I woke up Monday morning and I walked the bridge alone that looms over the river Foyle. It’s a slow meander with white artifices protruding from both sides. It looks almost futuistic, and indeed, it was made with a brighter future in mind.
We learned about “The Troubles”, and how it was a time of conflict between the people of Northern Ireland on whether they should join the Republic of Ireland. For decades, the people of Belfast, Derry, and other towns clashed through their unwavering differences in religion (Catholics/Protestants) and political ideologies (Republicans/Liberals), as the death tolls rolled and the Sundays got Bloodier. It’s estimated that a third of all deaths during this time were people under the age of 23, and 7% of deaths were children – those innocents who laid down their lives to settle scores that weren’t theirs to keep.
But in 1998, the Troubles ended when the Good Friday agreement was brokered. It was led by John Hume, and the town of Derry host three awards in the Guildhall that was given to Hume for his achievements; the Gandhi Peace Prize, who said to “be the change you wish to see in this world”; the Martin Luther King Jr Non-Violent Peace Prize, who said that the end we seek is a “society at peace with itself”; and the Nobel Peace Prize, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed to civilians. John Hume fought institutional pressures such as housing discrimination, income inequality, and gerrymandering that oppressed his community. Through an ethos of cultural empowerment, he led political organizations through non-violent protests which ultimately ended the Troubles and calmed the waters. They built the Peace Bridge as a long-standing emblem of peace.
Protests, in the form of violence, have plagued Ireland throughout most of its history; from the Vikings that pillaged it, to the kingdoms that divided it, to the religions that indoctrinated it. To this day, castles stand as a testament to the fear of violence, and walls divide the towns and cities out of that same fear. Although Ireland is a neutral country in terms of geopolitical affairs, Ireland was at war with itself for a long time. But the Good Friday agreement proved that non-violent protests can be effective, and that long-term peaace can be achieved.
The human instinct is ravaged by spite and fear; so long as flames are reactive, hot and tempered, so are humans. But when people take the courage to endure pain, and swallow the flames, only then can we take control of our actions and our lives. Only then can we ensure that the seeds of peace can blossom and grow. Peace is not a belief; it is achieved, just like grace, mercy, patience, and courage. Jesus said at the sermon on the mount that “the meek shall inherit the earth”, and verily, those who break the cycle of pain, violence and trauma, such as Bishop Edward Kevin Daly and John Hume, have made good on that promissory note.
The people of Northern Ireland made a brave decision; they chose to practice peace – not born out of betrayal for the ones they failed to vindicate, but for the promise that their children could know peace, to live, and to live in peace. If we accept that peace is a good thing, then it should be sought for, and the work we create as humans is only validated through our progress in achieving what’s considered “good”. Mary O’connor said that bees are praised and mosquitos are swatted because it matters not how busy you are, but rather what you are busy for. Although violence solves short-term problems, it will never change hearts, and so it will never be enough.
Aristotle said that we are born with the capacity to receive virtues, but they are only developed through practice. I choose to practice peace in my daily struggles – stoic, unabashed – and I want to be an emblem of peace. I hope to one day earn the Nobel Peace Prize, and I am honored to have walked the bridge that parted the troubled waters.
What a powerful reflection! Your description of the mural, the bridge, and the legacy of the Troubles really gave me a feel of how art and architecture can carry the hope and healing of a brighter future!