Throughout the first week of being in Northern Ireland, I have been reminded of the importance of questions. Often, I try to "figure" out an issue or conflict before I even ask a question. Without questions to ask, what am I even trying to say?
With the conflict in Northern Ireland, I am learning to not be afraid to ask questions even if they may not seem significant. I don't know the significance of an orange sash in Northern Ireland and I want to know--that's ok. Once I am able to formulate and ask my questions, I can then begin the hard work of wrestling through both unresolved questions and hard answers. From this trip so far, some of my questions are as follows:
How do younger people view the conflict and peace process?
What should be Britain's role in Northern Ireland?
How do communities heal from trauma?
What are the dangers of memorials in Northern Ireland and other countries?
What is problematic of murals?
What is the role of faith in Northern Ireland and healing from the troubles when religion has been so divisive?
What is our role as Americans in helping Northern Ireland heal from the conflict?
How can we be better informed of international conflict besides just reading books and articles?
These questions and more have given me a lot to wrestle with.
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