Examining the Possibilities of School Transformation for Peace in Northern Ireland from a Narrative Perspective

Abstract

Against a backdrop of slow progress toward a more peaceful and pluralist society in Northern Ireland, the research reported in this article addresses the transformative potential of narrative modes of professional learning. Phrases such as “the storied nature of human conduct” admirably embodied our narrative stance. Peace poems were elicited from children and young people, and a sample of these was then discussed interpretatively by groups of experienced teachers and educators supported by practices from the organisational development approach called Appreciative Inquiry. The story-based approach proved to be an empowering and sensitive way to develop a language of possibility for action. Narrative ideas and approaches were found to be extremely powerful tools for challenging that most obdurate of barriers to the transformation of schooling for peace—the “culture of silence” that discourages open discussion within schools on the causes and consequences of social division.