11:04 PM Thursday, June 14

11:04 PM Thursday, June 14

Tomorrow morning I head to Ireland, North and South,  for 5 weeks visiting peacebuilding programs. After fourteen years leading prejudice reduction and violence prevention work through NCBI in Missoula, I'm thrilled to be on my way to seeing how these efforts are lived in other parts of the world.

I'm also nervous, and aware of being in the "unconsciously incompetent" stage of development. I know next to nothing about the causes and consequences on conflict in Northern Ireland. Last time I was in Portland I stopped by Powell's bookstore and picked up a copy of The History of Ireland, by James Lydon. The first 60 pages felt like 300, and I think I was still in the years B.C. I switched to The Idiot's Guide to Irish History (which is at least illustrated). I  found some YouTube documentaries about the troubles, but had to pause every few minutes to ask Lauren which acronym the narrator was talking about, and which side they were on. So maybe I'm consciously incompetent.

But I'm on my way!