N. Ireland, Kosovo journalists forge professional, personal bonds
August was a whirlwind that took my colleagues and I to Kosovo, then back home for a few weeks, then finally to Northern Ireland. We were collectively tapping into one another’s wisdom about the troubled pasts that both regions are still dealing with, and how, as journalists, we can most responsibly report on issues like anniversaries, memorials, victims, trauma, and justice. (See my previous blogs for details about the trips to Pristina/MitrovicaKosovo and Belfast/Derry Northern Ireland). 

At the Bloody Sunday memorial in Derry, Northern Ireland. 
(Photo by Allan Leonard/Shared Future News)

It was gratifying to see how the project grew from an idea I had a few years ago into the initiative that brought together 20 journalists, half from each region. I was especially moved by the way the journalists came together, both professionally and personally. Project co-director Allan Leonard (Shared Future News, Northern Ireland) even said in his closing remarks in Belfast that the journalists, trainers, and project staff had united to form a family. This is especially remarkable given that the journalists are from different countries, practice different religions, and have a wide age disparity. The journalists from Kosovo were mostly in their 20’s and 30’s, while their peers from Northern Ireland were mostly, well, much more seasoned.

Their newly formed connections will be put to use as the journalists produce stories during the next month in teams of two (one reporter from Kosovo, and one from Northern Ireland). They’ve selected thoughtful, riveting story topics including refugee songs and their power to integrate or segregate; challenges facing ethnic minorities and women in both Northern Ireland and Kosovo; how food brings people together; missing women; expectations of young generations (especially women) regarding reconciliation; women’s football in both places; the role of symbols/flags in reconciliation; naming of monuments; and integration of education. All stories will be explored using a gender-sensitive lens.

I enjoyed my job as one of the project’s trainers, as well as working with Allan Leonard and Xhemajl Rexha, director of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK). Leonard, Rexha, and their helpers at AJK, Shared Future News, and the National Union of Journalists in Northern Ireland developed invigorating itineraries for the participants, and overcame a million logistical challenges. They have my gratitude and admiration. Of course, I'm grateful as well to our funders, the British Embassy in Kosovo.

I’m proud of what we accomplished during our trips to Belfast/Derry and Pristina/Mitrovica. I’m looking forward to seeing the stories produced by the teams of journalists. My expectations are very high indeed for some outstanding reporting.

Beautiful, and historical, Derry, Northern Ireland

"Reporting the Past" journalists reconvene in N. Ireland
(BELFAST AND DERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND)—Sometimes, everything goes just right.

No, I’m not talking about my Belfast to Kansas City travel home, which included a cancelled flight, a second massively delayed flight, and a soul-crushingly long passport control line at O’Hare.

What went right—just right—was the second part of our project that has brought together journalists from Kosovo and Northern Ireland. Early in August, we visited Kosovo. Last week, we were in Northern Ireland, hearing about media and The Troubles, and discussing responsibly reporting a contested past, especially things like anniversaries, monuments, marches and other events, etc.

Richard Moore shares his incredible story

Everything went right (as it did in Kosovo) thanks to our local host Allan Leonard and his colleagues at
Shared Future News who planned an exemplary itinerary for us. We got to visit with the incomparably inspirational Richard Moore. Blinded by a British soldier’s rubber bullet in 1972, he told us about his incredible journey, one unencumbered by even the slightest whiff of anger or bitterness. He met the shooter 33 years after the deed, a day he called “one of the best of my life.” The two frequently give presentations together. His reflections on forgiveness were especially poignant. “Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself,” he said, adding, “Forgiveness doesn’t change the past, but it changes the future.”

We also met Paul Gallagher, who survived his own trauma during The Troubles, at the WAVE Trauma Center, which works with survivors of The Troubles with counseling, short courses, and fellowship. Importantly, WAVE reaches across divides, allowing its clients and others to hear about suffering that occurs in all communities. He discussed the nuances of victimhood in Northern Ireland: who are good and bad victims? Which victims are innocent, and which are terrorists? He then discussed NI’s segmentized society, admitting that he is a “recovering sectarian bigot.”

In-class presentations included Allan Leonard’s terrific overview of Northern Ireland’s terribly complicated history, Angela Fusco’s talk about how to sensitively report trauma, a panel discussing women in journalism, and my presentation on human rights reporting in transitional societies.

The journalists from Kosovo and I got to tour many interesting sites, including the so-called Peace Walls

Colin O'Carroll discussed Belfast's "Peace Walls"

that separate communities in conflict in both Belfast and Derry. In Belfast, we were treated to a biking tour by journalist/participant Colin O’Carroll, who showed us historical and tourist sites. 

We also journeyed to Derry, which is where we heard Richard Moore, toured important historical sites, and learned about a peacebuilding organization called the Holywell Diverse Community Partnership that facilitates difficult conversations and public forums on issues that cut across sectarian communities.

Next week, I’ll put a bow on our August visits to Kosovo and Northern Ireland, and preview the next phase of the reporting a troubled past project.

On the bike tour at Queens University-Belfast