McElroy or Mickelson? 
The Priceless Value of a Shared Future:
WIP Receives U.S. State Department “Emerging Young Leaders” Grant for Peace and Reconciliation Exchange Program
It is difficult to put a price on the services and training that the Washington Ireland Program provides. It is one thing to ask “How much does leadership training cost?” or “What does it cost to run the WIP offices?” It is another thing entirely to ask “What is the value of building a shared future for the people and communities of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland?” or “How much does it cost to allow young people to experience first hand what it means to be a global citizen and not identify instead with old sectarian stereotypes?”
Simply put, the experiences and lessons offered by the Washington Ireland Program are priceless. We cannot put a value on them, nor can we ever be content to rest on our laurels and assume that funding will always be there. This is why we’re extremely excited about a new grant from the U.S. Department of State giving us the opportunity to extend WIP’s reach to young people beyond our core program through their Emerging Young Leaders program. WIP applied for and received funding to this program that offers 24 young Americans between the ages of 25 and 35 a unique opportunity in the field of conflict resolution and peace building. It explores the internal dynamics and processes at work in post-conflict societies, with special attention to the role of civic society in conflict transformation on the island of Ireland. We proudly launched the first part of this program on August 26, 2009 with a 10-day study tour to Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Developed in conjunction with Co-operation Ireland, the program participants are exposed to multiple viewpoints from ex-combatants, victims, security forces, political and government leaders, community activists, and NGO’s working in the fields of community relations, peacebuilding, and equality. The objective of these field visits and meetings is to help the participants develop a multifaceted understanding of the peace transformation process. Reflective sessions with skilled facilitators ensure that this program is not simply a cultural exchange, but instead a learning process that enables participants to confront their own feelings on conflict and peacebuilding. The sessions allow the participants to discuss their learning; synthesize the experience; process their feelings about the impacts of conflict; and develop their thinking on the nature of conflict and conflict transformation in this situation and in a wider global context.
A committee from WIP, including the board’s chairperson, executive director, and grant administrator selected the grant participants based on a rigorous application process where applicants were evaluated based on interests, education, research, work, and volunteer experience. Of the 127 total applicants, the committee selected 24. The selected group comes from a highly diverse cultural background, ranges in age from 25 to 35, and includes graduate-level college and university students, Ph.D. candidates, professors, high school teachers, and corporate, government, and non-profit professionals. Participating individuals are U.S. citizens that have lived, worked, and studied in countries from all over the world, including Ireland, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, Tajikistan, Uganda, South Africa, Yugoslavia, Central Europe, and Spain, just to name a few. In addition, all participants have a particular dedication to conflict resolution and many practice in the fields of conflict management, coexistence strategies, and peacebuilding.
The first phase of the program took place during the last few days of August and the beginning of September. Participants initially met with Norman Houston, U.S. Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau (NIB), and Aidan Cassidy, Assistant Director of NIB, and received a first-hand overview of the Troubles and the current state of politics in Northern Ireland. The participants then departed from Washington, D.C. heading to their first destination, Dublin, Ireland. After being welcomed to Dublin by the new U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney, participants then traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland to explore the city and its history. Participants met government and party leaders, including representatives of Northern Ireland’s political parties, mayors and civic leaders, as well as individuals who, through their singular dedication to conflict resolution and post-conflict rebuilding, have contributed to the Irish peace process. Speakers from this group included Belfast community development leaders, individuals devoted to integrated education, and representatives from both the Catholic and Protestant faiths.
According to program participant Ban Al-Mahfodh, Research Coordinator at the William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequence, the program has already had a profound impact on her work. “It is easy to become immersed in the research and the theories associated with conflict resolution and peacebuilding. It is another thing entirely to experience first-hand what it is like for a country going through the actual rebuilding process and to meet the brave individuals who lived through the conflict and overcame countless obstacles to make a huge difference to the peace process in Northern Ireland. This experience has definitely helped me understand what it really takes to initiate peace and prosperity after years of anger and conflict, and also to move on to a sustainable peace where Northern Ireland is a role model and partner for other countries now going though similar struggles.”
To learn more about the Washington Ireland Program or about the WIP-U.S. State Department Exchange Program, please contact us at Washington Ireland Program; 620 F Street, NW Suite 747, Washington DC 20004, USA, 202-772-3824 (phone), 202-772-3825 (fax), or office@wiprogram.org (email).
