the news from Belfast: cold, rain, and the gift of a Mighty Bush

Greetings, friends.

I would also like to join Will's Luddite support group. This summer has introduced me to new technology-assisted activities - such as blogging, Facebook, and shaving - with which I am not entirely comfortable.

Nonetheless, it is wonderful to read your interesting posts about the Great Woo Summer and to learn many valuable lessons, most notably: 1) I'd rather work anywhere in Kansas City than at the U.N. and 2) not to travel on the policy workshop with Tom, the apparent love child of Zeus and Poseidon.

Life is good in Belfast, despite all the pasty white people, a lack of Ingrid, and my abject poverty on the pound sterling. I now weigh 113 pounds. Excuse me, 51 kilograms. When I have the energy, I work.

The daily tasks of diplomacy are presumably quite different in Northern Ireland than they are in the more exotic locales of most other State Department Woo interns. This is, after all, a wee, wet semi-autonomous land whose importance to the U.S. derives more from its tragic history, fragile peace, and ancestral ties than any strategic maneuvering that can be done within the confines of its small population or territory. Hence, the political work of the Consulate largely inheres in navigating the complicated dynamics of Stormont and trying to ensure - behind the scenes - that the antagonistic forces within and between unionism and nationalism are mollified. Encouraging foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland is also important, because prosperity and jobs are seen as the greatest bulwarks against future violence.

Until this week, however, my time in Belfast was not routine. Upon my arrival, I was informed that President Bush would be coming to Northern Ireland, ostensibly to extol a peace process that was solidified with the formation of a devolved power-sharing government just over one year ago. I was thus presented with a rare opportunity to see how a presidential visit works, from the art of avoiding protestors to the joy of interacting with White House staff - 95% of whom had endearing Southern accents.

As a taxpayer (barely), it was instructive to witness the incredible time and resources that are invested to ensure a safe and flawless trip. Weeks before the June 16th visit, dozens of advance staff from Embassy London, the White House, and the Secret Service had already arrived. Two prominent hotels provided temporary housing and an entire floor of one was altered beyond recognition to become a secure area, guarded by Marines. Countdown meetings were staged every night to scrutinize the details of arrival and departure, staging of the motorcade, and the movements of principals and press at each site visit. By last Monday, hundreds of support staff were in Belfast - all for a three hour tour that registered minimal press coverage outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Of course, the meeting between the President, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Irish Taoiseach (which basically means Prime Minister in the Irish language) Brian Cowen, and the new leaders of the Northern Ireland government was the most substantive component of the visit. It was also the most sensitive, because nationalists and unionists do not agree on who should have sovereignty over Northern Ireland or a voice in its affairs, and therefore who should be entitled to a seat at the table.

The President and First Lady also toured a local integrated school, an exception here as over 90% of schools are still, for all intents and purposes, divided along religious lines. There the President participated in drills for PeacePlayers International, which organizes non-sectarian basketball teams in recovering societies. Much to the delight of the local media, he missed four shots. The President also bought a plant grown by the schoolchildren, which they had dubbed "the Mighty Bush."


Bush hoops it up

I had the privilege to work at the Royal Air Force base where the President would arrive and depart. It was a surreal experience to be at Air Force One - a blery big plane, by the way - as the President left Europe for the last time in office. The best moment, however, occurred upon his arrival. Gordon Brown, an awkward politician who makes even W. seem relatively popular, greeted the President - and was instantly dismayed and confused by Bush's "hip-hop handshake."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2143451/Gordon-Brown-thrown-by-George-Bush

Presidential visits aside, the most rewarding aspects of being in Northern Ireland supersede work and derive from having an opportunity to uncover the troubled dynamics of a place I have always wanted to understand. Unfortunately, while the impressive political and economic achievements of the past ten years appear durable, this remains a very divided society where physical walls and mental barriers will continue to demarcate communities.