The 46th Harry Brittain Fellowship
17 May to 24 June 2004
SUMITHA MARTIN (Malaysia)
My memories of Belfast
On our second night in Belfast, I found myself seated between two former
terrorists at dinner.
I couldn't believe my good fortune!
I was even more astonished to learn that both of them who were from opposing
military wings (Unionist terrorists and the IRA), had met in prison, got to
know each other while attending an education course at prison thus erasing
misconceptions about each other and became friends and remain so, until today.
Both of them do community work today: Billy is with a group which organises
conflict resolution courses while Liam's outfit serves to provide community
health access for deprived communities.
Billy who served a sentence of about 15 years, while leaving behind a wife
and two children as a 20-something, learnt about the "futility of war" while
at prison.
Both he and Liam earned degrees while at prison. Liam even taught at a
university for several years.
Shankill Road graphics |
My visit to Northern Ireland showed me that the longstanding war waged
between Protestants and Catholics was not simply a religious-driven struggle
but one which was linked to a marginalised community - the Catholics having
being disadvantaged in terms of jobs, education, etc.; that not all
Protestants were unionists and not all Catholics were nationalists - there
were a few exceptions; that involvement in the war was also sparked by
unprovoked incidents such as the sight of your mother in an undressed state
when security forces stormed your home in the middle of the night and being
shot at in the doorway of your home as a nine-year-old.
Visits to 'peace lines' or high walls erected between Protestant and Catholic
neighbourhoods to safeguard each community as well as houses with metal
grills outside windows to prevent stone-throwing etc were grim reminders of
hostilities which still exist; murals on shop and house walls depicting each
side's struggle were not just statements - they were also works of art and
police cameras on sidewalks were eye-openers.
Yet, a visit to the Oakgrove Integrated School in Londonderry showed promise
of peace for future generations: students were unperturbed about each other's
racial or religious backgrounds.
Another positive sign was the warm welcome our group received in a Catholic
neighbourhood. As one mother explained to us, she was raising her children to
get along with everyone.
I found Belfast a safe city - there was no heavy police presence and I felt
comfortable walking the streets in the city.
My visits to pubs brought me into contact with locals who gave me curious but
not hostile stares. Two men, on separate occasions, even went out of their
way to welcome me. In this sense, Belfast was different from London where I
wasn't given a second look and was probably thought of as a local.
I shall also certainly remember Londonderry (or Stroke City as locals call
it - a replacement for Derry to the Catholics and Londonderry to the
Protestants) for the best rib eye steak I've tasted in my life at the
Broomhill Hotel and of course, lovely Celtic jewellery which I found in
Belfast.
Sumitha Martin |
My attachment week in Plymouth
I will remember my one week in Plymouth with fondness for a number of
reasons: my dreamy room in a two-storey Bed and Breakfast built of millstones
in the 1920s; my narrow escape from being robbed by a group of teenagers(!);
my fruitful attachment with the Plymouth Evening Herald and of course, my
encounter with wild ponies in the nearby Dartmoor National Park.
At the Herald, I had intended to get a 'feel' of an excellent example of a
thriving regional newspaper and I got just that.
I was given an overview of editorial operations; welcomed at the editor's
daily meeting and a weekly meeting between the editor and advertising and
sales staff to discuss promotional activities; and spent time with the news
and feature editors as well as education, crime and court reporters.
I was particularly fortunate to accompany the education reporter on a day
when the most significant proposal in 50 years was announced for schools - I
got to see Plymouth City Council officials in action and my interview with
headteachers over the telephone showed me the similarities between the scene
in Plymouth and that in Malaysia.
My time with court reporters was also well spent as this gave me insights
into the court system in Plymouth, offenders, their families, magistrates and
judges, and of course, lawyers.
Overall, it was reassuring to note the similarity in editorial practises
between the Evening Herald and the news organisation I work for (for example,
the structure of the News Desk and the approach to newsbreaking stories). It
was also interesting to learn about progressive practices such as the fact
that the picture editor sits in the newsroom in the heart of the news team
and that the Crown Court has a website which featuring a daily list of cases.
For further information on the training programme,
contact
Jane Rangeley -
jane@cpu.org.uk
Tel: +44 20 7583 7733 Fax: +44 20 7583 6868.
