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Being a black woman residing in this part of the UK, Maureen Hamblin is acutely aware that racism appears as many forms. “It isn't just public displays of violence,” she explains. “It can be quiet, it can be silent.”

Bystanders who hear racist remarks and say nothing inadvertently intensify the pain, leaving victims to feel completely isolated. Such persistent encounters left Hamblin drained. “There came a point when I’d lost a lot of belief in white people, in white men.”

Ethnic clashes in various Northern Irish towns and cities during recent times threatened to shatter that remaining trust, but on the contrary, Hamblin, who hails from Kenya, stumbled upon a source of hope.

She joined an program known as the Circle for Change, which unites people from vastly different backgrounds – wealthy and impoverished, black and white, gay and straight – and engages them in a subversive activity: taking the time to understand one another.

“It renewed my faith. It reminded everyone of our common bonds.” – Maureen Hamblin

Annually, a new circle of about a dozen strong comes together and meets at scheduled sessions in various Belfast locations to discuss their lives and collect money for charities that champion inclusion and understanding.

Hamblin described tales of racist abuse with her circle – its members responded with shock – and learned from their own often difficult stories. Some had lives of privilege, while others had endured hardship and marginalisation. Each person saw a powerful commonality: Belfast was their home, and it should be a welcoming one.

The Creation of a Community Organisation

The aforementioned initiative is the creation of a non-profit organisation based in the north Belfast district of north Belfast, an interface of Catholic and Protestant housing estates that endured murderous violence in the past. Operating from a cultural arts centre, it offers clothing and support to the disadvantaged and acts as a focal point for creative talents.

The charity initiated the pilot program in 2018 with the primary goal of combating societal splits, said its chief executive. “We try to foster a miniature version of Belfast in each group. Our intention is to challenge stereotypes.”

Transformative Encounters

One initial joiner ended up engaging with peers in settings, such as an local food bank, a world away from her comfortable background. “A lot of places I’d never set foot in. The less familiar the setting, the more it seemed to satisfy the coordinators,” she remembers, laughing.

Another member, from a working-class Protestant background, developed a new perspective on homelessness after conversations with a young member who had been homeless to escape a difficult home life. “It made me realise how privileged I was to have a support system that I could rely on.”

She also recalls her horror when a fellow circle participant, originally from an African nation, stated that white youths regularly threw dog excrement at her children. “She wasn't being particularly emotional, her tone was detached. The story was heartbreaking.”

The initial 2018 circle managed to generate fifty thousand pounds for after-school care for children of color – an accomplishment that seems even more significant given the subsequent eruption of community divisions. “There is a tradition here of ‘say nothing’,” the leader stated, alluding to a poetic reference. “No one realised at that time just how racist attitudes were. But when the riots came they were somewhat expected to us because of the testimonies we'd listened to.”

Creating Unity Via Shared Arts

When Maureen Hamblin entered the more recent group, she despaired at the pervasive “spectator inaction”. Even in her local church, which was seemingly progressive, prejudiced comments were met with silence. “When others say nothing it’s like being double gaslighted.”

She nevertheless forged a meaningful relationship with peers in the circle, especially with a peace activist who recounted an experience about speaking out against discrimination – at the risk of a threat – in a takeaway. Hamblin, who is a passionate singer, and her collaborator, an noted peace activist, joined forces to create literary readings and songs for social media.

“People once assumed that the conflict would never end, that peace would never come. Yet it finally emerged. Situations can improve dramatically.” – A Circle of Change Participant

The latest cohort allocated its resources to support a innovative program called Melodies Shared, which offers weekly classes in cultural musical heritage to weekly classes carefully balanced between newcomers to the region and local people.

“Music transcends communication hurdles and gives a feeling of unity and inclusion,” noted the scheme's coordinator. “One member confided he’d never before understood that individuals of another faith could be such good craic.”

If the music classes are operating in a challenging climate – with reports of racial hatred in Northern Ireland registering the third highest on record – that is precisely the reason to persist with them, organisers believe. “That is the reason such programs matter.”

The underlying message from these community efforts is one of hope through action. Many ordinary people contributed to the end of political violence through everyday courage, the charity's leader reflected. “That inspires optimism. I can’t do anything about what happens at a global scale, but I am able to participate in my community and contribute positively at a individual level. I genuinely believe that’s how real progress begins.”