Giving peace a chance

Meagan MacPherson - Sociology, Criminology

Saint Mary's offers a plethora of experiential-learning opportunities, and one of the most unique involves Peaceful Schools International (PSI), a program which sends Saint Mary's students around the world to facilitate peace-education workshops in schools. 

Meagan MacPherson, a recent graduate with a double major in Sociology and Criminology, traveled twice to Belfast, Northern Ireland, with PSI, working with young students living with the aftermath of the sectarian conflicts that continue to divide the city.

"It's amazing to hear the children's thoughts," says Meagan. "One wrote that he just wished everyone treated each other like friends. These are seven-year-olds, and many of them simply don't know anything about the conflict except, 'We don't get along with them'. To disrupt that at an early age can be very powerful."