It is a Resort of Peace

Hi guys it's Dan, sorry it has taken so long to update this blog, there is much to see and do, unfortunately blogging is not one of them. I would like to tell you guys about where we are staying for this week, it is called Corrymeela and it's situated outside the small town of Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. Corrymeela stands atop a hill facing east overlooking the Irish sea with mainland Scotland in the distance just 17 miles away. As I look around I see a truly breathtaking vista in every direction- all hours of the day. To give you a brief history of Corrymeela this site was founded in 1969 by a group of peace activists who pooled their money together to create a sancturary people could journey to and learn about the methods of peacemaking.

As I walked around this place I quickly realized that the original notion of being a sanctuary has not been lost in the slightest. In every direction I look the vistas put troubled minds at ease, there are places of solitude that encourage inward thinking that have offered new perspectives about my own life. Sayings of compassion and love adorn the walls and the all volunteer staff are always more then happy to answer any questions and accommodate any needs one might have. For me, I was taken aback and emotionally awe struck the moment I walked into Corrymeela with an unwavering question coming to my mind being, "how am I so privileged to be able to walk and spend my time in a place like this? What kind of impact have I made to deserve the respect of a place such as this?" Corrymeela over the years has been the host to numerous peace talks about conflict zones all over the world, and has hosted dignitaries and peacemakers alike such as Mother Theresa, the Dalai Llama, and many leaders who negotiated the good Friday peace agreement here in Northern Ireland. But the most important people to visit Corrymeela are the everyday citizens who can reflect, learn, and if need be mourn their own troubles. This is truly a privileged for me to be here, and i know coming from all of us here that we are so thankful to experience Corrymeela.

P.S. There are 'wee' bunnies everywhere here. I'm watching about six of em play tag right now.

Tale of Two Societies

A Shared Society

With West Kirk Community Project.

Presenting our gifts from NM.
Robby shares his personal story.

Dinner with the whole gang!

"The Peace Wall"

Some walls are 27 ft high, some walls are invisible, but the problems are the same on both side.


The Peace Wall

Belfast is a city of exceptional people who have not only experienced severe violent conflict, but who have also gone within themselves to find the capacity to heal and forgive those who have harmed others. On the evening of the first night we had the honor to witness the true humanity of forgiveness and healing by meeting a group of gentlemen from both sides of the wall who found the courage within them to finally embrace the other side which they have so long feared and loathed. Witnessing their ability to to put aside their personal experiences touched a deep part inside everyone on our trip. An experience in which none of us will forget.

The images on walls portray the struggle and those who have died fighting for their cause.

Throughout Belfast there are over 27 miles of tall 'peace' walls which separate the neighborhoods. Many people we have talked to hope that one day these walls will come down but these walls still represent the reality of exclusion, and the fact that tensions are still very high throughout the entire city. One project that many local groups have taken upon themselves is to create murals on the walls that don't represent violence or hate, but that represent a changing and peaceful Belfast.

As you walk through the streets of Belfast, through the eyes it seems so peaceful, but if you just take a moment to breathe the air & hear the silence, the feeling is different.

Introduction to the "Troubles"

Oliver Cromwell Mural

Our first session with youth workers from opposite sides of the conflict: one a former Republican & one a former Loyalist.
View from The Farset

Dr. Michael Morris and Daniel Marzec

A Break for a cup of tea from our meeting.

During our meeting we discussed how communities on both sides of the conflict have formed different models that deal with peace and reconciliation. This is one of the first times that both sides of the troubles have come together to openly discuss how they have gone about creating a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.


Whenever we have a meeting with our Irish hosts we present to them gifts that are native to New Mexico. Our gifts contain contain items native to America, and more specifically to New Mexico like; ceder, tobacco, jewelery containing turqoise stones, and items from the University of New Mexico and the Service Corps.


Dan and Christina Romero enjoying the Irish sun.

Derick, our wonderful chauffeur, host, & teacher.

The walls affect the "Wee" ones too!

Stopping for lunch at the side of a youth centre for kids ages 2-4 years.

In Belfast we are looking for ways that provide more opportunity to the youth of the city. Two of our site visits focus on training the youth in various trade types (picture above) so that they may turn away from violence and focus more on being a constructive part of society.

Albino and Frances traveling in the mini bus.

How do we build a restorative society?
It has to be a "bottom up" approach.
Restore trust.
Build trust so the people can make decisions & take responsibility for themselves.

Introduction to the "Troubles"

Hi guys, It's Dan again and I wanted to share with you all my first impressions of the troubles, past and present here in Northern Ireland. Like I mentioned in the previous post the first thing anyone will notice who is from outside Northern Ireland are the physical walls dividing entire neighborhoods. Much like the neighborhoods from back home one has to pay attention to the messages written on the buildings, sidewalks, or signs to know who is welcome in which neighborhood and who is not. Murals praising martyrs of the past tell you whom this neighborhood considers a hero. Sidewalks spray painted patriotic colors establish where you can walk and where you may not, and finally messages on buildings will warn you that if you are not of a certain faith you better watch your back.

Coming from a city where we have our own gang problems I can pick up when a group of people are marking their territory while telling others to back off. Northern Ireland seems to be much more in your face with their disrespect for the other side, and it appears to be a much more organized, established, effort to ward off anyone who is of the other faith. I hope to learn much more as I continue walking these streets.

Arriving in Northern Ireland

Hey guys! It's Dan coming at you with the first UNM CLPS blog from Northern Ireland. So far so good, I arrived here in Belfast safely and I am very much recovering from the jet lag.

I got some pictures here for everyone to look at from our travel experience just getting to Belfast.

After a full night of flying I finally arrived in Belfast, I barely had enough time to rest before the group and I got a brief tour of the city with our guide, teacher, and host Derick Wilson. After some refreshing coffee and scones Derick brought us to where we are staying at the Farset International in the heart of Belfast, where the is amazing.





After dinner Derick and a local Ivan gave us a more in-depth tour of the city. They took us through both Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods where we got to witness first hand the struggles that Northern Ireland has been going through. Within the city Derick explained to us that there are over 27 miles of 'peace' walls, most of them are about fifteen to twenty five feet high to protect neighborhoods from bombs, but were constructed to separate the protestants, and the Catholics. I have never before seen in my life so much physical division between people, and on the walls are messages warning passer-by's which neighborhood they're in. Many of these walls are littered with graffiti, and murals.

Well I am really hungry, and breakfast is right next to me. So I will make sure to post more developments as they come.