Addressing Tribal Conflict and Moving Towards Reconciliation
To further your learning, Dr. Lisa Faulkner recommends the following resources:
VIDEO: Harold Attridge, Dean of the Yale Divinity School, interviews Reverend Alec Reid and Reverend G. Harold Good about the role of faith in the Northern Ireland peace process
ARTICLE: In Northern Ireland, ‘Terror Gets Old,’ But Division Linger
About
Dr. Lisa Faulkner was born in 1981 and grew up at one of North Belfast’s most contested peace-lines until her late teens. Although it was ‘home,’ the highly disadvantaged, segregated, Loyalist community was marred by the ‘Troubles’ and its associated ills; namely decline, division, polarization, recreational rioting, and sectarianism. Such experiences have shaped Lisa’s personal and professional life in many respects.
Following the completion of her degree in Social Policy at the Ulster University, Lisa went on to obtain a doctorate in 2013 within the same discipline, whilst also gaining valuable lecturing experience in the subject area. Lisa continues to lecture intermittently within the Social Policy and Health and Social Care degrees at the University. In parallel to her studies, Lisa volunteered in a restorative justice program and was employed by an organization which aimed to enhance the participation of women in the economy and public life. At present, she is employed in a conflict transformation initiative which supports former Loyalist combatants in the post-ceasefire era, encouraging them to embrace new, positive leadership roles in their local communities.
Lisa has also been responsible for leading on several action research projects within areas such as racism, sectarianism and homophobia. These include examining the motivations for participating in hate crimes, the needs of victims, and state and community responses to such crimes. Lisa has also facilitated workshops and international site visits with individuals from various religious backgrounds, to consider the role of reconciliation in building a more cohesive and shared society. Underpinning Lisa’s approach has been a recognition of the tribal nature of community relations and the importance of identity, culture, and heritage in attempting to heal centuries old divisions and animosities. Currently Lisa is collaborating with a range of NGOs across the local social and political divide in order to establish a network which promotes and supports civic engagement with the political architecture in Northern Ireland. This feeds into her personal and professional desire to address the range of challenges which appear to deter working class communities, particularly the Protestant/Loyalist community, from benefiting both socially and economically from the peace and political processes.
This resource was designed with a United Methodist perspective, but we believe the content is also relevant for non-UMC seekers who are doing anti-racism work with a spiritual foundation.
