known "Bloody Sunday" (January 30, 1972) when 14 civilians were killed. When in this part of the city, I toured the Free Derry museum and walked through the areas with the large 

murals that commemorate these events. 

 

The murals are the creation of three local artists called "The Bogside Artists." I found the time in the Bogside

area to be emotionally powerful and I'm still reflecting upon it.Check out story of the murals and artists at http://www.bogsideartists.com. The issues behind these long standing conflicts and horrific events are
a complex mix of political, social and sectarian divisions. While much of the media coverage in North America has emphasized the sectarian conflicts, there has been much, much more involved. I seriously doubt it is really possible to fully understand all that has happened as the many accounts are from different points of view and experiences.

The Wall and Other Aspects of Derry

After leaving the Bogside, I walked back to the city walls and worked my way around most of the walls except for a short section that was shaded from the sun and still very slippery. The walls were completed almost 400 years ago in 1619 and are the only city walls in Ireland to remain almost completely intact. They have never been breached by an invader and, from what I have read and understand, are symbolic of the political, social and sectarian conflicts that plagued Derry over many years.

After finishing the wall walk, I found a sandwich shop in the city centre recommended by Lonely Planet. Not fancy, but the food and service were good. After a late lunch, I strolled down the hill from the centre in search of the Tower Museum. The main reason I wanted to go to this museum was to see the anchor exhibit on the Story of Derry. I think this is extremely well done with thoughtful displays, good videos and informative panels. By the time I completed going through this exhibit, it was time to head to the bus station for the journey back to Ballycastle.

In closing, I must say that my knowledge of the historic events noted above is not in depth and I could well be off on some of the details. Nevertheless, I felt it was important to share these things. Even though there are many attractions in Derry, I think any visit to the city should include walking on the walls and visiting the Bogside. There are other places in Northern Ireland I hope to visit over the next couple of months, but I also hope to return to Derry.

Northern Ireland # 4 (Feb. 6, 2011)

Much has happened since my last post, so I'll update you on some things that happened through Feb. 6. I have just returned from a few days in Belfast and will write about that experience in a separate post.

Community Life

A few friends have asked me about community life here, so I'll share a few thoughts. Life in any community brings people together in a variety of ways and sometimes this is not easy. This is especially the case when several people live in the same building, share meals together, work together, and play and laugh together. We have a diverse group of people and there are many differences, but I find it is easy to be in the community here and I think the diversity is a big part of this. Conversations are easy and people care for each other. While there are many opportunities to do things together, there is a good appreciation of the need for personal space and time.  I would say the balance is good.

Sometimes, a few people will head into downtown Ballycastle as a part of achieving balance and, while there are options for an evening out, one of the favourite places is O'Connor's Bar. It's a quiet place, where it is easy to sit and have a conversation without having to talk extra loud. There are other pubs in town, so there are opportunities to achieve a good balance!

What do I miss from home?
Another question I have been asked a few times by some folks here as well as a few people back home is "What do you miss?" Without a doubt what I miss most is not seeing my daughter (Anna) and close friends on a regular basis. I miss my son (Ben) too, but he has been living in Seoul for more than five years so I'm used to not having him around on an ongoing basis. My time here is only for three months, however, and one month has already passed. In just a couple of days, I will have been here for five weeks!


There are some things I miss from home, but nothing that I'd consider as a big deal. I miss being able to pick up the Globe & Mail on Saturday mornings and spend time reading it while I sip coffee at one of the Starbucks close to my house. I have found a couple of good places in Ballycastle to have a decent coffee, but the selection of places obviously is much less than at home. The Guardian is a good second choice for a newspaper, but not always available in Ballycastle. One good thing has been a reduction in my caffeine consumption. I also miss sampling varieties of single malt with my friend Paul and regaling ourselves with tales from our two hiking trips in Scotland.

I guess there are a few comforts I miss, but frankly these are limited. I do miss the flexibility of not having a car, but again the positive side is that I walk into town and get to enjoy the sights and sounds of the waves on the beach! It's not the same when driving past in a vehicle.

Kitchen Duty
As mentioned in an earlier post, volunteers are assigned to various duties on a rotation basis. I have done a mix of things and I had my first kitchen rotation last week. This was the cooking and food preparation side of things, not washing dishes and clean-up (have done these on several occasions). I feel comfortable in a kitchen and, while I don't know the details of how things operate at Corrymeela, I had a great time working with the kitchen staff - slicing, dicing, mixing, etc. One of the highlights of working in the kitchen at Corrymeela is the eclectic range of music that is playing much of the time. There is quite a lot of rock music, but the individual of each one of the kitchen staff is unique. I think pretty much every genre of music is covered, including country.

Last Weekend's Group
After working in the kitchen for the best part of four days, I helped support a group from Friday evening through mid-morning on Sunday. The group was comprised of around 20 males (about 16-17 years of age) about equally split from adjacent Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in Belfast. For reasons of confidentiality, I don't want to identify the areas they were from. While these young men live in close proximity, they did not know each other prior to the bus trip to Corrymeela.


The basic goal of the weekend was to achieve some connection among the young men and to also give them some appreciation of their similarities and interests. A variety of techniques were used - ice breakers, outdoor team building via experiential learning, personal reflection and identification activities, discussions, walking to the beach as a whole group, eating meals together and socializing.


While volunteers supported the session in various ways, we also were active participants. At the outset, there was a lot of testosterone evident in the room, most likely for the benefit of people from their own community more than for the others. While this didn't completely disappear over the weekend, it did decline and the session was successful. The outside team building activities were especially useful in mixing the groups together in various ways. Some of the discussions were challenging, but the level of engagement was good.


The agenda was appropriately flexible to allow lots of time for the volunteer-facilitator team to mingle with the teens on an individual basis. These is an important part of the process as they are able to share their thoughts and perspectives in a safe environment, which often is not possible where they live or even within their own families. The one-on-one connection was a highlight for me.

Probably the biggest challenge for me was understanding the local accents and jargon as well as listening to people who talk very quickly. I am pleased to say that I was not alone in this regard.

Hope you enjoyed reading! Stay tuned for the next post.