Want to find out more about the Northern Slant team? Every week we put 10 questions to our community of contributors – about them, their interests and hopes for Northern Ireland’s future. Today we speak to Michael Avila. You can follow him on Twitter @MichaelAvilaNI.

 

1. Tell us about yourself, and why you got involved with Northern Slant.

I am an American who has been moving back and forth from Ireland over the past ten years. After finishing my MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice from Queen’s University in 2017, I knew that I wanted to stay and try to make a difference in what I feel is an uncertain time in Northern Ireland. Though from abroad, I feel I have a keen sense for Northern Irish identity and culture and it is a truly lovely place to live as a foreigner. Personally, I caught the travel bug a long time ago, so living here, immersing myself in the culture, and using Ireland as a sort of springboard to see the rest of the world too has its many advantages.

I got involved in Northern Slant because I love to write, particularly about Northern Ireland. It gives me a voice in moving towards making that difference I mentioned above. It is great to work for a project and with a team that injects young and fresh energy into the political sphere, a sphere that often runs stale with the same, recycled and bitter narratives from the past. I think this is the platform that this generation of Northern Irish people truly needs in order to move forward and I am happy to be part of it.

2. Describe Northern Ireland in 5 words.

A home away from home.

 

3. What makes you proud to be here?

Despite much of the negativity that we are often surrounded with, I am proud to live in a place that thrives in the face of its former self and has left its worst years behind. This is a rarity in divided societies and I think helping local people to see this from an outsider’s point of view could, perhaps, help instil greater pride in what it means to be from here.

 

4. Are you hopeful for the future?

Hmm… in terms of Northern Ireland??? I would call it cautious optimism. I think we were headed in the right direction pre-‘Brexit’. I think people, to a certain degree, were beginning to ‘un-entrench’ themselves from the polarising identities of times past and were existing in what I see as a more positive, if not more ambiguous sense of what it means to be Northern Irish. I think people were starting to see the positives of what both islands have contributed culturally to Ulster and seeing themselves, even if in very mild ways, as part of the greater mosaic of what it means to be from here, rather than identifying as solely Irish or British.

But, I think ‘Brexit’ really calls these ‘sectarian silos’ back into question in ways that I think are unfair to the progress, I would argue, that the average person has made since the Good Friday Agreement.  As someone who works in conflict transformation, it is not my duty to form an opinion about the constitutional question. I think no matter what the future holds constitutionally for Northern Ireland, people have made enough progress since the Belfast Agreement that any regression will be minimal. However, there is cause for concern here, which is why I will continue in my cautious optimism.

 

5. If you could change one thing about Northern Ireland, what would it be?

Sectarianism (a close second would be the weather).

5. Favourite NI celebrity?

I truly think James Nesbitt is one of the best actors of this generation (he is globally underrated) and would love to meet him!

 

6. Politician you most admire, from outside Northern Ireland?

Former US Senator George J Mitchell (is that cheating?)

8. Favourite place to bring a visitor?

Peadar O’Donnell’s.

 

9. Potato bread or soda bread?

I’m fond of both, but have to go soda.

 

10. Snow Patrol or Van Morrison?

The “Star of the County Down” by Van Morrison and The Chieftains is out of this world!

Also published on Medium.