As a woman of color residing in Northern Ireland, Maureen Hamblin is acutely aware that racial discrimination appears as many forms. “It’s not overt acts of vandalism,” she states. “It can be subtle and unspoken.”
Bystanders who hear racist remarks and stay silent effectively amplify the hurt, leaving victims to feel alone and isolated. Such persistent encounters exhausted Hamblin emotionally. “I reached a stage when I’d lost much of my faith in white people, in white men.”
Race riots in Belfast, Ballymena and other towns over the past two years might have extinguished her final hopes, but instead, Hamblin, a native of Kenya, discovered a new sense of hope.
She joined an program named the Circle of Change, which unites people from diverse backgrounds – affluent and disadvantaged, from various racial groups, LGBTQ+ and heterosexual – and involves them in a subversive activity: taking the time to understand one another.
“It restored my hope. It reminded everyone of our common bonds.” – Maureen Hamblin
Each year, a new circle of roughly twelve people assembles and gathers for scheduled sessions in various Belfast locations to exchange experiences and generate donations for groups that advocate for inclusion and understanding.
Hamblin described experiences with racist abuse with her circle – its members reacted with shock – and learned from their own often difficult stories. Certain members came from privilege, while others had faced deprivation and exclusion. Everyone acknowledged a powerful commonality: Belfast was their home, and it ought to be a welcoming one.
The Creation of a Community Organisation
The this unique program is the innovation of a charity operating from the historically divided community of north Belfast, an interface of traditionally divided housing estates that witnessed murderous violence during the Troubles. Housed within a former Presbyterian church, it offers practical help to vulnerable people and acts as a hub for local artists and musicians.
The charity launched the first circle in 2018 with the primary goal of tackling polarisation, explained its chief executive. “Our goal is to foster a miniature version of Belfast in each group. We want to confront ingrained biases.”
Transformative Encounters
One early participant found herself connecting with others in locations, such as an local food bank, completely different to her middle class, Catholic upbringing. “A lot of places I’d never set foot in. The greater our initial discomfort, the more pleased the facilitators seemed,” she recalls with a laugh.
Another member, with a similar working-class roots, gained a fresh insight on homelessness after hearing from a peer who had experienced rough sleeping to escape a troubled family situation. “It made me realise how fortunate I had been to have a reliable family that I could rely on.”
She also remembers being appalled when a fellow circle participant, originally from an African nation, explained how white youths regularly targeted her children. “Her tone wasn't particularly emotional, her tone was matter-of-fact. The story was profoundly saddening.”
The pioneering cohort managed to secure significant funding for supportive programs for children of color – an achievement that feels all the more poignant given the troubling rise of community divisions. “This region has a tradition here of ‘stay silent’,” the CEO commented, alluding to a poetic reference. “No one realised at that time the extent to which racist society could be. But when the violence erupted they were less of a surprise to us because of the testimonies we'd listened to.”
Creating Unity Via Music and Connection
When Maureen Hamblin became part of the fifth circle, she felt hopeless about the pervasive “bystander effect”. Even in her community congregation, which was ostensibly progressive, prejudiced comments were met with silence. “In moments of silence it’s like being double gaslighted.”
She developed a meaningful relationship with other participants, notably with a fellow member who shared an anecdote about confronting prejudice – at the risk of a violent response – in a fast-food outlet. Hamblin, who is a passionate singer, and her fellow circle member, an noted peace activist, teamed up to record literary readings and songs for digital channels.
“People once assumed that the violence would never end, that peace would never come. But it arrived. Circumstances do change for the better.” – A Circle of Change Participant
The 2024 circle allocated its resources to support a unique scheme called Music Translated, which offers weekly classes in folk music from Ireland to regular sessions split between foreigners – immigrants and refugees and native residents.
“Music transcends linguistic divides and creates a shared identity and community,” said the scheme's coordinator. “A participant mentioned to me he’d never realised that people from different backgrounds could be so much fun.”
Although this initiative are swimming against the tide – with reports of racial hatred in Northern Ireland registering the highest levels in years – that is an even stronger argument to push forward, its leader says. “That’s why their work is crucial.”
The core lesson from these community efforts is one of change through personal commitment. Many ordinary people contributed to the end of political violence through small, individual acts, a key figure reflected. “This offers a blueprint. I have no control over what happens at the highest levels, but I can participate in my community and contribute positively at a personal level. I am firmly convinced that’s how real progress begins.”