After an emotional day in the Bogside, the group began Tuesday morning with a visit to the Waterside. This neighborhood across the bridge and over the river Foyle from the walled city centre is almost entirely Protestant in makeup and home to one of the stations used by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Through several metal doors and thick brick walls, the group made its way into the inner sanctum of the police service unit. It was here that the students congregated with a group of youth from Claudy, a Protestant community located a few miles from Derry, to speak with the police about their next steps as they navigate the newest problems during this delicate peace time.
Our group and the youths from Claudy heard from various officers about their lives as police service men during the conflict and now transitioning in this time of fragile peace. The most dramatic changes are seen in the vehicles and apparel used by officers. In many ways, this physical change in dress and mobility mirrored the officers’ very personal changes internally. They are quite literally letting their guard down, as the armored vehicles, fire retardant clothing, and swat team shields disappear to reveal men and women attempting to find a new way of policing in a country no longer steeped in violent conflict. As one officer put it, they are now able to focus on “more typical anti-social behavior” with issues such as drugs and theft. These are problems that befall any society and truly indicate to the citizens of this country that they are, indeed, finally finding normal.
Our group then drove back over to the walled city centre while simultaneously pondering the role of police in the conflict. Though running a little late, there was still time for a picture outside with the Lord Mayor of Derry, Drew Thompson, before our meeting with him. Mayor Thompson, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, took an hour of his time to speak with our group about politics in Derry, the history of the Corporation, and the current system of rotating the Lord Mayor position. Uniquely, Derry requires that if there is a Unionist Lord Mayor then the Deputy Lord Mayor must be a Republican. The Deputy always succeeds the Lord Mayor and a natural balance of power between Unionists and Republicans now exists in the leadership. As Lord Mayor Thompson pointed out, the system is not without its issues but it works a lot better than the old one.
From our visit with the Lord Mayor, the group moved on to a meeting at the Apprentice Boys of Derry Association, a group dedicated to commemorating the “Derry Celebrations.” Lucky to be allowed into the stone building of the club, the students wandered through a museum dedicated to history of the group and the 13 apprentices who shut the city walls against attack during the Siege of Londonderry in 1688. It was an interesting and personal look at an association that seems to be often misunderstood by those with an over-simplistic view of the conflict.
For the group’s final activity, Jon took us over to the Cathedral Youth Club in the Fountain Estate just outside the walled city centre. A completely protestant community tucked next to the city walls and behind an interface, this is one of the poorest communities in Derry. In order to help and serve this dwindling community, the CYC was opened by Jeanette Warke and her late husband, David. With a focus on community and cross-community activities for youth from the area, the CYC is a safe-haven for both young and old of the Fountain. From the peaceful memorial garden to artful photographs created by the children, the club is a lifeline to the Estate. In speaking with Jeanette, the group heard about the CYC’s barbeques and other social activities, as well as cross-community gardening spaces, mural projects, and career support. None of us wanted to leave as we met with the children and Jeannette and saw all the ways we could use our time to serve such a wonderful endeavor.
“It was a sad time because I had so many friends, Catholic and Protestant, that I didn’t want to go and they didn’t want me to leave either. There was a community there, neighbors shared meals, we shared a washing machine and I knew that would be lost forever…when I was young I never heard my mother or father talking about Catholics in a bad way.” –Jeanette Warke, speaking about the exodus of Protestants from the city centre
