On Monday, December 3, Guestbook Project, an initiative started by Boston College Professor of Philosophy Richard Kearney that uses the power of digital storytelling to promote peace and heal divisions, honored the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with a media reception at Boston College.
Founded in 2008 on the 10th anniversary of the Agreement, the Guestbook Project is an ongoing artistic, academic, and multimedia experiment in hospitality with the purpose of engaging and educating for peace by exchanging stories across divides. Personal stories can be inspirational triggers for change in divided communities, according to Kearney.
The Peace Pedagogy Press Reception included a special screening of Guestbook Project’s recent short film, “In Peace Apart,” which features two students from Derry/Londonderry, a Catholic and a Protestant, exchanging stories and uniforms in the historically divided city. The documentary exemplifies Guestbook Project’s mission to change history by exchanging stories, which foster empathy and understanding.
“As the current Brexit controversy reminds us, borders have become occasions of fierce contestation and are still a huge challenge in our conflicted world: from Northern Ireland to US/Mexico, Israeli/Palestine and beyond,” said Kearney. ♦ Maggie Holland
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