For two weeks in December we had the opportunity to volunteer with the Corrymeela Community in Ballycastle along the beautiful Antrim Coast.
Corrymeela was started by a small group of people who believed in creating a hospitality space where the work of reconciliation could occur. In 1965, this group managed to scramble together the money needed to buy a large, out-of-repair, old white house and property overlooking the ocean just outside of Ballycastle.
Today, the property is home to a small village with about eight buildings on site. During the working day, Corrymeela staff work at maintaining the property, searching for grants, running programming, and visiting with various guests at the Centre. Often, a community member will show up to volunteer or help run a program that they have taken part in planning. 24/7, a small group of people consisting of long term volunteers and interns from all over the world, and the occasional staff or community member, form the "lived community" onsite, dedicating their entire lives for a time to the work of learning to live together, which is what Corrymeela is all about. Long term volunteers work in all areas of the larger community's activity and, with staff support, "run group sessions using dialogue, experiential play, art, storytelling, mealtimes and shared community to help groups embrace difference and learn how to have difficult conversations".
Like any community, Corrymeela has its work cut out for it, and there are many ways in which it can grow and change to better realize its mission. It has its own hypocrisies and is not perfect, but during our visit we experienced a loving group of people who begin everything "with a welcome." Corrymeela people are people whose hearts and heads embrace continued discovery and examination of "the fractures in our world" while welcoming all on a journey to discover how best to live together. One of the many learnings from our visit that we are taking with us into 2016 is the Irish saying that Pádraig Ó Tuama, the community leader, is quite fond of:
"Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine. ~ It is in the shelter of each other that the people live."
While up north, we enjoyed several days of rest from our tasks with the community and managed to visit the Giant's Causeway, only 30 km away, and explore the stunning coastline along Fairhead near Corrymeela.
The legends of the causeway speak of Oona McCool. According to legend, Oona was more cunning and wise than her well-known husband, the giant and Irish Warrior Folk Hero, Finn McCool. She understood the saying, "Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine," and embraced the same principals of non-violent creativity and storytelling that Corrymeela now uses to help groups have difficult conversations. When her hot-headed husband was in danger, she recognized that the best way to transform his conflict with the Scottish giant, Benandonner, was to help him to humanize his opponent. And what better way to do that than to confront him with a baby almost as big as he was! In a humorous and creative way, Oona keeps clear of the dignity-destroying violence that both giants are so fond of, and shelters them both to live another day!
Corrymeela was started by a small group of people who believed in creating a hospitality space where the work of reconciliation could occur. In 1965, this group managed to scramble together the money needed to buy a large, out-of-repair, old white house and property overlooking the ocean just outside of Ballycastle.
Today, the property is home to a small village with about eight buildings on site. During the working day, Corrymeela staff work at maintaining the property, searching for grants, running programming, and visiting with various guests at the Centre. Often, a community member will show up to volunteer or help run a program that they have taken part in planning. 24/7, a small group of people consisting of long term volunteers and interns from all over the world, and the occasional staff or community member, form the "lived community" onsite, dedicating their entire lives for a time to the work of learning to live together, which is what Corrymeela is all about. Long term volunteers work in all areas of the larger community's activity and, with staff support, "run group sessions using dialogue, experiential play, art, storytelling, mealtimes and shared community to help groups embrace difference and learn how to have difficult conversations".
Like any community, Corrymeela has its work cut out for it, and there are many ways in which it can grow and change to better realize its mission. It has its own hypocrisies and is not perfect, but during our visit we experienced a loving group of people who begin everything "with a welcome." Corrymeela people are people whose hearts and heads embrace continued discovery and examination of "the fractures in our world" while welcoming all on a journey to discover how best to live together. One of the many learnings from our visit that we are taking with us into 2016 is the Irish saying that Pádraig Ó Tuama, the community leader, is quite fond of:
"Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine. ~ It is in the shelter of each other that the people live."
While up north, we enjoyed several days of rest from our tasks with the community and managed to visit the Giant's Causeway, only 30 km away, and explore the stunning coastline along Fairhead near Corrymeela.
The legends of the causeway speak of Oona McCool. According to legend, Oona was more cunning and wise than her well-known husband, the giant and Irish Warrior Folk Hero, Finn McCool. She understood the saying, "Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine," and embraced the same principals of non-violent creativity and storytelling that Corrymeela now uses to help groups have difficult conversations. When her hot-headed husband was in danger, she recognized that the best way to transform his conflict with the Scottish giant, Benandonner, was to help him to humanize his opponent. And what better way to do that than to confront him with a baby almost as big as he was! In a humorous and creative way, Oona keeps clear of the dignity-destroying violence that both giants are so fond of, and shelters them both to live another day!
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