Bridging Divides: How Belfast’s ‘Circle of Change’ Offers Hope in teh Face of Rising Racism
A unique initiative in Northern Ireland is fostering understanding and challenging prejudice by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, offering a powerful antidote too rising racial tensions and sectarianism.
As a Black woman living in Northern Ireland, Maureen Hamblin understands that racism isn’t always overt. “It’s not just the smashing in of shop windows,” she explains. “It can be quiet, it can be silent.” The insidious nature of subtle prejudice – the racist remarks left unchallenged, the bystanders who remain mute – can be deeply isolating and damaging, a recurring experience that, for Hamblin, led to a profound loss of faith.
Recent years have seen a disturbing surge in racial tensions in Northern ireland, with race riots erupting in Belfast, Ballymena, and other towns.However, for Hamblin, who originally hails from Kenya, despair has given way to cautious optimism through her involvement with the Circle of Change. This initiative, spearheaded by the 174 Trust, deliberately connects strangers from all walks of life – encompassing different socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and beliefs – with a singular, challenging task: to truly get to know one another.
Each year, a new circle of approximately a dozen individuals convenes for monthly gatherings around Belfast. These meetings serve as a safe space to share personal stories, raise funds for organizations promoting tolerance and reconciliation, and confront deeply held biases. Hamblin recounts relating her experiences with racist abuse to the circle,a revelation met with shock by many members. she also listened to the stories of others, some from privileged backgrounds and others who had faced their own forms of deprivation and exclusion. A common thread emerged: a shared sense of belonging and a desire for Belfast to be a welcoming city for all. “It restored my hope. It humanised us all,” Hamblin stated.
The 174 Trust operates from the duncairn Center for Culture and Arts, a repurposed Presbyterian church in the New Lodge area of north Belfast – a historically divided community that endured intense violence during the Troubles. The centre provides vital support to vulnerable individuals, including clothing and resources, and serves as a creative hub for local artists and musicians. As a partner in the Guardian’s 2025 Hope charity appeal, the 174 Trust is also home to a remarkable creative collaboration: a passionate singer, and Macaulay, the author of the acclaimed memoir Paperboy, collaborated to create a series of literary readings and songs on TikTok, titled Paperboy and Kenya girl. This creative partnership exemplifies the power of shared storytelling to build bridges and challenge perceptions.
Despite its enduring sectarian and racial faultlines, northern Ireland offers valuable lessons in reconciliation, Macaulay, a peace activist, believes. “We used to think that the troubles would never end, that peace would never come. But it did come. Things can turn around.” He emphasized that the end of political violence was achieved through countless small, individual acts of courage and compassion. Magowan echoed this sentiment, stating, “It gives me hope. I can’t do anything about what happens at international level but I can turn up here and do what I can at a personal level.I genuinely believe that’s where change comes from.”
The 2024 circle focused its fundraising efforts on Tunes Translated, a scheme that teaches conventional Irish music to both immigrants and refugees and native-born residents. Catherine Crean, the 30-year-old founder of the program, explained, “Music transcends language barriers and gives a sense of cohesion and belonging.” She shared a story of a participant who was surprised to discover that Muslims could be “good craic” – a testament to the power of shared cultural experiences to break down stereotypes.
Despite the program’s success, Crean acknowledges the challenging context, noting that race hate incidents in Northern Ireland are currently at their third-highest level on record. “That’s why they’re crucial,” she asserted, underscoring the vital role of initiatives like Tunes Translated in countering the tide of prejudice and fostering a more inclusive society.
