Differences between Catholics and Protestants have not entirely disappeared, of course. Papal infallibility and the Marian dogmas come immediately to mind, as does the issue of the ordination of women. But on most matters of faith and practice—including abortion, the great socioreligious issue of our time—conservative Catholics and Protestants stand together in opposition to their liberal coreligionists.

The Following is an article about a Protestant living in a Catholic area of Ireland.  It is a good example of some of the current issues going on between Protestants and Catholics.

Intercomm founder speaks on N. Ireland Experiences 

By MEGAN MARTIN
News Writer

Imprisoned at 17 without trial for being a Catholic youth in a section of Belfast where it was an unofficial crime, Liam Maskey visited the Law School yesterday to share his experiences of living in the Northern Irish town of North Belfast, one of the most explosive and violent locales of the clash between Catholics and Protestants in that country.

Co-sponsored by the Law School's Irish Law Society and the University's Keough Center for Irish Studies, Maskey's talk centered on the current state of affairs in his native Northern Ireland, as well his recent efforts to remedy the intense hostility in local neighborhoods through his collaborative Intercomm initiative.

While introducing the speaker, outgoing Irish Law Society president John Murphy detailed the personal tragedies that Maskey, one of seven children, endured during his years in North Belfast, confronting enmity and violence with every corner he turned. "Despite that, he chose a path of peace," Murphy said.

In response to what he saw as an escalation of the deep-seeded antagonism between Protestant and Catholic neighbors in his community, Maskey founded, in cooperation with Billy Mitchell, his Protestant counterpart, Intercomm, an inter-community development project.

"An intercom is a mode of dialogue," Maskey said, stressing the significance of the program's nomenclature. Established in 1995 in the context of the peace process, Intercomm is, according to Maskey, the result of an absence of a grassroots community communications campaign.

"The goal is to forge fruitful links between Catholics and Protestants in North Belfast," he said. "We must live side by side with people we mistrust and fear … we need both strong partners and strong partnerships."

Due to the complexities of the conflict, Maskey admits that peace is not easily found, and recognizes that North Belfast's large number of "interface areas" — those zones where relations between religious factions are most inflamed — have been increasingly entrenched by fear, displacement, and continuous violence. "In fact, for many years, political insecurities and conflict has been a feature of North Belfast life," he said.

Maskey summed his and Mitchell's vision for Intercomm by emphasizing their dedication to exacting a tangible change in the attitudes and activities of community members toward each other. "Only by addressing [it] … can we reach the peace-building process," he said.

Intercomm exists to empower local communities in forging bonds with members of opposing viewpoints, Maskey emphasized, not to convert Catholics and Protestants to opposite sides of the issue. He stressed the importance of neighbors accepting the fact that their "enemies" are entitled to the same right to conviction as they are.

Although there have been countless success stories throughout Intercomm's seven years of existence, Maskey mentions that there are still those community members who refuse to cooperate in the peace process. Maskey refers to them as "spoilers," and insists on the necessity of collaborating with them.

"Spoilers are people who don't want the peace process to work for one reason or another … it's a challenge for us — a prerequeisite in the peace process is that we work with spoilers.

This, quite often, has required some imagination," he said.

"Local people creating relationships with local people is the only way to build local peace."

The community development projects implemented by Maskey's organization have targeted those local people who need the intervention most. He describes North Belfast as "a patchwork quilt," with pockets of Catholics and Protestants dispersed throughout the community. c's goal in that situation is to rejuvenate interface areas, with housing improvements, youth groups, and economic renewal.

All of this has required not only the support of local community members, but additionally the willingness of various paramilitary groups to cooperate on various projects.

In terms of expanding Intercomm's volunteer base, Maskey sees this necessary contact as a slight problem.

"Some people like to help when things are rosy," he said, "but when it comes to working with paramilitary groups, they walk away."

One of the most promising programs that Intercomm has established is the Breakwater Youth Initiative, where Catholic and Protestant youth groups merged to promote understanding and collaboration. Maskey remains a firm believer in the power of youth to change the current situation in which their parents are embroiled.

"If you're living in North Belfast and you're 40 years of age or older, you're not prepared to move on," he said, adding that the cooperation of the youth lies at the heart of the hope for North Belfast, erasing prejudices and stereotypes that permeate the air.

"It's amazing to see some of the misconceptions our youth have about the other side … and even about their own political backgrounds," he said. Because of that, much of the peace process that has targeted the younger generations has dealt with education and a common understanding.

Maskey calls it a "holistic approach to peacebuilding," and, while confident that his efforts will effect unquestionable change, remains realistic in light of the current situation.

"In many ways, [my work] is just beginning," he said, adding, "I believe we are facing possibly the darkest day in our peace process," a fact which serves to underscore the importance of establishing a strong foundation of understanding upon which to build.

"When peace was announced in 1984 in Belfast, we cried, we laughed, we jumped for joy … and we messed it up," he said. "It's important; indeed, it's imperative that we can carry this work into the long term."

April 2002