At this year’s Round Square Peace Festival Gathering, Calan Young, one of our incoming 2026 College Captains, spoke about his perspective on peace. An abridged version of Calan’s heartfelt reflection is shared here:

Peace is something very close to my heart. As you may or may not know, I am from Northern Ireland — a place with a very interesting relationship with peace. Northern Ireland isn’t particularly well known, but if you had to pick something, it would probably be political violence and the Titanic — neither of which had particularly good outcomes. For the record, we built plenty of other perfectly good ships that didn’t sink, but no one seems to remember those.

I want to talk about what peace actually means — and what Australia can learn from Northern Ireland in building a peaceful society. Peace could simply mean the absence of violence, but I believe true peace is more than that: it is the presence of justice, equality, and reconciliation.

For thirty years, during the conflict known as the Troubles, Northern Ireland was far from peaceful. The violence was rooted in political and religious divisions between those who believed Northern Ireland should remain in the United Kingdom — mostly Protestants — and those who wanted to unite with the Republic of Ireland — mostly Catholics.

This became what I call the formula for hate: Othering → Dehumanisation → Violence.

It begins with othering — dividing people into “us” and “them.” This instinct gives people belonging, but it can also create deep division. In Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants began to see each other only by their differences. Division led to isolation, and in isolation, negative beliefs fermented.

Once people are seen as “others,” dehumanisation follows. They stop being individuals and become faceless stereotypes — symbols of what one group fears or resents. At that point, empathy dies.

Then comes violence, the ultimate result of hatred. When people are divided and dehumanised, violence becomes easier to justify. It feels less like harming another person and more like attacking the thing one most despises. Violence then deepens division, feeding a cycle where hatred justifies violence, and violence justifies hatred.

After decades of conflict, a U.S. president’s visit, and two Nobel Peace Prizes, the violence ended. I am what’s called a “peace baby,” born after the 1998 peace agreement. But while the shootings and bombings stopped, Northern Ireland remained divided — not yet a place of justice, equality, and reconciliation. The overt violence endured by my parents and grandparents became a quieter, more insidious kind.

This is where the antidote to hate comes in: Empathy → Understanding → Acceptance.

Empathy is the essential starting point. When we try to feel what others feel, we see them as people like us — with hopes, fears, and humanity. Empathy grounds us in our shared humanity and prevents us from slipping into the cycle of hate.

Empathy leads to understanding. We move from feeling to learning — breaking down harmful stereotypes and replacing them with knowledge and nuance. This understanding allows us to collaborate and solve problems for the good of all.

And with empathy and understanding comes acceptance — living together, not necessarily in agreement, but with mutual respect. It means recognising our differences as the foundation of a democratic society, allowing us to work together for the shared benefit of all.

Northern Ireland is improving, but much remains to be done. Over 90% of schoolchildren still attend either Catholic or Protestant schools, meaning little exposure to difference at a key age. Many communities still live separately, often through fear. This “self-imposed apartheid” shows that peace cannot simply be signed into existence. It must be built from the ground up, through empathy and understanding.

Australia, with its relative stability, must not become complacent. Peace needs to be actively tended to — never taken for granted. So, treat everyone with empathy and respect. Seek to understand before you judge. Be wary of those who sow distrust or demonisation and be curious enough to engage with people who see the world differently.

Only through empathy, understanding, and acceptance can we recognise each other as humans deserving of dignity — and build a just, fair, and peaceful society for everyone who calls this land home.

Calan Young
Year 11