No community speaks for all Oral History – creating safe spaces Bridging Ages Conference Dundalk June 2015 Michelle Moloney

Conflict transformation incorporates elements of reconciliation, such as; truth-telling, restorative justice, collective healing, and relationship- building. John Paul Lederach, ‘Conflict Transformation’ in Beyond Intractability, Available at: essay/transformation, accessed

Adopt the concept of “paradoxical curiosity” in order to hold the contradictions that lie within, to explore beyond what initially appears obvious and propel inquiry beyond “accepted meaning.” J.P. Lederach, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, 2005, p36

“the belief in a particular version of a historical fact is as significant as the actual fact, in that it is what individuals believe to be true is what, “operates in peoples’ memories.” Paul Thompson, ‘Believe It Or Not: Rethinking the Historical Interpretation of Memory’ in Memory and History, J. Jeffrey & G. Edwall (Eds), University Press of America, Lanham, MD, 1994, p.8

Process is “[…] both responsively adaptive to the context and the evolution of events, yet must have a vision, direction, purpose, infrastructure of support, and a shape that helps sustain its movement towards the desired change.” J. P. Lederach, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace, Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York, 2005, p.182

The construction of a safe space is conceptualised through “rules of engagement that scaffold the creation of new work and, somewhat paradoxically, invite a greater degree of […] risk ”. M. A. Hunter, 'Cultivating the art of safe space',

Ethics Breaking silence Relationship building Trust Paradoxical curiosity

Representatives from Diversity Challenges, International Police Association (IPA) Ret. members of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Ret. members of An Garda Síochána

The project became a place of engagement with “other” subjectivities which hold pieces of the puzzle of the past, and the present, pieces which encourage critical reflection and in appropriately structured spaces offered opportunities for discussion and engagement.

Resonance with Bridging Ages goals  Understanding not just knowledge  Critical reflection on the conflict and the legacy of the conflict  Meaningful engagement  Confidence in visiting Northern Ireland  Witness to the embodiment of the work of conflict transformation  Emphasis on process and participation