Short report of our group on three “full” days in a special city

As we arrived on Wednesday, 16th March, one day before the meetings, we still had time to discover the city on foot, via a sightseeing tour and with a “black cab” taxi. The driver of this “black cab” taxi drove us, above all, to West Belfast, where the “murals” and peace-walls (erected as a separation between the Catholics and Protestants) are. The conflict was related to us by the driver in a very humorous way and in a very special dialect but nevertheless extremely patient.

On Tuesday, 17th March, the work meetings for the organizers began. Uschi and Hilde were taking part as our representatives. During this time Solveig and I were visiting the Ulster Museum. There, the exhibition “CONFLICT – THE IRISH AT WAR” was on show. At the same time youths (Protestants and Catholics) together with a social worker were working on a mural. After having taken a critical look on the topic, they designed a new mural in their own way, following on an already existing, very threatening one. This is only a small example for projects that aim to get the separation out of the heads and reappraise the history full of conflicts. The beginning has to be done with the children and youths (according to the taxi driver and the social worker) who grew up in this world and for whom “normality” doesn’t yet exist.

On Friday, 18th March, the organizer’s work meeting continued. For Hilde and Uschi this meeting turned out to be, for different reasons, very challenging. Due to lack of time and because of the enormous amount of open questions, all the topics, proposals and decisions had to be taken in a hurry. Difference of opinion and different interests of each country had to be discussed and to be reduced to a common denominator. And all this, of course, in English …! At last all important subjects were clarified and all gained experience in how much tolerance, flexibility and esteem were necessary in inter-cultural exchange.

Only on Friday morning and Saturday, all participants (also from Belfast) met to work together on the subject “AWAKENINGS”. This was done via writing and felting.
After brainstorming Anna explained why she and Jill are working with the story-quilt method. By hearing, seeing, talking and doing integrated learning it will be possible to have fund and we will all have a joint result on which we can interchange.

The Belfast women taught us the technique of felting, a large felt rug which will serve later as a background, was worked out.
The next day work was done in two groups:
Creative writing and felting. The original method integrates text and pictures. Due to lack of time this could be done only by a few. The felt rug will be taken to Barcelona, where the individual pictures will be applied, together with new ones.

It is amazing how fast women succeed in achieving such warm hearted meetings. During breaks and meals there often ensues solidarity and such a frankness on both sides that is more than desirable in social existence of men and women.
For me, to see the differences in these encounters and to moreover discern just as many common interests of women has been the most valuable part of this project.

Ute Brischar, Ulm