Self-Awareness and Systems Action: An Evaluative Study of a Just Peace Leadership Programme in Belfast, Northern Ireland

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Peace education in conflict-affected and divided societies

Proposal

Overview

This study aligns with the CIES Conference by examining a leadership program that asked participants to more deeply explore political polarization in their respective contexts and develop peace education responses to alleviate various forms of related violence in those contexts. Divided societies, a pervasive and wicked problem, are too often the norm rather than the exception. Healing division through culturally immersive experiences where educational leaders explore the nested realities of their lived experiences and the historical contexts that circumscribe their work could prove to be a promising path forward. This evaluative study conveys the self-awareness, deep learning, and action plans offered by educational leaders who explored peace education, social justice education, equity, and inclusion in the context of Belfast, Northern Ireland in the Summer of 2025. In a co-designed leadership institute, six graduate level students from the United States gathered with six graduate level students from Belfast, Northern Ireland to explore history, context, and ways to achieve peace and justice through education. For six days, participants engaged in a “critical pedagogy of place” (Gruenewald, 2003) informed immersion experience in local universities and the community where they learned about history, peace and justice issues, and struggles related to “the Troubles” and the contemporary changing context of Northern Ireland schools. Additionally, participants explored navigating the current U.S. political landscape in schools.

Program Design, Immersive Learning, and Theoretical/Conceptual Overview

The learning goals for the program included: identifying core values that guide their leadership approaches; demonstrating cultural competency through self and other awareness; acquiring peace education and social justice education literacy; applying evidence-based leadership theories, skills, and practices; and articulating “Just Peace” strategic action plans for implementation upon return home or in their respective contexts. Participants explored the history of Northern Ireland and Belfast through first hand narratives, guided explorations of The Falls Road divided by the Peace Wall from the Shankill Road area in Western Belfast, museum exhibits, guided educational panels that featured religious leaders and educational leaders working in Catholic and Protestant communities, and frank conversations with local teachers attempting to implement peace education in their schools. For many of the Northern Ireland educators it was their first time visiting West Belfast and for many of the US educators it was their first time visiting Europe.

“Contact theory” approaches of common goals, equal group status, and support often informs how bringing together groups of people can potentially reduce prejudice, discrimination, conflict, and hostility (Allport, 1954). Deliberately used in this program, a critical peace education approach involves: consciousness-raising through dialogue, imagining nonviolent, ideal futures, providing modes of empowerment; acting, reflecting, and reengaging in iterative cycles (Author, 2013). Getting to ideal futures can be difficult. The study acknowledges the complexity of contested histories and narratives—particularly in post-conflict Northern Ireland and racially polarized U.S. communities—where identity, memory, and reconciliation are deeply intertwined (Bekerman & Zembylas, 2011). Contested narratives about history, schooling, and leadership exist in the United States and Northern Ireland and the path forward during polarizing times is uncertain. Exploring how to best lead social justice and peace education efforts amid these situated, fluid, and polarized environments is a relevant and worthy pursuit.
Leadership in such contexts requires agility and responsiveness. Ravitch (2020) advocates for “flux leadership,” a style that embraces justice and peace amid uncertainty. Gorski & Swalwell (2023) emphasize equity-driven leadership as essential for transforming schools. Emotional intelligence is also critical; DeMatthews (2015) highlights the role of emotions in leading inclusive, justice-oriented schools. Peace leadership often involves “going against the grain” (Carson, Chandler, & Collins, 2010), challenging dominant paradigms and navigating resistance. This study contributes to the emerging need of peace education amidst divisive times by evaluating the impact of a transnational, immersive leadership program and how leaders make sense of and apply their learning in just peace action plans.

Research Questions and Methodology

The overarching and multiyear cohort study is exploring three core research questions:

1. Self-awareness: How do participants develop understanding of their own values and leadership perspectives?
2. Other-awareness: How do participants cultivate cultural awareness and understanding of diverse contexts?
3. Systems action: How do participants apply their learning to professional practice?

For this proposal, the emphasis is on questions one and three—self awareness and how participants embedded program learning into their leadership contexts in
Northern Ireland and the U.S. Data sources include participant focus group reflections on the last day of the in-country experience, strategic action plans created and implemented in their respective contexts, and post experience follow-up focus group Zoom interview. Researchers examined which concepts and practices were valued, implemented, and perceived as impacts on reducing violence and promoting justice.

Findings and Implications

Preliminary findings suggest that participants gained significant insight into their own leadership values and developed deeper cultural awareness. More importantly, they reported applying peace and social justice frameworks to address structural and cultural violence in their schools. Examples include:

• Integrating restorative practices to reduce disciplinary disparities
• Facilitating community dialogues around contested histories
• Implementing culturally responsive curricula and peace education handbook
• Advocating for inclusive policies, practices, and professional development
• Collaborating on scholarly projects sharing immersive experiences and autoethnographic snapshots.

Participants emphasized the importance of emotional engagement, relational leadership, and context-specific strategies. The transnational nature of the program fostered comparative reflection, allowing educators to see parallels and divergences in their respective systems. The shared experience of navigating contested narratives—whether related to race in the U.S. or sectarianism in Northern Ireland—created a foundation for solidarity and mutual learning.

Conclusion

This evaluative study highlights the potential of immersive, transnational leadership programs to foster “Just Peace” leadership. By combining critical pedagogy, cultural immersion, and collaborative inquiry, the institute aims to support educators in developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to lead for equity and peace. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts, refine program design, and expand the scope to include more diverse contexts. As educational leaders continue to navigate polarized and inequitable environments, programs like this offer a promising model for cultivating justice-oriented leadership in situated contexts by harnessing the collaborative and comparative insight of educational efforts across borders.

Authors

• Monica B. Smith-Woofter, James Madison University

• Edward Brantmeier, James Madision University

• Patricia Eaton, Stranmillis University College

• Martin Hagan, St. Mary’s University College, Belfast, Northern Ireland