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As a black woman calling home Northern Ireland, Maureen Hamblin understands that racial discrimination manifests in many forms. “It isn't just overt acts of vandalism,” she remarks. “It might appear quiet, it can be silent.”

Onlookers that overhear prejudiced statements and stay silent effectively amplify the hurt, causing the affected to feel completely isolated. Such persistent encounters left Hamblin drained. “There came a point when I’d lost much of my belief in people of a different ethnic background.”

Racial unrest in Belfast, Ballymena and other towns during recent times could have destroyed the last of that faith, but contrarily, Hamblin, who hails from Kenya, discovered a new sense of hope.

She joined an initiative named the Circle for Change, which unites people from diverse backgrounds – wealthy and impoverished, of different ethnicities, gay and straight – and involves them in a subversive activity: making an effort to connect with one another.

“It restored my hope. It reminded everyone of our common bonds.” – Maureen Hamblin

Each year, a different cohort of about a dozen strong is formed and gathers for regular meetings in various Belfast locations to share personal stories and collect money for organisations that promote tolerance and reconciliation.

Hamblin recounted experiences with racist abuse with her circle – its members reacted with shock – and heard their own varied stories. Some had lives of privilege, whereas others had experienced hardship and marginalisation. Each person saw a powerful commonality: Belfast was their home, and it ought to be a welcoming one.

The Origin of a Local Charity

The aforementioned initiative is the innovation of a community trust based in the New Lodge area of north Belfast, an border area of sectarian housing estates that suffered through sustained conflict during the Troubles. Based at a repurposed place of worship, it supplies practical help to vulnerable people and acts as a focal point for local artists and musicians.

The charity launched the first circle in 2018 with the primary goal of addressing division, noted its chief executive. “Our goal is to build a small-scale model of Belfast in each group. Our intention is to break down preconceptions.”

Individual Experiences

One initial joiner ended up connecting with others in locations, such as an community kitchen in the east, completely different to her previous life experience. “Many places I’d never been to before. The greater our initial discomfort, the happier they [the organisers] were,” she remembers, laughing.

Another member, with a Prostant upbringing, acquired a fresh insight on homelessness after hearing from a peer who had lived on the streets to escape a difficult home life. “It made me realise how lucky I was to have a support system that I could turn to.”

She also describes her shock when another member, from Africa, revealed that white youths regularly threw dog excrement at her children. “She wasn't being overly upset, her tone was calm and factual. It was deeply distressing.”

The initial 2018 circle managed to generate fifty thousand pounds for after-school care for black children – an achievement that seems even more significant given the later outbreak of inter-ethnic strife. “We have a tradition here of ‘say nothing’,” the CEO stated, quoting a well-known phrase. “Few people understood at that time the extent to which racist attitudes were. But when the riots came they were less of a surprise to us because of the testimonies we'd listened to.”

Building Bridges With Shared Arts

When Maureen Hamblin entered the 2024 cohort, she despaired at the pervasive “onlooker apathy”. Even in her local church, which was seemingly progressive, prejudiced comments were not confronted. “In moments of silence it’s like being further isolated.”

She managed to build a meaningful relationship with fellow members, notably with a author who shared an anecdote about challenging racist comments – even facing a threat – in a fast-food outlet. Hamblin, who finds solace in singing, and her collaborator, an acclaimed author, teamed up to record literary readings and songs for online platforms.

“We used to think that the Troubles would never end, that peace would never come. But it arrived. Circumstances do turn around.” – A Circle of Change Participant

The 2024 circle directed its fundraising efforts to support a special project called Tunes Translated, which offers weekly classes in cultural musical heritage to regular sessions split between foreigners – immigrants and refugees and local people.

“Music transcends language barriers and creates a feeling of unity and inclusion,” noted the scheme's coordinator. “Someone involved mentioned to me he’d never before understood that Muslims could be great company.”

If the music classes are swimming against the tide – with racially motivated crimes in Northern Ireland hitting the third highest on record – that is an even stronger argument to persist with them, its leader says. “That’s why they’re important.”

The core lesson from these grassroots actions is one of hope through action. Many ordinary people contributed to the end of political violence through personal gestures, one organiser reflected. “This offers a blueprint. I can’t do anything about what happens at a global scale, but I am able to show up locally and do what I can at a personal level. I am firmly convinced that’s where change comes from.”