From the week of June 19-23.

What went well? 

• The highlight of this week was an event we attended called “Linking the Irish Environment,” which launched a report all about cross-border collaboration between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on climate issues. I helped my supervisor prepare for a panel and got to talk to several people at the event, learning all about the different sectors who were interested in the findings.
• This week was also my first time to the main office in Armagh, Northern Ireland! We met with two people from the International Fund for Ireland, who are contributing financially to a new CCBS project, so we could see another side of operating a non-profit that relies on external funding.

What could have been done differently? 

• While it’s interesting to me, in preparing for interviews I keep getting distracted away from explicit cross-border cooperation subjects. This matters because I found myself getting into the political realm, which is dangerous territory to get into given the organization’s non-partisan mission. Despite their niche being legislative, they must maintain political neutrality and instead help whoever they can.

What did I learn about myself when working with others? 

• I tend to fall back and joke about myself when I feel challenged in my abilities. I think this comes from both feeling embarrassed about not already being good-enough and wanting to create a bit of a distraction from my inability.

What did I learn about leadership? 

• The community level is so often forgotten about in international agreements. This means, in everyday situations, that small communities who are significantly impacted don’t regularly have a voice. There’s real courage in fighting, year after year, for just a few people against all odds, and it takes courage.

What do I want to develop / focus on next?

• Next week we have a couple meetings outside Belfast–one in Dundalk and the other in Armagh. These meetings are with local community groups, especially the Dundalk one, which is a kickoff meeting for a new cross-border initiative. I think going to the non-profit organizations’ headquarters will help open eyes and show the potential impact of this project more concretely.