By Michelle Tooker ’07, ’10M

While touring the Bloody Sunday exhibit at the Museum of Free Derry and observing the Belfast murals, International Peace and Conflict Resolution student Alie Badara Kargbo ’12 made connections between his coursework and the field.

“Visiting Ireland served as a great learning tool because of the practical connections we made to the various theories and frameworks that we’ve learned in our class discussions and readings,” Kargbo says, noting that highlights of the experience included visiting the site of the Battle of Boyne and Giant’s Causeway.

The experience, which took students to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, helped to illuminate the division between the Catholic and Protestant communities. Students were able to see the consequences of the conflict and how the peace-building process works.

Kargbo recognizes the value of firsthand field experience and is planning to enroll in additional IPCR ID courses that will send him to Costa Rica, Ukraine and Kosovo.

“I believe these international experiences will be a significant resource toward my future goals of pursuing doctoral studies immediately after graduate school,” he says. “Because the conflicts endured in these countries (Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Kosovo, and Ukraine) are unique in many ways, I also believe that these conflicts will always be case studies for the peace studies field. Having a firsthand practical experience in these countries will always serve as a source of reference for me as a future peace practitioner.”