Sunday, September 28. 2008
This is the speech I gave at Graduation on Friday, September 19th, in the Holiday Inn Hotel, Befast. Thank you to Kieran, Jonathan and Megan for their help in preparing it.
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is John Callaghan, and I have the huge honour of speaking to you tonight on behalf of my class. I suppose it makes sense that I am the voice for the Class of 2008, considering that I’m a Southern Irish boy with an accent that sounds more Northern than many of the Northerners themselves. Such are the joys of being from Donegal!
Of course, being the voice of such an eclectic bunch is not an easy task when each and everyone of them has so much to say, so much that ought to be heard, so many stories of an amazing summer adventure.
I am sure you have heard many of these stories before. I know that I am beginning to get tired telling them, so I can only imagine how tired my family and friends are of hearing them, but bear with me, this one last time, as I recall just two of the moments from this summer that I will never forget.
Hemlock Outdoor Centre is the place that defined us as a group. It was a day of active problem solving that stretched our patience, our good-will, and our entire bodies. But coming home on our yellow school bus, driving through the thundering rain, and singing, in one voice and at the top of our lungs, “We’ve got the best bus in the land” made it all worthwhile. Because, at that point, I knew that each and every one of us believed it.
The second is a photo I took. In it, Aoibhinn O Hare is holding a tricolour and Lauren Allison a union jack. Just before I took the photo, I told them it would be funnier if they swapped flags, but they both responded straight away with a resounding “No!”. I was a little disappointed, but took the photo anyway. When I think about it, that kind of summed up the spirit of the class of ’08. We knew that we were different, and we were proud of who we were. We didn’t try to change ourselves, and we certainly didn’t try to change each other. Instead, we learned to understand and to celebrate our differences. It didn’t matter if we were Catholic or Protestant, Northern or Southern, Republican or… Democrat, we were all one team, and we posed for photos as nothing less than friends.
We have so many stories to be thankful for, and indeed, so many people to be thankful to.
None more so than to our families, who we are delighted to be sharing this evening with. I could not be prouder to have all four of my parents here tonight, both my real parents and my host parents, that rare breed of humans who willingly opened their homes to us for eight weeks this summer. When my real Daddy, Charlie, warned me he was cutting me off at the age of 21, I didn’t realise that meant I’d be getting a whole new set of parents! We thank you for your generosity, your understanding, your patience, and the all-access passes to your fridge!
To Kevin Sullivan and Briedge Gadd, the entire Board of Directors, and the program funders, we are eternally grateful to you for the belief you have in this program, and in its participants.
To Megan, Jonathan and the Management Team, who acted as crutch, cane, and candle in the dark this summer. They were always by our sides, standing shoulder to shoulder with us. Indeed, on occasion, Ms. Farrell wasn’t just standing by our shoulders, she was standing on them.
My personal highlight of the summer was the feeling that I wasn’t totally my own. I was part of something bigger than me, something better than me. WIP is like a disease. It gets under your skin, it takes a part of you and it adds it to something beyond your control. Throughout the summer, we were colours, we were interns, we were little chicks, we were at our best when we were together. I think of us as body parts. Each one useless on its own but put them all together and you get a living, breathing soul that is W.I.P.
It is the foot of Catherine Green, the one we thought we’d have to chop off after her Week 1 penicillin disaster.
It is the legs of Chris Joyce, the tallest man in every room.
It is the hips of Mary Munroe, who had us always in awe every time she took to the dance floor .
It is the hands of Fiona Buggy, a woman who uses so much more than words to express herself.
It is the fire in the belly of Alan Ralph, that fire which truly set Sawip Sawip Sawip ablaze.
It is the heart of Heather McCormick, a kinder one I have yet to see.
It is the throat of Laura McManus, who managed to cough her way through 8 weeks and 19 guest speakers.
It is the words of Matthew Thompson, and the words per minute of Neal Gartland, who are the most talkative man and the fastest talking man I have ever met respectively.
It is the giggle of Aoibhinn O Hare, unending and impossibly contagious.
It is the ears of Phil Alister, those ears that graciously listened to Chris Joyce all summer.
It is the eyes of Andrew McCullough, the man who literally can sleep with one eye open.
It is the hair of Clare Herbert, those fiery flames that acted as our guiding light so often this summer.
More than just a body, it is a soul. It is a range of characteristics and eccentricities that we have all come to know and love.
It is the first impressions made by Lauren Allison, the girl who, after just two days in her internship, got an invite to dinner with the President.
It is the skill with which Chris Andrews manages to meet, and interview, Heads of State, whether they be Irish or Iraqi!
It is the endearing way in which Judith Bamford can laugh at herself, especially after pulling one of her trademark Bamfordisms.
It is the drive of Elaine McDonald. If last year’s class found their Public Service Tsar in Kieran O Connor, I definitely think we’ve found his Tsaritsa in Elaine.
It is the facial expressions of Clenward, and that one in particular.
It is the sense of direction of Maria McLoughlin. “Eeeeh, Ian, I think I’m lost!”
It is the work ethic of Peter Mannion, the man who claims to be “change we can believe in”. Barack Obama was unavailable for comment.
It is the fear of intimacy of Sarah McKegney, the girl it took me eight weeks to get a kiss on the cheek from.
It is the wisdom and loyalty of Fiona McCarrick, the baby of the group, and the world’s biggest Bertie fan!
It is the mischievous child in Gary Simpson that at one point or another made all of us glad to be young.
It is the patience of Luke O Donnell, our Lombardi Cancer Research intern, who week after week after week graciously put up with the same question; So Luke, have you cured cancer yet?
It is each and every attribute brought to the board table, it is the willingness to invest something of ourselves, and the knowledge that our investment would be rewarded one-hundred-fold. That is what made us the Great ’08.
So, tonight, the sun sets on our summer adventure. However, the job is not yet done. I implore you all to take the tools you have acquired this summer, and use them well. Whatever way you wish to do that, whether you paint, or you fly, or you dance, or you dig, do it with all your energy, and do it well. That is our responsibility, and that is how we can honour this summer.
Sometimes, we are so saddened by the setting of the sun that we fail to appreciate the beauty of the rising moon behind us. Let us not squander our opportunities, and please, please, each and every one of you, keep in touch.
Go n-eiri an bothar libh. Thank you, and good night.
Saturday, September 20. 2008
When we left DC, we boarded the plane wearing baby blue hoodies with the words “Got WIP?” on the back. We all got it, but I don’t think anyone else did!
WIP isn’t just an internship program, its far, far more than that. When I applied for WIP, I was hooked by the internships and the chance of spending the summer in America, but by being chosen as a member of the team I got far more than I expected.
WIP is a service and leadership program which will challenge you in ways you didn’t think were possible. It challenges you through the sheer pace of the program and the extraordinary situation in which you find yourself in. The first week you will spend walking around DC in your ultimate power suit, with 25-30 people, which I can promise you by the end of the week you will be lost without. This is the beauty of WIP. You are all in the same boat, everyone is feeling out of their depths and therefore is more open to having a little chat with you while hiding under a tree to escape the 40 degree heat!
WIP is intense, but it is worth the effort. There is no other program in the world like it. It brings together such a diverse group of people and offers them the most amazing internships. Then, through the leadership curriculum and being part of the group, interns learn and expand on their own interpersonal, professional and team skills, usually without even realising it!
WIP will be the time of your life, for all the reasons that I’ve stated and many more. Don't think about it, Just do it!
Working in the Law Library was pretty flexible, I was allowed to start at any time between 6.30am and 8.30am, I chose 8.30am! I would normally come in and drop my bags, turn on my computer etc, before going in to say hi to my supervisor, Clare. This wasn’t a requirement, but I liked to do it every morning just to say hi and fill her in on what I was at the night before and chat about my plans for the day. Sometimes Clare would be going for her break at this time (she starts work at 6.30am) so I might either go with her for my coffee and doughnut (so healthy I know!) or I’d just go to my office and start into whatever I was working on. I normally took my lunch from 1pm-2pm but you can take it any time between 11am and 2pm. You also get two 20minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, but these aren’t taken in any official way, you can go and get a coffee when you want. I finished work officially at 5pm but you can stay later if needed either for WIP or for your own research.
The atmosphere in the Library is very relaxed. I had my own office and my own projects to get on with so the pace of the day really depended on how hard I wanted to push myself, which was nice as there were some days when I was really exhausted after WIP events or there were WIP events during the day. Also I was encouraged to go to Congressional Hearings which are a brilliant opportunity to see Capitol Hill in all its glory.
Before I arrived in the Library, I’d been in contact with Clare my supervisor and we had discussed different research projects that I could work on while I was at the library. I did an independent piece of research on Anti-Terrorism Laws in Northern Ireland and in the UK in general, and I also did a presentation on my report on my last day in the Library. I was also involved in responding to Congressional requests and private readers’ requests. This is where a question is asked on a particular area of law. Normally these are for jurisdictions you are familiar with (for me, this was British law) but you can be given ones for other jurisdictions, which are pretty simple research tasks. Another duty is to keep up to date with legal developments in your home jurisdiction in order to write a paragraph on it for the World Law Bulletin which is sent to Congress, so I would have always had the BBC News website, the Times and the Guardian websites on my computer.
I would strongly recommend this internship to anyone who is self-motivated and can work very independently this is important as you can go through the day without a whole lot of interaction with other people and there are no other interns in the office. However, it was brilliant to see a law degree being put to use in ways other than practising and also the skills you learn there are invaluable.
I have a confession to make - I never managed to arrange my 10 questions in Washington BUT I did manage to arrange to interview British Consul General to the United States Mr Bob Peirce via telephone so I must have paid some attention to all this talk of networking after all. I managed to arrange this with much help from my wonderful host parents.
That is just one of the many things WIP offers - the chance to talk to people who you would otherwise never come into contact with; below is a brief snippet of my interview with Mr Peirce.
Bob Peirce has led a distinguished career in the British Foreign Office which he joined at the age of 22 after completing a history degree at Oxford. His first posting was to Hong Kong, a position that he relished having always had the desire to travel in the Far East. ‘Throughout university I didn’t have any clear plan of what I wanted to do, what I did know was that I wanted to travel and the Far East offered the adventure of the unknown so I considered it unbelievably fortunate that my first position took me to Hong Kong’.
Good luck is something that Mr Peirce modestly stresses when discussing his career. Having worked as a member of the Hong Kong government on negotiations for the handover of the region to China and as chief executive for the Patten Commission’s report into the policing of Northern Ireland his career has involved him in perhaps two of the most significant diplomatic issues the British government has been engaged with in the last century. ‘It’s nice to have had the chance to give history a nudge; there are many people who have worked in the foreign office for their entire lives without receiving these kinds of opportunities’ he says.
Mr Peirce describes his work in Northern Ireland as simultaneously the greatest challenge and achievement of his career. It was not in the remit of the Patten Commission to serve as a South African style Truth and Reconciliation panel but Mr Peirce found that as he travelled around the towns of Northern Ireland people used the forums organised by the commission as an outlet for their frustrations that had built up during the troubles. ‘Unionists and Nationalists were in the same room discussing the same issue and at times it was very emotional as some people were hearing the other community’s side of the story for the first time. The meetings seemed to provide people with an outlet to vent their feelings’.
Ten years on from the commission’s report Northern Ireland has a new police force and Mr Peirce believes the province is now in the position whereby it can offer advice internationally with regards to policing: ‘The Patten report can serve as a guideline for a modern police force and it brought interest from around the world. After the report it became accepted to listen to what the PSNI had to say on policing, for instance Chief Constable Hugh Orde recently gave a talk to the LAPD; despite the respect the RUC merited it was in a difficult position to give advice to other bodies’.
Northern Ireland has obviously left its own mark on Mr Peirce as he speaks fondly of his recent visit to Belfast and his pride in seeing the many positive changes that have come over the city in the past ten years. Indeed it is clear that he still retains many connections with the province but the life of a diplomat is not for the sedentary and Mr Peirce now finds himself working in Los Angles as British Consul General to America. ‘The consulate employs over 60 people (the size of a large Embassy in most countries) working towards the goal of improving commercial, business, scientific and educational links between California and Great Britain’.
When people think of the links between Great Britain and America it is common to consider little outside of Westminster and Washington but Mr Peirce is keen to challenge this assumption. ‘The special relationship between the countries is all about perception; the countries share the same genes, but the media can be fixated on the rapport between the Chief Executives as the barometer for this relationship, whether that be Bush or Blair or Brown. The relationship exists at many other levels, for example a joint research project between Queens University Belfast and California Tech. does not depend on how well the President and Prime Minister get along. America was founded on a British political philosophy and grew with immigrants from all over Great Britain and Ireland’.
I would like to thank Mr Peirce for taking a considerable amount of time out of his busy schedule to talk to me, it was much appreciated.
I’ve been back for over a month now and the amazing thing is how quickly everything in life goes back to normal. As expected I returned to the question ‘well how was Washington?’ I keep thinking about this and even now, over a month after returning home, I still have no answer. Thinking about Washington now it seems like a distant mirage, a world away from life at home but for two months it was a distinct reality.
I think the last day of work as an intern was when it really hit me just how extraordinary the experience of being an intern on the Hill had been. Me and Neil spent the afternoon walking the Brumidi- painted corridors recounting the stories we had passed on to tour groups during our internship (if you’re ever there look out for the impressive Hawaiian statues and the painting of John Adams standing on Jefferson’s toes) . Most of these stories are doubtless true but some are likely the result of an inadvertent game of Chinese whispers played out by generations of interns creating an apocryphal history of the buildings (can you really fit the statue of liberty inside the Rotunda?).
Looking around the neo classical grandeur that had been our workplace for the last 6 weeks it suddenly dawned on me just how exceptional, in every sense of the word, working here had been. But, equally I was aware and surprised that this feeling of awe had not been with me for the whole of my 6 weeks there. In fact it was amazing how quickly working on the other side of the Atlantic in such auspicious surroundings became part of the everyday, it took the realisation of departure for it to sink in.
Normality can become whatever situation a person finds themselves in. In Northern Ireland the situation of growing up without an understanding or even with a hatred of your neighbour became normal. The challenge now is to establish a new day to day normality in Northern Ireland without a hatred and mistrust of each other.
In case I haven’t emphasised this enough -WIP really does offer a diversity of experience – this thought struck me as I sat hunched on my knees in the middle of a playground in Ballymun attempting to spray paint the outline of a hop scotch square with all the geometrical care of Pythagoras. As it turned out the square was more of rhombus but as me and Colm (my company in this task) circled the playground we found several perspectives which made our handiwork look more like a playground as opposed to acts of wanton vandalism. Like any good workmen we blamed our tools – or maybe our lack of precision was an after effect of having spent the afternoon at an intoxicatingly- close proximity to spray paint. However the school’s headmistress seemed happy with our work or else didn’t want to shatter our paint speckled good humour.
By the end of the day, our team had dug several vegetable patches, a butterfly garden, weeded flowerbeds and painted a playground for the Ballymun Regeneration Project.
And that is what WIP should be about- challenging yourself and trying to give something back to the community and during a summer of challenging (and often surreal) experiences there was always someone there experiencing it with you. The weekend in Dublin reminded me how much I really loved this summer and the people I spent it with– or maybe that’s just the spray paint talking.
‘Democracy is the worst form of government…... except for all the others’
Sitting in Congressman Kennedy’s office on day one of my internship was a somewhat surreal experience – I was nervous enough without Kennedy family photos peering down at me. I sat there not quite knowing what to do or who to approach until a staffer grabbed me and took me into a meeting, throughout which I said little but compensated by nodding a lot.
There really is no such thing as a typical day on Capitol Hill – I had the chance to attend press conferences with the Congressman, make notes on committee hearings and attend office meetings but I also spent a lot of time fulfilling the more prosaic office duties such as answering the phone or opening the mail. The most important lesson I learned from all this was that although in my own head I couldn’t help considering a committee hearing on energy policy as something pretty important that for the office the most important tasks I fulfilled were opening the mail and answering the phone. Why? Well this brings the office into direct contact with the voters, so while I may not relish my third telephone conversation of the day with Jim from Providence, the office does. If they need to know what’s happening at a committee meeting or press conference they can just turn on C-Span (Capitol Hill’s TV station), rather than waiting for the intern to arrive back with some hastily scribbled notes. When they sent me to committee hearing this was as much for my value as their own, so I can only thank them for giving me so many opportunities like this.
That’s not to say I didn’t learn anything from answering the phone and mail on a daily basis. Harold Ickes described Washington as a ‘city of hand wringers’ persistently postulating on every issue under the sun – committees, committees about committees, think tanks all trading in the currency of policy and influence; sometimes it’s important to listen to Jim from Providence.
Throughout this summer we have been fortunate to be joined in Washington by 7 South African interns (SAWIP). The first thing that we noticed about the South Africans was a deep passion and intensity when they talked about their home nation. They also served another purpose-that of ensuring we were not the only interns with ridiculous accents running around DC. So it was with pleasure that we attended the SAWIP congressional forum, hosted by Congressman Donald Payne. Despite an important vote in the House that evening the Congressman stayed at our event for its entire duration.
We were further privileged to hear a speech from Congressman John Lewis at this event. He recounted how, at the age of 15, seeing the injustice faced by black Americans, he simply asked his mother ‘why?’. She told him firmly not to get involved but a young Lewis had other ideas and said that he has made it his life’s ambition to ‘get in the way’. He has spent his life fighting against racial discrimination and at just the age of 23 he shared the stage with Martin Luther King, speaking on the day of the reverends ‘I have a dream’ speech. Sadly Lewis is the only one of the ten speakers from that day who is still alive, so to hear him speak was truly humbling and something I will never forget.
His words and the words of the SAWIP interns were inspiring and I’d like to thank the South Africans for letting us share in their evening. The event offered us a different insight into DC from the Irish – American events that we had so far attended. It is on nights like this that you realise that WIP really does offer experiences so far removed from everyday life; it is up to us to take these experiences home with us.
Friday, September 19. 2008
Despite my previous blog entry I did not spend my entire time in New York reflecting on 18th century immigration. I mentioned our boat ride on the beast- our captain took us on a journey down the Hudson of which Joseph Conrad would have been proud. Typical boat rides have the reassuring familiarity of the water being outside the boat and you inside, while we kept our end of this bargain the water showed no sign of respecting this boundary. The speedboat sprayed gallons of the Hudson’s finest water into the boat leaving us looking like forlorn, drowned rats. I have to say though that I loved every minute of skipping past the Manhattan skyline on a speedboat. As boatloads of tourists with waxwork expressions passed on their more serene vessels I have to say I'm glad we took The Beast.
Thursday, September 18. 2008
This weekend the Great 08ers will return to Belfast for our graduation ceremony, almost six months since 26 unknowing individuals shook those first tentative handshakes at Orientation weekend. We will be gathering this time, without the nerves of the unfamiliar but rather as a Team- for I think we can say we have achieved that- to share with our ‘real’ families and give them a proper insight into all that we have been doing throughout the summer and beyond. A recollection that comes to mind from the summer, as I try now to relate the WIP experience, is the analogy of a person’s life comforts and experiences to a circle. Yeah, at the time too, I was quite dismissive of yet more clichéd, team-building psycho-babble but please persevere!
Anyway, there we were huddled after completing a zip-wire exercise in a rural Virginian forest contending with the bugs and 100 degree heat ( Note: expect the unexpected of your summer!), and our leader asked us to imagine our lives as the small circle she etched on the soil below. Inside that circle is the life you find most comfortable, there resides your family, friends and a daily routine with goals within easy reach. All sounds good to me I thought, now lets get lunch and reapply the bug spray…however, she continued… remaining there too long can see a life become stagnant. At this point the leader drew a wider circle outside the first one. If we choose to take that leap of faith by stepping outside the smaller circle boundary we can be swamped initially by feelings of disorientation and insecurity. However, if we can tolerate this vast area of the unknown we can develop those skills and knowledge needed to survive such a period of transition. You may ask yourself, as I did that day, why indeed you would want to put in such extra effort at the possible cause of much anxiety to yourself, in order to widen your comfort zone, or what even does that mean? To me, as I hope I have begun to learn in the past six months, it means redefining or stretching your original goals, believing that what you deemed impossible actually could be realised, feeling comfortable with new and different people and learning from them. It is these lessons that I will try to bring with me now and hopefully in taking those initial risks, whether it be in applying for WIP or in anything else we strive for, each of us can reap the rewards of a life more fulfilled.
So to any prospective WIP applicant reading this, I will tell you that the risk is worth taking. You will risk, as with many decisions in your life, the chance of disappointment, the fear of failure, of anxiety suffered or of uncovering weaknesses in yourself. Certainly, taking those initial steps the Washington-Ireland Program will test your strength of character, stretch every skill you possess and require that you forge new ones. You will have to find the time to contribute to public service in, I’m sure an already hectic life, you will have to maintain the highest levels of professionalism, organisation and timeliness in a high-profile internship, you will have to embrace a new culture and respect a different family way of life. However, believe me, you do not have to be superhuman to test your goals or succeed in these tasks. You may study politics or pharmacy, you may have built orphanages in Romania or helped in your local youth club, you may have pursued independent travel in Outer Mongolia or been no further than a family holiday in Spain, you may be an extrovert or a quieter introvert, or you may be none of the above for there are few recurring characteristics in a WIP team.
So today if you encounter uncertainty in direction or with a decision, or perhaps grapple with that WIP application form, remember this sentiment;
"To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing... does nothing... has nothing... is nothing.
You may avoid suffering and sorrow, but you simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love.....live
Chained by your certitudes, you are a slave; you have forfeited freedom.
Only a person who risks is free." (Author unknown).
Whatever life it is – personal, social or professional – remember that it is too short to be nervous; too meaningful to worry; and too precious to waste.
Earlier this week I went to watch the astounding story of Philippe Petit in the amazing docufilm ‘Man On Wire’. A French tight roper, who shot to fame in a forty-five minute stunt at the World Trade Centre in Manhattan, August 1974. The feat almost defies belief. With no safety harness, support or permission, he crossed the North and South Towers eight times.
It is a true inspirational tale of human perseverance and achievement, and a documentary that I could not recommend more. He had no point to prove or banner to wave, rather it was a moment he lived for. To me the poignancy of this documentary falls in the natural conclusion every onlooker must have mused over – ‘why?’; just why would someone risk their life in such a way.
His response is perplexing, yet I believe comforting – why not?
He claims, “When I see three oranges, I juggle; when I see two towers, I walk.”
More importantly he tells, “sometimes there should be no ‘why’.”
I remember being apprehensive before applying to WIP. This has easily been the most adventurous and intense scheme that I have been involved in. I have found that you truly get out of it what you put in, and when I reflect now on ‘why?’ - why did I apply, and why should another; I’m so glad I did.
I see the answer as simple as it is obvious, that you have to make the most of your time, your opportunities.
I advise those who hope to apply next year to take very seriously what they are getting into. If you hope for a subsidised holiday, meeting famous people and a good summer away; you are misconstruing the idea.
When I first applied, much the same as everyone, it were the glamorous internships that carried the most weight. When I was told that I could intern with BBC America for the summer, I’m not sure how many times I re-read to convince myself it was true. From orientation to tomorrow night’s graduation, I remember my colleagues as first a name on a computer screen, now it is as though we’ve known one another for years.
I recall too the night before my interview as vividly I do typing up the online application. It isn’t a simple process, and I truly appreciate how difficult it was to get on. I don’t quite know why I should have deserved my place over others; I believe I would rather not know. Something was seen in each of us, that we would be good people for the program, but that in one way or another, it would be good for us.
In truth, you know, the internship wasn’t the main part of it. I may name drop and have enough stories to tell, but I have as many tales to proclaim from our WIP experience. I had the chance to see Obama speaking, that was my unrealistic goal somehow achieved. I sneakily interviewed a former Iraqi Prime Minister for my college magazine. I co-produced footage and a report for BBC’s Newsnight, and relayed tons of information about the upcoming Presidential election. Still, in WIP, we visited the United Nations, I spoke to the Catholic business network of Virginia, and listened to many a fascinating speaker. I have learnt much of U.S. culture, which I believe is often misunderstood. I have appreciated the many faults in its idealised system, and seen first hand how well regarded Ireland is held, and its role in building the nation. I have been involved in days out at Hemlock, Habitat for Humanity, and recently in Ballymun, Dublin, and I believe learnt a lot from others in this years team.
I will offer the following advice to potential applicants – be open minded.
If you believe in a United Kingdom, a United Ireland, or are rather apathetic to both, be open minded. Understand that there are great differences, and be prepared to celebrate that fact, not undermine. Look past the flag, the faith and culture of another, and see them as fellow citizens, fellow countrymen and women, friends, and welcoming neighbours.
WIP offers a testing summer. It is highly self-analytical, tiring, and requires everyone to give their all. It is amazing how easily you take for granted the opportunites it opens. For the summer we were VIP’s, coasting about Capitol Hill, our offices, and the city as though we owned the joint. The generosity is incredible, and could not happen without the support of host families, volunteers, the MT and many friends of the venture; again – never take this for granted. We pestered the MT all summer, but they may have done the same in their Class; they know truly how grateful we are however.
A Congress sponsored tour of the White House, a reception in the Capitol, the U.N., the National Press Club – if we went near those places now, we would be laughed at and turned away.
If you are not the most confident person, this summer may help; your nervousness could be evaporated, perhaps your ego enlarged further, who knows. Identify in yourself what aspects of your life may require a fresh perspective, and I’m sure this program will help you define what kind of person you are, what kind of leader you can be, and what values you hold dear. I don’t feel much different after the summer, but I sense I have grown up to a great extent. Above all else in the application process, be yourself, nothing comes across clearer than insincerity. Do not be discouraged by age – there were four first years on this years team, and a diverse mix of age that really we didn’t think of much. Even if an unnamed Edinburgh student did feel like the grandfather of the team….(there’s a test to see how many people read this from the Class of ‘08).
I echo back to the need for open-mindedness, this should be an engrained attitude in any applicant. So too, must be the degree of service that you actively pursue in your own community. I repeat – this program should not be a CV filler. I am proud to come from a working class family and background, from the Sandy Row/Donegall Road part of Belfast City. I like to hope everything I have got is through hard work and acting according to conscience. There are many problems my local community faces – mass redevelopment requirements, a youth without cohesion or belonging, a community spirit dwindling by the day, an inflow of foreign workers, vandalism, and still a culture of blatant sectarianism and paramilitary distruction – but does that mean we give up?
Giving back to your own community is where this program begins. Not every area faces such issues, I understand, but yours will face problems unique and different. Perhaps more pressing or less so, but worthy all the same.
We have major problems in Ireland of youth suicide, binge drinking, drugs and gang culture. In the North, I know we have an education system in turmoil through ministerial incompetency. Healthcare too questions the control of MRSA and funding shortages. So many elderly will die this christmas because they can’t afford basic provisions or heating. I could go on…
We have got to the stage, forty years too late, where people are actually able to swallow their pride and sit down with enemies, not friends, and sort out problems. I’m not entirely confident that many are capable of dealing with such issues we face, I have ample evidence, but that’s a side issue where my impartiality is compromised!
This is a new definition of ‘the troubles’ we face, and revolve around the need for leadership and progressive thinking. If you hold such values dear and want to advance our society, I am confident WIP will enhance your skills, and if you are sincere about the way forward, I’m sure you will have a decent chance of getting on. Do not be discouraged too if turned away the first year.
It really comes down to taking opportunities. I used the example earlier of Philippe Petit. His achievement will, for obvious reasons never be repeated. I have twice visited the site of 9/11, most recently this July on WIP. What happened there still resonates profoundly. You feel it in the echoing hallways of Trinity Church, and around the construction site where steel and metal once more will rise. I have said so before, but it was where I really began to take notice of the media, and like millions, watched every report and commentary about that September morning in 2001. I appreciate, however, how much this brought people together, not tear them apart as the terrorists had intended.
No matter how far you have to search, find the positives in life, and see the merits in this program. It is growing, and I am sure next year will be better than ours, although I will be prepared to argue with you that it wasn’t!
Think of the opportunity – in the grand scale of things, have you really anything to lose by applying?
However, whether or not you get on – have you really anything to lose by doing your bit in serving your community?
It is rather sad to think this is my last web journal entry.
Good luck to one and all.
Please feel free to let me know, by contacting candrews06@qub.ac.uk if there are any questions or advice I can help with.
Final advice if you get to D.C. – emphasise your accent – the Americans love it!
And, seriously, take thousands of photo’s!
Tuesday, September 16. 2008
Having spent six weeks back in relative normality, I felt I could venture back to the realms of reflection just one last time.
Since returning from Washington D.C., I have been asked several hundred times what I learnt whilst I was there. Of course, I am able to churn out a well rehearsed answer in most instances but when it comes down to it, what did this summer really teach me?
The following is my attempt to capture some lessons that I learnt.
1) Service and leadership go hand in hand. Often the best way to learn is by doing. Of what use is knowledge if we can’t apply it, test and challenge it?
2) Difference is a good thing that we can all learn from.
3) A sense of humour goes a VERY long way. If you don’t laugh, it’s quite possible you’ll cry.
4) You find exceptional friendship in the most unexpected people…just wait till you meet the class of 2008…then you’ll understand.
5) Keeping your feet on the ground, your head screwed on and having a humble heart will serve you very well in whatever profession you choose.
6) Self critical analysis and the ability to identify your personal weaknesses and admit when you’ve made a mistake are valuable skills.
7) When you get a job, work for something you believe in and don’t sell your soul for lots of money, it is worth far more than that.
 Everyone wants change, but what sort of change do you want?
9) If you’re going to be critical, it must be constructive and you must present an alternative
10) Think before you speak. Less is often more. And listen twice as much as you speak. Remember, you’ve been given two ears but just one mouth.
11) Be willing to take risks and try new things, not seeing it as potential to fail but as potential to grow.
12) Dream big and pursue crazy ideas with a team of people committed to your vision. Persevere and follow through so that you deliver those dreams and make them a reality.
Well, reading over that, it sounds like 12 steps to a successful life. Trust me, it’s not. But these are some valuable lessons that I believe we can each learn from.
The Washington Ireland Program has taught me so much about myself, about how teams operate, about service, leadership, politics, culture, society and justice.
But, I long to learn more. I hope this is just the beginning and I hope that we can continue to grow and learn together. Life is more than just learning lessons, we must seek to embody and live out the lessons that we learn.
Friday, September 12. 2008
Thinking of applying for the Washington Ireland Program ?
If you are thinking of applying for WIP then you are taking the first steps in what could be a great adventure. Applying for WIP is a win- win situation. You have got nothing to lose. A lot of people seem to be turned off by the application process which is quite long, but in my view the questions give you a chance to think about different aspects of your life which you might not usually get to think about. The list of benefits goes on. You get involved in community service before you leave for Washington, during your stay there and when you get back to Ireland. One of the most attractive elements of the program is undoubtedly the amazing and wide range of internships on offer. What an amazing opportunity. You get a chance to do internships in places that most university students could only dream of. To complement the internship you also attend leadership seminars and listen to a wide range of guest speakers from all different backgrounds. You spend the summer with a host family in Washington, you get to spend time in the political capital of the world, you get to deliver a major speech in public and you make an amazing group of friends. It is incomparable with any other internship or leadership program you may have heard of. There really is nothing like this anywhere else. It doesn’t matter what background you have, the more diverse the team the better. I would love to be starting off with WIP all over again. It is hard to describe how well treated and looked after we were. It is always good to talk to people who have been there before and if you ever want to ask me a few questions send me an email: alralphy@yahoo.co.uk and I will gladly help you out. So don’t doubt yourself, apply, see how you do and you might just get picked for the summer of a lifetime.
RE- Entry Weekend
The team arrived back in Ireland on the morning of the 4th of August. We said goodbye to each other at the airport. It was a strange moment. We had been around each other so much over the last few weeks and all of a sudden it was all over. Not for long though. In early September the team all met in Dublin City University for Re-entry weekend. This is a few days during which the team after having reflected upon our time in Washington reviewed and evaluated the summer. We provided suggestions on aspects that might improve the program for next year’s team. We also spent a day volunteering for an organization called Global Action Plan which was setup by Ballymun Regeneration Ltd to help with projects for inner city communities. We split into groups and did some upkeep on gardens in the local primary schools. It was a fun way to pass the day and catch up with each other on what we had been doing during the past month. Throughout the weekend we reflected on the summer but I felt it was almost too early to really comprehend the impact WIP had on us and perhaps it will take a few months for all our experiences to sink in. Before the weekend finished, we voted for our valedictorian, that being the member of the team who would make a speech at our graduation night in Belfast in a few weeks time. We selected John Callaghan as our valedictorian and everyone was happy that we would have such a decent and friendly guy representing us. The weekend was a success and it was good to see all the team again. People headed off in their separate ways. Myself and Chris Joyce watched the All – Ireland hurling final between Waterford and Kilkenny. When the game was over Chris headed home to Galway and I went out to University College Dublin where I was due to start the final year of my degree the next morning. Despite just leaving the team, I was already looking forward to being together again for our graduation in Belfast.
Summer Farewell
Our stay in D.C. came to an end with the summer farewell dinner held at the Capitol Hilton hotel. It was our last night in D.C. and it was dedicated to celebrating the great contribution the host families made to our summer and all our host parents came along. My host parents Pete and Liz and their son Brian made a big effort to attend the event despite having planned to be on holidays at the time. It was special to have them all there after keeping me in their home for so long. Myself and Judy Bamford presented the event and had some good fun. The evening involved stunning musical displays from some of the team. Aoibhin, Elaine, Colm and Johnathan Chesney all performed so well and at the end of the night all the team came together and sang a song called “Goodbye for now”. When the formal proceedings came to a close we had a disco and everyone got dancing and had a great laugh. Despite all the fun and joy, I was very sad to see our time in Washington coming to a close.
A night at the Irish Embassy
On our last Wednesday in D.C. an evening reception was held for the team in the Irish Embassy. A lot of the host parents and people associated with the program came to the event and there was a great atmosphere about the place. John Callaghan who had been interning at the embassy presented the evening and did a really professionally job introducing the other members of the team to speak on the night, those being Mary, Maria, Heather and Chris. They all spoke fantastically well and made everyone proud of them. It was a lovely night and everyone seemed to have a brilliant time.
Habitat for Humanity
During our last week in D.C. we did a team service project. This links in with the concept of service and leadership and it was great to be able to give something back to the community after our unforgettable summer in D.C. We spent two days volunteering for an organisation called Habitat for Humanity in one of the more deprived areas of the city.
Since the founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has become a global leader in addressing substandard housing by helping more than 1,000 000 people of all races, faiths and backgrounds to have a simple, decent place to live.
Habitat for Humanity builds and renovates simple, decent homes with the help of homeowner families, through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials.
HFH homes are sold to low-income families at no profit and are financed through affordable long-term loans. We spent the two days helping to put large wooden panels on the walls of a house that was being built. This process was called ‘dry-walling’. It was straight forward; put the panel up and nail it in. Half the team was upstairs in the house, half were downstairs. It was a good laugh despite it being very hot at the time. We got quite a bit of work done over the few days there and it was the ideal project for a big group.
Monday, September 8. 2008
After several painful weeks apart, the class of 2008 reunited in Dublin’s fair city, where apparently the girls are so pretty…..
After service, sleepless nights and several hours of serious feedback, I felt like I was back in Washington D.C…..But I wasn’t, I just felt that way.
Thursday the 4th was a particular highlight for me. Not only was I able to celebrate a depressing birthday (22 years old is neither here nor there) with a good friend (who had an equally depressing reality of turning twenty- something), during the day we were able to partner with Global Action Plan (GAP) as part of the regeneration project for Ballymun. We had a fantastic day working in the local schools cultivating biodiversity gardens to enhance the flora and fauna population of greater Ballymun… essentially that means we were digging and weeding, but the way they presented it made it sound pretty important.
We were able to get quite a lot done in just a day and had a great working relationship with GAP staff. We were really looking forward to another day of getting our hands dirty and getting stuck in to more worthwhile work when Ballymun decided to literally flood, therefore meaning we were unable to continue our public service for the second day, much to the disappointment of our team…well most of our team.
So on reflection (a now natural reaction to absolutely anything I do, which the program subconsciously instils in you…beware) you could say we didn’t do an awful lot. I mean one day of public service is more a token gesture than anything else. And yes, to some extent I agree. But may I add that the act of service often sparks something within us. It gives us a desire to want to serve more. The satisfaction of getting the butterfly garden all weeded out and ready to attract masses of butterflies to the school made me want to do more. We delivered something tangible and it felt good. So my encouragement to the team would be that our one day public service in Dublin would once again inspire you to engage with your local community and see what way you can help to serve their needs. I hope that serving helps change our attitudes and our outlook on life. We are truly privileged and have so very much to offer society, I encourage you to do just that, offer yourself to serve society in whatever form that may be.
I’ll say it again, I hope these are beginnings rather than endings and I look forward to hearing and being a part of all the ways the class of 2008 serve communities and society at large.
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