Sinéad Gormally, Helen Martin and Bonnie Slade organised 31 students from the BA in Community Development, MEd in Community Learning and Development and the International Masters in Adult Education for Social Change to go on an educational study trip to Belfast in November 2016. The students visited a range of community based projects - including communities of interest and geographical communities.

The students met a range of community activists, strategic partners and went on a tour taken by ex - political prisoners. These activities afforded students the opportunity to hear the stories, learn the skills and acquire the knowledge of working within communities of conflict. The trip was described by one student as – “The experience was mind opening as well as mind altering”; another noted – “Overall I felt that the whole trip was an eye opener to me and I felt emotional on each tour and visit…this trip has left me with a desire to learn more about the division in NI”. In addition, the joining of masters and undergraduate students was described as a positive aspect to the study trip allowing connections and relationships to be forged.

This study trip will have a lasting impact on all those who attended. Moreover, the knowledge and skills gained can be transferable and utilised in a range of settings. This was undoubtedly a huge success for the Community Development and Adult Education team, who are already beginning to discuss the next experiential learning opportunity for their students.  

Dr. Avila Kilmurray giving a talk on the context of working in community development in Northern Ireland. Dr Avila Kilmurray was appointed Visiting Professor at Ulster University in 2015 and holds an Honorary Doctorate, Social Sciences from QUB (2013).  She has worked in the voluntary/community sector in Northern Ireland since 1975, focusing on community development, women's issues and peacebuilding.  She currently is a consultant with The Social Change Initiative (http://www.thesocialchangeinitiative.org) to support work with the Migrant Learning Exchange Programme and learning on peace building.

Students went on a walking tour with political ex-prisoners from both the Catholic, Nationalist and Republican Community and Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist Community. This picture depicts one of the peace walls in Belfast dividing the two communities.  

Dr. Sinéad Gormally
Senior Lecturer in Community Development and Adult Education
Undergraduate Programme Leader for BA Community Development
University of Glasgow