Acknowledging deep hurt and pain: Day of Reflection at Belfast City Hall by Allan LEONARD 21 June 2023 Belfast City Council hosted an annual Day of Reflection event for a second year, providing an opportunity for people and communities across the city to acknowledge the deep hurt and pain caused by the conflict in and … Continue reading Acknowledging deep hurt and pain: Day of Reflection at Belfast City Hall
‘A Long Night’s Journey into Day’ — distinguishing process and progress of reconciliation in South Africa by Allan LEONARD 4 August 2022 As part of the Feile programme of events, and supported by the Department of Foreign Affair’s Reconciliation Fund, the award-winning documentary film about South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process, A Long Night’s Journey … Continue reading ‘A Long Night’s Journey into Day’ — distinguishing process and progress of reconciliation in South Africa
The role and responsibilities of media in divided societies. Discuss. by Allan LEONARD 8 November 2019 A two-day international conference examined the role that media plays in divided societies and in creating more peaceful and stable communities. Organised by the Social Change Initiative in partnership with Conciliation Resources and the University of Edinburgh’s Political Settlements … Continue reading The role and responsibilities of media in divided societies. Discuss.
Burn/t Out: Crimes against social cohesion by Allan LEONARD 10 April 2019 One of the criticisms of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement is that it did not satisfactorily scope out mechanisms for dealing with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland; the focus was forging a consensus on exclusively non-violent means of pursuing politics. … Continue reading Burn/t Out: Crimes against social cohesion
Sustaining hope for peace: Global Conflict 2018 by Allan LEONARD 23 August 2018 In partnership with the University of Chicago and its Pearson Institute, Queen’s University Belfast hosted a two-day conference, “Global Conflict: The Human Impact”. This report recounts the first day’s events, which focussed on sharing learning from the peace processes in Northern Ireland … Continue reading Sustaining hope for peace: Global Conflict 2018
Do wars really end? A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot (Sinead O’Shea) by Allan LEONARD 19 April 2018 A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot, a film directed by Sinead O’Shea and screened at the Belfast Film Festival at the Queen’s Film Theatre, is a story about Philip O’Donnell Jr and his … Continue reading Do wars really end? A Mother Brings Her Son to be Shot (Sinead O’Shea)
Ephemera to direct our future: Introduction to the Peter Moloney Collection by Allan LEONARD 10 April 2018 Peter Moloney, who collected Troubles-related ephemera for over 50 years, presented a personal lecture on how it began, why he decided to donate it all to the Tower Museum, and how he’ll keep on collecting. The negotiation to … Continue reading Ephemera to direct our future: Introduction to the Peter Moloney Collection
A victim from the inside out: Photographic exhibition of Maurice Hobson by Allan LEONARD 6 September 2017 Maurice Hobson was a 17-year-old pupil at Dungannon Royal School when a bomb blew up in Market Square, while he was waiting to board the school bus. A car jack hit him on the left side of his … Continue reading A victim from the inside out: Photographic exhibition of Maurice Hobson
“Art can tread where words and politics often can’t”: The Art of Conflict Transformation @The_JHS by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News 25 July 2017 As part of the 30th anniversary of the John Hewitt Society international summer school, the Institute for Conflict Research (ICR) sponsored a panel discussion, “The Art of Conflict Transformation”, which … Continue reading “Art can tread where words and politics often can’t”: The Art of Conflict Transformation
Conflicting Images: Ulster Museum by Allan LEONARD 26 July 2017 As part of its Collecting the Troubles and Beyond initiative, the Ulster Museum currently has an exhibition called Conflicting Images: Photography during the Northern Irish Troubles. In a loose chronology there are 140 images from a variety of photographers. International photojournalists arrived with increased disturbances. … Continue reading Conflicting Images: Ulster Museum
An acorn matures: Book launch of Little House on a Peace Line (Tony Macaulay) by Allan LEONARD 27 June 2017 The Duncairn Centre for Culture and Arts was the venue for the launch of Tony Macaulay’s latest edition of growing up in the contested space of Northern Ireland: Little House on a Peace Line. Bill … Continue reading An acorn matures: Book launch of Little House on a Peace Line (Tony Macaulay)
Softening images of Partition by Allan LEONARD 24 May 2017 Although John Irvine left Northern Ireland over 15 years ago, having grown up about East Antrim, he retains “strong links” and comes home frequently. Irvine explained how one morning drive accidentally led him to his book, Partition. Irvine picked up photography in his mid-20s, mainly … Continue reading Softening images of Partition
