GUARDIANS

Our workshops began in our context of Northern Ireland; working with school children to strengthen social cohesion in communities by building tolerance and understanding between students from various backgrounds and from across Northern Ireland's sectarian divide. 

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Themes such as forgiveness, reconciliation and social justice are core to the stories presented in our documentary, but perhaps what is most common between our three main characters presented in the film, is the way in which they seek to understand the killers of their loved ones and seek justice in a way which does not perpetuate violence and further division. 

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Our workshops grapple with these topics and engage with relevant political and religious issues, engaging participants through interactive activities in response to watching the film.

 

During our workshops we lead participants on a journey of understanding. We hope that participants will leave feeling encouraged to move towards people of difference, to embrace diversity and uphold our common humanity in the midst of division, and to be equipped with restorative methods of conflict transformation so as to build more peaceful communities.

 

Our workshops can be hosted as standalone events or as an extension of a screening. Why not hold a workshop in the afternoon with a screening in the evening?

 

Please get in touch for more information or if you would like a more detailed breakdown of the content of the workshops.

 

Below is an example of some of the outline of our workshops for schools in Northern Ireland.

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 Session 1

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• Watch the documentary (65 minutes)

• The role of storytelling. Why we are orientating these workshops around stories from the documentary?

• What is reconciliation? Overview of truth, mercy, justice and peace as the path towards reconciliation.  

• Explain what we mean by truth and justice in the context of reconciliation with accompanying video clips from the film. 

• Questions and group discussion. 

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 Session 2

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• Recap truth, justice, mercy, peace with interactive activity and icebreaker. 

• Explanations on the role of mercy and peace in the context of reconciliation and accompanying video clips from the film. 

• Group discussions/breakout groups. 

• Beryl Quigley, guest speaker from the film - 30 mins Q&A 

• Conclusion

 

 Session 3

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• Icebreaker activity

• The role of “Letting go of the past” - Unpacking the contrasting views of Beryl and Alan on forgiveness with accompanying video clips.

• Alan McBride, guest from the film - talk and Q and A.

• Guest speakers Ramy and Roula from The Foundation for Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Lebanon to outline forgiveness as a 5 step model. Interactive group work. 

• Reconciliation in Personal life - a Cycle of Reconciliation by Ron Kraybill.

• Conclusion

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