TABU Earlier Exchanges

The 26th annual TABU Exchange with the Rotary Club of Highland Park / Highwood with 6 students (in years 2 & 3 of their 4 years at Highland Park High School), 2 Rotarians and 1 teacher from the school took place over the 10 days 22-30 March 2017. The group (as shown from left) were: Highland Park High School teacher Colette Pretet, Highland Park/Highwood Club President Cynthia Plouché, students Felicity Hector-Bruder, Hannah Seinfeld, Stephanie Lee, Nya Liverpool, Mark Plonsker,  Nate Ellis and Highland Park/Highwood Rtn. Phil Lazarus.

President Ivan McMinn, Past President David Boyd and the rest of the TABU team, together with all the members of the Rotary Club of Belfast appreciate the time they spent with us.

The programme followed its similar pattern but as usual the students gave each element a different slant. This report is based on their comments in their daily blog which begins with:
"Let the journey begin! Though the weather may not have given us the warmest welcome, the people of Belfast surely did!" and a quote from the American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Mya Angelou: "Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."

Having arrived at Belfast City Airport they headed straight to a luncheon meeting with the chaplains at Queens University which they found very interesting and educational and all appreciated the time they took out of their day to talk to discuss the similarities and differences of their religious denominations and how they manifest themselves at Queen's. They discussed ways in which the Northern Irish have mediated their issues and shared stories of conflict that exist at their school and were particularly struck with the comment: "If you want to take down a wall, remove one brick at a time and begin to build a bridge."

They were particularly struck by the difference in schooling from the visit to BRA where they shadowed students particularly highlighting smaller class sizes, uniforms, marks for an 'A' grade were 10% less than in Highland Park and that students had to choose what 3 subjects they were going to pursue for the rest of their academic career at the age of 16 years old which they couldn't imagine being able to do.

As always the Titanic Museum was great fun added to this year by a visit to the neighbouring S.S. Nomadic but Thursday's highlight was the presentation and discussion with the Rev. Dr. Harold Good. They were amazed to hear about the role he played in the peace process and in the decommissioning of weapons from both sides. Discussions following his presentation highlighted that the repercussions of the violent times are still felt very strongly by members in this community who had personal connections to those injured and/or killed. Through this experience, they realised why Reverend Good has been involved in so many peace-keeping missions noting "he really stressed trying to understand another person's point of view based on their situation and that 'both sides must face reality before they can move forward' ".

Perhaps one of the biggest differences they discovered was in the youth court and prison systems. They found in the discussions with Judges Ken Nixon and George Connor that the Youth Court System was very different to the USA as it was set up in a conference style and that the perpetrator was not "looked down on" by the judge; at the Youth Justice Agency the youth conference process was explained which helps the individual take steps to understand the consequences of their actions and to prevent it from happening again. This system they found "absolutely amazing and truly inspiring" realising "how much they understand, that as teenagers, people are going to make mistakes and through this program, by helping individuals take responsibility for their actions, people are forced to confront their behavior and learn from it - in the hopes of not making the same mistake in the future". Compared to the "traditional system" in America, they found this very progressive. Not prosecuting children as adults but rather trying to teach them that their actions have consequences, understanding the power of the situation, and trusting and believing in the betterment of people.

They were highly struck by the "impressive" Hydebank Wood College, a prison that takes in young men, aged 18-24 for crimes that range from shoplifting to murder, and women of ages 18+ for the same range of crimes which they found to be so very different to prison in America - a grey slate box with cells for the criminals and very little individuality or mobility. In particular they were impressed that the prison offers classes such as art, plumbing, hair dressing, and literacy to give the prisoners opportunities to increase their level of education and learn important skills. By giving these individuals who may have grown up with little opportunity or education a chance to improve themselves they felt that when released these individuals will possess skills necessary to become productive citizens. Realising that the restorative justice system and the rehabilitation of individuals in prison can work to prevent continued crime they strongly felt that these systems should be installed into their American justice system. One student was so impressed that she has decided to now forge a career in the social justice area.

Shopping at the Victoria centre and visits to the Giant's Causeway and Londonderry brought a less formal and intense aspect to the programme. In Londonderry they were met by President Sabine Le Brizoual and members of the Rotary Club of Londonderry one of whom PP John McCrossan gave an extremely interesting and informative tour of the city and its walls visiting churches from both religious spectrums and walking across the Peace Bridge which was built in 2011 connecting traditionally Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods and was the first stepping stone to the journey of resolving the conflict there. They were particularly struck that the walls and some of the gravestones in the churches were older than their country! Sunday was spent with the host families.

The programme re-commenced on Monday morning with a visit to the City Hall and a meeting with the Lord Mayor, Brian Kingston who spoke about the "thriving business and tourist economy in Belfast"; this was followed by an in-depth tour of the beautiful different rooms and chambers, given the opportunity to wear the Council's robes and see in the ballroom an actual piece of furniture that would have been on the Titanic, had it been finished before the ship set sail.

This was followed by attendance at the Club lunch meeting where each student spoke effortlessly and confidently about themselves, an aspect of the programme so far and their stay with host families.

Their insight and enthusiasm was inspiring, they were learning about not only new places and things but also each other and their hosts. They were extremely grateful for the generosity and hospitality of their hosts and the Club.

To close the afternoon, the group listened to Sean O'Baoill from Mediation NI about the different processes that countries and ordinary people go through to reach peace and reconciliation on a given topic and the different types of mediation that can be used to come to an agreement in the end. He stressed the idea of having different perspectives on people and not to see themselves with labels but rather human beings with different characteristics and personalities that should not be glossed over to fit their own assumptions and common stereotypes. They enjoyed his presentation and now realise "to better understand conflict and come to a resolution, the first step is to look at who you are talking to and talk. That's all you can really do. Talking is an absolute necessity in our community and world at this moment, and keeping in mind that your perceptions on different cultures and outside environments are not always true".

Tuesday brought an absorbing morning special session at Our Lady and St Patrick's School where they experienced a history class, learning Irish (which they found very difficult) and in the politics class the teacher focused on the main four conflicts that are "sticking points" in forming a new government between the DUP and Sinn Fein (which they found really helped them understand why these two political parties were unable to reach an agreement yesterday). They ended up at one of the outdoor fields where they were able to see one of the teams practice a sport - Gaelic football - that to them "seemed like a combination of volleyball, soccer, and football".

In the afternoon they had a visit to the NI Assembly in Stormont and although it is not sitting due to the recent election and talks impasse they met Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, who kindly stopped to talk to them. They were amazed by its beauty and particularly enjoyed their mock debate in the Chamber on "whether or not the driving age should be raised to 18"; even pretending that they were MLAs themselves and "voting as if we were in the actual process". They were able to sit on the same chairs as Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster and thoroughly enjoyed their visit.

Wednesday brought a trip to Dublin visiting Trinity College and the Book of Kells and the Long Room Library and after lunch a visit and tour of Leinster House including hearing snatches of the debates in the Dail and Senate Chambers.

At Strandtown Police Station on Thursday they heard how the police system works together with police/community relations at a visit to two interface community centres passing on that journey many of the protestant murals and also had an opportunity to try on the vests and helmets and sit in the police vans.

The final official event was at the US Consulate and as a reflection of the group and his interest in them had a much longer than usual meeting with Consul Dan Lawton.

At the final night get-together of the local and US students, parent hosts, Highland Park adults and the TABU team, at TABU Coordinator Past President David & Jenny's house, presentations of a certificate and mementos were made to each US participant and they each spoke eloquently, giving warm thanks to their hosts and the Club. The students, teacher and Rotarians all articulated about the wealth of experience and the hospitality received and their admiration for the programme. PP David thanked them all noting that wherever they went they displayed searching and knowledgeable questions of all they encountered and impressed all those who met them.

The team departed Friday 31 March and the Club posted on their blog: On behalf of President Ivan McMinn, David Boyd and the rest of the TABU team, together with all the members of the Rotary Club of Belfast, the Club appreciates the time you have spent with us and for sharing your thoughts and impressions in your excellent blog. You impressed wherever you went and have been impeccable ambassadors for your school and the Rotary Club. We note from your interesting blogs that you have taken away a set of experiences and we hope these will stay with you for a long time, together with a soft spot for this small corner of the world. You have certainly earned a place in our hearts and we return you to your homes with a great sense of sadness at your leaving us, but also with a very large measure of optimism for the future which you will be forging for yourselves and your community. Thank you for your impact on us and all the memories you have left with us they make all the preparation on both sides well worthwhile and reveal the unique aspects of the TABU programme. We wish you well in all your future endeavours and simply leave you with the words of a famous Irish blessing: "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may your God hold you in the hollow of his hand".

Gallery

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The 2016 TABU party of 6th form students and Belfast Club Rotarians (shown from left) Rtn. Brian Gillespie, students Bronagh Hughes - Our Lady & St Patrick's; Hannah Al-Qaryooti - Friends School; James Graham - Friends School; Aimee Reid - St Dominic's; Cameron Hamilton – Grosvenor Grammar, Sarah Hanley - Victoria College and Rtn. Chris Warnock (Past President Bryan Johnston travelled separately) departed on Wednesday 23 March 2016 for their 10-day exchange in Chicago. This 25th Exchange had, as usual, a profound effect on the students.

The Club was delighted to welcome them to the Club meeting Monday 19 September when each reported back to the Club with their reflections on the programme.  A common theme throughout their presentations was how they had had their eyes opened by the amazing experience. They were particularly struck by how different everything was and their experiences had been "unrepeatable"," very formative" and "life-changing".

A summary of the trip is given below based on the blog completed daily by the students.

Day 1 started with a full day visit to Highland Park School which they found striking with its great facilities and strong student-teacher relationships so very different to those here. They found most impressive their school counselling service which welcomes students dropping in any time for a chat about any issues they're facing. They had a lengthy discussion with the head of the department about mental illness and the stigma around it and felt "there's a lot our schools back home could learn from Highland Park on the issue of mental health as a huge stigma does still surround the subject in Northern Ireland".

Day 2 heralded Chicago city centre and meeting with former Police Sergeant Tom McMahon at the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office where they had a tour and an interesting presentation from Recorder of Deeds Karen A. Yarbrough  concerning the property industry, the rules and regulations surrounding it and fraud cases within the City of Chicago.

This was followed by a visit to the Richard J Daley Centre Courthouse where they were delighted to meet the Chief Judge of Traffic and 3 other Judges (all of whom had Irish backgrounds!) for a talk about the American legal system and hear their views on the Irish and British legal systems.

At the District 1 Police Station they met the Captain who kindly took them around the station where they got to see the cells and learn about the procedures which take place daily. This was followed by a "most interesting and insightful Q&A session discussing current affairs concerning the public and the police, gun laws and their experiences as police officers".

Saturday dawned and Sylvia Aruffo, Fred Orkin's wife, kindly imparted her skill as a tour guide and impressive knowledge of the iconic buildings and interesting places in Chicago which gave a sense of Chicago history, in particular the Marquette building whose beautiful Tiffany glass mosaics tell the story of the establishment of Chicago by native Americans and its development ever since and the Millennium Park and Silver Bean.

The day concluded with a party at Belfast Club Hon. Member Past President Martha & Jim Gray's house. All enjoyed the opportunity for adults and students to get together and particularly the "exquisite food". Sunday was spent with the host families.

Monday began with a visit to the Lake County Health Department where they were given an insightful presentation on health equity and learnt that in the 52 towns of Lake County, the town with the highest average household income had an average life expectancy of 81 compared to the town at the opposing end of the scale, which had an average life expectancy of 64, making a 17 year difference. Another fact which shocked them all was that the USA spends twice as much on healthcare compared to the rest of the world yet is only ranked 37th internationally. This was followed by a tour of North Chicago, the poorest area in Lake County, which had potholed roads and boarded up windows and which they found "a really eye-opening experience". Pictured here are Jordan-Lindsay Morris, Jon Ashworth, Sean Collins and Maria Acosta who kindly provided the presentation and tour of North Chicago with student Sarah Hanley.

They were particularly appreciative of the high level of hospitality afforded by the Highland Park Rotarians during their lunchtime meeting. Each student spoke to the Club about themselves, their upbringings and why that made them want to apply for the TABU exchange programme. They articulated themselves with confidence and let their personalities shine through. The Club are particularly honoured to have been presented by President Cynthia Plouche with the Proclamation by the Mayor of Highland Park, Nancy Rotering, declaring March 23 – 1 April 2016 as TABU Week.

The day concluded with a visit to the Holocaust museum. They found it a "truly sobering and moving experience" with Mimi Brin being a "most fantastic tour guide". They were privileged to receive a harrowing talk from a Holocaust survivor, Judy, which they found to be an "inspiring and unforgettable event". Picture right shows from left: Hannah, James, Cameron, Sarah, Mimi Brin, Bronagh, Aimee and Judy at the Holocaust Museum.

Day 6 and Tuesday morning brought an event that each of the group had been looking forward to "with interest, curiosity, and perhaps even just a little apprehension" - an educational workshop with the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL, are a Jewish organisation that fights to tackle and address anti-Semitism where ever it finds it in the world, but also one which has grown into a larger civil rights organisation that deals with, in the words of our "wonderful facilitator, Jessica Gall, 'all the -isms and all the -obias'". They felt that as in NI "we tend to go to school with people like ourselves, and live in communities and within families with people like ourselves, and primarily interact with people like us" this visit provided an opportunity for openness in expressing how the divisions in Northern Ireland "still affect each of us, particularly with other young people from backgrounds other than our own" and was "perhaps the first time I had discussed issues about the troubles with other young people who mostly did not automatically share my views, which allowed for a powerful shift in perspective that I had not previously been afforded". It also gave one of the students, Hannah, the confidence to discuss her experiences as a young woman of Palestinian background, and they were all very grateful for her contribution and unique perspective. They were particularly fortunate to meet with Lonnie Nasatir, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League for the area, who was able to answer our questions about the work of the ADL, the position of the organisation on the Israeli-Palestine situation in the Middle East, the need for a two state solution, global anti-Semitism trends, boycotts of Israel and growing anti-Semitism in the political left.

They received a full and comprehensive history of the famous and the infamous Irish members of the Chicago community from Irish American writer, Thomas J O'Gorman, hearing about many great men, a few unsavoury characters and even a rogue cow which they found enlightening and informative and could "only marvel at Mr O'Gorman's wealth of knowledge on the topic".

They spent a full school day in Antioch Community High School on Wednesday being welcomed on their arrival with an electronic sign outside reading; 'Welcome to the Northern Ireland Delegation'. This was only "the beginning of the fantastic hospitality we received from the principal Mr Brad Hubbard and all the teaching staff and students of the high school." They found the day enlightening and impressive of particular note being the Law Class where the students discussed the issue of cyber bulling and whether schools should be allowed to punish students for it and found it "really enlightening to listen to the different opinions of the students because this style of class is something we simply do not have back home" and a live Chicago band named Sidewalk Chalk who amazed them when they brought one of the Antioch students up to the front, asked him a couple of simple questions and then wrote part of a song based on his answers. They felt this was so impressive and was definitely an experience unique to American High Schools and the diverse range of activity options available was "really something that schools in Northern Ireland could benefit from".

At the Zacharais Centre for Sexual Abuse and Harassment on day 8, after a tour of the centre and facilities, they had an extremely interesting question and answer session with some of the counsellors who were also very interested in how the issue of sexual abuse is addressed in Northern Ireland.

This action packed visit concluded with an exciting visit to the Highland Park Police Department and concluded with lunch and stroll around the beautiful Chicago Botanic Gardens (pictured right).

However there was some leisure time! The students bonded really well and really enjoyed the karate class taken by Highland Park Club Treasurer, Sensai (Martial Arts Teacher) Diana Sotelo, activities including bowling, movies etc. but perhaps the 2 highlights were shopping at Gurnee Mills Shopping Mall which was "bigger than anything that we are used to and it such an amazing experience" and the legendary "Deep dish, Chicago style pizza, sauce on top with everything certainly lived up to the hype, and I'm not sure I'll be able to return to thin crust when I get back to Belfast".

The visit concluded with 'the last night get together' where thanks and gratitude were expressed for the welcoming embrace of everyone at Highland Park and to all who had helped to make "this wonderful experience possible".

Picture right shows the 2015 & 16 students : Aimee Reid(B), Enrique Aguero(HP), Cameron Hamilton(B), Niky Washington(HP), Drew Gaines(HP), Zach Seinfeld (HP), Sarah Hanley(B), Bronagh Hughes(B), Hannah Al-Qaryooti(B), Judy Rodriguez(HP) and James Graham(B)