Graduate student attends peacemaking conference in Northern Ireland

With war and conflict filling the daily news, OLLU and graduate student Emily Rodriguez made an investment in peacemaking this summer. Rodriguez, who is part of the university's English: Literature, Creative Writing, and Social Justice master's program, participated in a peacemaking conference in July at the Corrymeela Culture Center in Northern Ireland. Corrymeela is credited with helping to bring about the end to the Northern Island conflict known as the Troubles.

"Corrymeela was one of the communities that provided a safe place for both sides during the Troubles to meet and have difficult discussions, contributing to eventual peace and leading toward the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which brought most of the Troubles to an end," said Rodriguez. "Just shy of 30 years later and we are seeing intermingling on both sides of the conflict and peaceful progress being made, though there is still work to be done."

Rodriguez was part of a Texas contingent of 20 college students who joined with others from around the world to take part in the conference. OLLU Trustee Dr. Antoinette Hill learned about the opportunity through a Rotary Club connection and encouraged OLLU to send a representative. Rodriguez's participation was supported by the university, and she is using what she learned in her graduate program and will present to various campus groups about what she learned.

"We gathered in the Croí, pronounced 'cree,' which is the Irish word meaning 'heart,'" said Rodriguez, "The building itself is shaped like the cochlea of the inner ear, since the 'heart of Corrymeela is listening.' We gathered in the Croí repeatedly each day for lectures on conflict resolution, prayer, and community-building activities."

Seventy people ranging in age from 18 to 64 and representing 15 different countries took part in the conference.

"We first learned about mimesis, which is part of human nature from an early age, seeing what another person has or is doing and mimicking the characteristics - just like a child imitating his or her relatives to learn how to behave. We also see mimesis in adults who choose particular products based on seeing other people using those particular products," said Rodriguez. "There were two specific types of mimetic relationships we focused on: model-model mimesis and model-rival mimesis. Model-model is where we get the definition of a role model. Model-rival mimesis is where one person or group sees another and desires to be better than who they now view as their rival or enemy. When ‌rivalry is small, this can create healthy competition but can easily spiral out of control to the point where one side is willing to harm the other person or group in order to be better than them. This toxic relationship can grow into war, with each side attacking the other and retaliating from being hurt, continuing the endless spiral until there is no end."

Rodriguez said that the conference showed her that seeing the humanity in someone is the first step to resolving hostility.

"Both sides have to acknowledge humanity in one another, see one another's faces, to start returning to a model-model mimesis," she said.

OLLU Vice President for Mission and Ministry Gloria Urrabazo was instrumental in securing OLLU's participation in the conference. She attended an informational meeting about the trip and met students who had attended in the past.

"I met students who had attended, and it was transformational for them," said Urrabazo. "They learned how language, culture and religion are different, but they can come together to learn from each other and take home a way of relating and understanding that can be a change agent in creating peace."

That is just what Rodriguez brought back with her.

"The conference taught me the importance of seeking humanity within our society to work towards peace. If we stop worrying about choosing sides and just focus on coexisting and human beings, we will find peace in our society," she said.

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