an undefined conclusion

It's difficult to believe that nine weeks have already passed, but I find myself writing my final internship post in Belfast. My work with the CEP was largely a success; the organization is currently in a transitory stage with regard to the staffmembers and the actual structure of the group, so they were extremely thankful to have extra help in the office with planning, budgeting, and designing the summer scheme for the children. I also found the outreach work of actually interacting and getting to know the children equally effective, whether this occurred in the formal structure of the planned activities of the CEP or simply driving around with my co-worker Sean to the various communities of Belfast and talking to the kids on the streets. Since it's the CEP's first summer with its current youthworkers and structure, the work has been merely directed towards the Catholic children; however, they hope to have built relationships and ties with the Protestant youth organizations in the area by the beginning of next summer in order to enhance cross-community work in Belfast.
This past week at Hazelwood also went by rather quickly; it was a cross-community bonding week for the upcoming first-years at the integrated college. The children participated in some of the Play for Peace activities at the beginning of the week and thereafter worked together on a video reporting project of various nearby areas of interest, such as the Nomadic ship in Belfast and the nearby town of Bangor. Each child within the groups held a different role, such as producer or script writer, contributing in his or her own way to yield the final project. The week was a subtle introduction of integration to the eleven and twelve year-olds, and yet its structure of play and cooperation is beneficial to facilitate this transition at an early age for the kids who generally come from polarized neighborhoods. I noticed hardly any tension or conflict, aside from one debate about preferred football teams (Chelsea F.C., a largely Protestant-supported team from England, and Celtic F.C., a Catholic-affiliated team from the Republic). This occurred between two "wee lads" who've been becoming very close throughout the week, one Protestant boy from Belfast and another Catholic boy from the country, a town about 40 minutes away.

On the whole, nevertheless, my internship here in Belfast has been very rewarding. I've learned an exorbitant amount since I first arrived at the end of May, ranging from life-lessons that I will carry back with me to America and to my future endeavors (such as the extensive, painful realities of post-colonialism as well as the long and difficult journey of integration) to various random facts applicable strictly to Belfast (such as the differentiation between the way in which Catholic and Protestant boys wear the brims of their hats). I've met and bonded with an extraordinary group of individuals, from the teachers and youthworkers I've worked with through my internship, to their families who welcomed me with open arms into their lives, to the children of Belfast who've granted me the opportunity to share my past experiences and advice on how they can contribute to the upwards climb in which Belfast is currently partaking, to the miscellaneous people I met on the streets, such as an old man and his dog who I'd run past everyday en route to the Lagan River. I only hope that I've truly managed to affect and inspire the children of the community, because I realize it's ultimately up to them to continue to maintain the values and morals we've worked through while they continue to grow in their respective communities and to uphold their crucial roles as the future leaders of an integrated Belfast.