THE GO-BETWEEN. Memoirs of a Wee Belfast Girl Who Became an International Peacemaker. Review and Reflection by Elahe Amani

THE GO-BETWEEN. Memoirs of a Wee Belfast Girl Who Became an International Peacemaker

Some books stay with you long after you turn the final page. The Go-Between: Memoirs of a Wee Belfast Girl Who Became an International Peacemaker is one of them. I closed it with tears in my eyes and a heart full of gratitude for having known the remarkable woman whose life unfolds so beautifully in its pages.

 

I first met Mary in 2014 in Belfast, where I was one of the trainers for the Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI) International Training Institute (ITI). The program, designed to train women peacebuilders and leaders from the Middle East and North Africa, unfolded in two stages: the first we provided the training in Istanbul in 2013 and the follow-up in Belfast in 2014. It was there, in her beloved city, that I had the privilege of meeting Mary.
The following year, we met again at the Mediators Beyond Borders International Congress in Bucharest, where Mary received the MBBI Peacemaker of the Year Award. 

 

From our very first conversations, I felt an immediate connection with her. I told Mary that, as a 17-year-old student at the University of Tehran, I had followed the heartbreaking news of the Troubles in Belfast. From thousands of miles away, I wondered how a society so deeply divided and scarred by violence could ever find its way to peace. Little did I know then that, decades later, I would meet one of the courageous women whose compassion, wisdom, and unwavering commitment helped make that transformation possible.

 

Mary was one of those rare people whose presence immediately put others at ease. She listened with her whole heart. She embraced people without judgment. She had a warm and joyful laugh, boundless energy, and a quiet courage that inspired everyone around her. She never sought recognition, yet she earned the respect and love of people across the world.

Mary was co-founder of TIDES Training, a restorative justice practitioner, and a tireless peacebuilder, she devoted her life to helping communities heal after decades of sectarian violence. Her greatest legacy, however, is not found in awards or titles. It lives in the countless people she mentored, encouraged, and empowered to become peacemakers themselves.

 

One line in the book captures her beautifully: “She was a force of nature.” She truly was. Yet she was also wonderfully human. I smiled when I read the family story about her always taking off her shoes as soon as she walked through the door. Read it here: The Go-Between: Memoirs of a Wee Belfast Girl Who Became an International Peacemaker 

 

As I turned the final page, I realized this is much more than a memoir. It is a love letter to a life lived with extraordinary purpose. It is a reminder that peace is not created by institutions alone, it is created by people like Mary, who choose compassion over hatred, dialogue over violence, and hope over despair.

 

Thank you, Jim, for giving all of us this precious gift. Through these pages, Mary continues to teach, inspire, and accompany us.

 

Mary, your light did not go out. It lives on in Belfast, in every corner of the world where your students and friends continue your work, and in the hearts of those of us who had the privilege of walking beside you.

 

You are deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever part of the journey toward peace.

 

In gratitude and with love.