Uncomfortable Conversations – The Healing Legacy of Northern Ireland

Dive deep into the history of the Troubles of Northern Ireland in dual narrative, with a unionist and nationalist guide. Explore the different groups that helped promote peace and pursue reconciliation. Compare and contrast Northern Ireland’s tumultuous past with the deeply divided United States of today and uncover lessons and legacies that can be applied to other regions of conflict. Explore the role of human engagement in conflict and learn how to approach uncomfortable conversations from a place of understanding, rather than persuasion. Discover the necessary steps to stop verbally assassinating “the other” and learn to “disagree better.”

Aziz Abu Sarah is an entrepreneur, speaker, peace builder, and author as well as a National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow. Aziz is the recipient of the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East and was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Strategic Centre in Jordan. He won the Intercultural innovation award from the UN Alliance of Civilizations and is recognized internationally for his work in peace building and conflict resolution. Aziz is the co-founder and CEO of MEJDI Tours, where he works to redefine responsible tourism.

Virtual Tour Guides:

Rev. Dr. Gary Mason is a Methodist Minister and the Founder/Director of Rethinking Conflict, an organization that seeks to model the principles of the Good Friday Agreement. He holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Ulster, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Divinity for his role in peace building in Ireland. Gary also serves as a faculty advisor to the Negotiations Strategies Institute, a Harvard University program for global leaders.  A sought after speaker, he has lectured around the world, seeking to share lessons from the Irish peace process.

	Dr. Paul Nolan is a long time community leader who had worked extensively in civil society peace initiatives on both sides of the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. He produced the Northern Ireland Monitoring Reports, which tracked the peace process and became the objective resource-of-record to Northern Ireland’s political, cultural and economic developments.