What is it like being growing up in a place notorious for conflict?

Therese, 18

I am a teenager from Northern Ireland. I live in a mostly Catholic area. I went to a Catholic secondary school and had very few links with Protestant teenagers or any other religions. I have had more contact with other religions since I started a college course in east Belfast. Since starting this course I have had contact with both Catholic and Protestant teenagers. Five or 10 years ago I would never have dreamed of coming to this area because I come from a Catholic background and this area is mostly Protestant.

I personally try not to get involved with politics or the peace process but I think there will always be bitterness between the two different religions. However, if the young children of today's generation are encouraged to come together as one group, the bitterness will hopefully disappear gradually.

I think that people from the U.S. generally think that Northern Ireland is a "war zone" and that we are constantly running from gunfire - but it is nothing like that. These days one rarely sees a gun or is involved in a bomb scare. Actually, it is now a very peaceful place. The people in the U.S. only see the bad things that are on the news. They never see all the good things that are happening in Northern Ireland.

It's also the same for us here in Northern Ireland. In the news, we generally see all the bad things about the U.S. We see people killing each other in the high schools and everyone belonging to a gang. To me it seems that you would need to wear a bulletproof vest to go to school in the U.S.! We also see things on American talk shows like incest, transvestites and "gothic" trend. It seems that everyone in the U.S. is very materialistic - the more money you have, the more popular you are. Teenagers in the U.S. plan to have plastic surgery; we would never think of having it done.

I have visited America and I found it very strict because teenagers couldn't go out to nightclubs or pubs. I personally think the social life for teenagers in Northern Ireland is better than in America. From my own experience of visiting the U.S., and comparing it to my life in Northern Ireland, I feel that we here live in a friendlier and safer country.