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06
2011
Dr. Faissal Hameed on BCA Study Abroad: Divided Societies Student Conferences
Recently, Dr. Faissal Hameed attended the BCA Study Abroad: Divided Societies Student Conference in Derry, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Please see some of Faissal’s commentary on the event below:
The conference was divided into two parts. The initial part of the conference was led by those with expertise on conflicts and their resolutions and the second part of the conference focused on student panels and group discussions to explore issues of concern. The conference also included a mini version of a performance by the Theater of Witness called “I Once Knew a Girl,” as well as a screening of “Acting Together on the World Stage” produced by Theatre Without Borders and Brandeis University. Speakers from various parts of Europe and the United States provided overviews of various conflicts in divided societies, and on ways to institutionalize a “peace process.” The larger context of Northern Ireland offered the premier example of the challenges and difficulties associated with institutionalizing peace.
Prior to travelling to Northern Ireland I must confess I did not fully understand the complexities or know all of the history behind the troubles of Northern Ireland. I was, however, very curious about the peace process that has brought about a relative amount of peace and calm across Northern Ireland for the past decade or so; specifically in Derry, said to be the epicenter of the Irish Troubles back in 1968 and also where Bloody Sunday took place on January 30, 1972, when 13 civilians were shot dead by the British military in a civil rights march in the Bogside area. As with many conflicts around the world, such as between Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East and Indians and Pakistanis in South Asia, two conflicts on which I spoke at the conference, there are always two sides to every story. A cursory search on YouTube regarding the “The Troubles” in Ireland reveals countless documentaries on the nature of the conflict. However, within minutes, you can usually tell which ideological lens and perspective the video stems from and seeks to portray.
Since 1997, various parties to the Northern Ireland conflict, as well as the governments of Ireland, the UK, the United States, and the European Union have committed themselves to developing and maintaining a formal Peace Process, and have therefore provided significant political and economic support to the process. The real challenge of institutionalizing peace however is not simply through formal institutions, but through the engagement of “civil society” and ordinary people. This was one recurring theme that was explored throughout the conference and in relation to other areas of conflict such as the Middle East and South Asia also.
To conclude, the conference was divided into two parts: the initial part of the conference was led by those speakers with expertise on conflicts and their resolution, while students organized their own panels and group discussions to explore issues of concern in the second part of the conference. In the initial part of the conference, students were provided with two workshops – one focused on the techniques and production of the performances of the Theatre of Witness; and the other, on the ‘Introduction to Conflict Analysis’ course offered by the Academy of the United States Institute of Peace. Speakers from various parts of Europe and the United States also provided overviews of various conflicts in divided societies, with my contribution focusing on the Middle East and the larger civilization misunderstanding between Islam and the West, and on ways to institutionalize a “peace process.” Northern Ireland provided the literal backdrop and the real life and fascinating example of the challenges and difficulties associated with institutionalizing peace.
Faissal Hameed, FIE Faculty
November 2011