This week in Derry, I had the pleasure of meeting an individual who works at the Pickled Duck Cafe. We had a lovely conversation about the current climate of Derry and how it affects everyday life, especially as a younger individual. Kate was actually raised in Buffalo, New York; however, her mother is from Derry and her family moved back to Northern Ireland when Kate was a teenager. Kate, who is now in her twenties, has not had much experience or exposure to “The Troubles” of Northern Ireland. Like many younger individuals in the community, as she says, she did not want anything to do with the conflict and has tried to remove herself from it as much as possible.
Kate has a somewhat unique family experience since her family is of “mixed religions,” meaning one parent is Catholic while the other is Protestant, which has impacted the way she lives her life. In one sense, she said there are certain places where she cannot go because one religion that is identified in her family is not welcomed there. In another sense, it has made a positive impact on the way she views the political and religious conflict, because she is willing to see both sides as equally valid.
Throughout our time in Derry, we have seen how the culture can be polarized or categorized based on someone’s identity and I was curious if Kate had experienced that as well. Kate said she does not feel like society is as polarized as it used to be, because there is now more diversity of different religions being represented within Derry. The community in Derry has been known to put people’s identities in boxes; therefore I was intrigued to know if Kate was able to have a sense of belonging in her community, especially coming from a family of both religious denominations. Kate does feel she has a sense of belonging because of the community she is a part of, as well as being in a younger generation that has been striving to have more acceptance of one another, which I thought was a crucial part of the peace building process.
In my conversation with Kate, I was curious how the conflict in Northern Ireland affects everyday people in everyday life. She views the status and culture of Derry to be a wonderful and peaceful place now. However, Kate knows that Derry has not completely healed from its past trauma. For example, she discussed how you cannot represent certain soccer teams in this area because of the political affiliation that team has and the fact that people will assume your religion if you represent that team. In addition, she discussed how there have been other issues or violent acts in the recent past, but emphasized that Derry has transformed greatly from the state it once used to be. She recognized the celebrations and parades that the different groups have to honor their past, describing that those celebrations are peaceful and the differing side does not react or get involved. It was interesting and inspiring to hear her view of hope and that there has been resolved peace since “The Troubles.” While Derry has become a much more peaceful place, there is still a lot of work to be done. Kate carries a message of hope with her that acceptance of one another will replace the division that has previously torn the country apart.
SOCI 387 Diversity, Conflict, and Peace in Northern Ireland 