Comments on: Michael Evans http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:54:56 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ;michael evans http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-5271 ;michael evans Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:50:18 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-5271 tht is amazing cuz we have the same name tht is amazing cuz we have the same name

]]> By: Jim http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-4026 Jim Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:06:35 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-4026 I don't know, but basketball is usually how fights get started in my middle and high school back in the days. Maybe using basketball as a way of making or keeping peace is not a good idea. Trying something non-contact, like volleyball. Jian I don't know, but basketball is usually how fights get started in my middle and high school back in the days. Maybe using basketball as a way of making or keeping peace is not a good idea. Trying something non-contact, like volleyball.

Jian

]]> By: Morgan http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3765 Morgan Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:08:06 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3765 Hey Michael.. You are doing a great job email me: morganyoung_4@hotmail.com ☺ Hey Michael..
You are doing a great job

email me:
morganyoung_4@hotmail.com
☺

]]> By: S Callahan http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3564 S Callahan Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:12:04 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3564 Michael, what you are doing is what missonaries strive to achive...you are doing God's work whether you realize it or not...Kudos to you! I vote you second! Michael, what you are doing is what missonaries strive to achive...you are doing God's work whether you realize it or not...Kudos to you!

I vote you second!

]]> By: Dre http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3368 Dre Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:01:52 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3368 I love this blog and the interviews, they're so encouraging to other young folk out there. I'm glad to see these reports as positive, upbeat messages to the listeners because the media seems to have forgotten to spread the GOOD news as well. Nicole's reports are some of the few positive ones remaining out there. 4 thumbs up! I love this blog and the interviews, they're so encouraging to other young folk out there. I'm glad to see these reports as positive, upbeat messages to the listeners because the media seems to have forgotten to spread the GOOD news as well. Nicole's reports are some of the few positive ones remaining out there. 4 thumbs up!

]]> By: Robert Lillie http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3340 Robert Lillie Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:42:59 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3340 Mike has deffinately made a difference in Northern Ireland, for me anyways, because he came over to Northern Ireland i now look at catholics and have no problems with them. He tought us alot and i learned that we are both equal and have many same hobbies. Mike has done something powerful and i speak on behalf of the team (Belfast Blazers) that we are all proud of him and wish him all the luck with his next big step in life. Mike has deffinately made a difference in Northern Ireland, for me anyways, because he came over to Northern Ireland i now look at catholics and have no problems with them. He tought us alot and i learned that we are both equal and have many same hobbies.
Mike has done something powerful and i speak on behalf of the team (Belfast Blazers) that we are all proud of him and wish him all the luck with his next big step in life.

]]> By: Gareth Stitt http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3329 Gareth Stitt Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:12:33 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3329 I was born into a family in the Short Strand area of Belfast. My earliest memory is looking out my bedroom window and seeing an IRA guman patrolling the courtyard in the middle of the block of houses in our street. A short time after that my family decided to move us up to a "safe" area of Belfast. We moved to an area that was "safer" in the sense of the word that we wouldn't see paramilitary gunmen patrol the street anymore or that we weren't living in a conflict zone like the Short Strand. But the area we moved to had a considerably higher threat in the form of stolen cars (joyriding), anti social behaviour etc. If you found me someone that has grown up in Belfast and hasn't witnessed any sort of sectarian hatred, no matter how small, I'd call them a liar. We hear in the news EVERY SINGLE DAY of an attack on a person/people or buildings that have sectarian motives behind them. I had the opportunity to attend a cross community organisation for many years where I became friends with many protestants. If I had continued to be brought up in the Short Strand, then I would probably have been influenced to "hate" protestants, simply because of their religion. This cross community organisation was City of Belfast School of Music in Donegall Pass - an almost 100% protestant street (back then). When I was 16, my best friend at the time got beat up by a group of local boys on the street simply because he didn't say the letter "h" properly (catholics pronounce the "ha" sound i.e. "haitch" and protestants "aitch" - sounds stupid, but in 99% of cases is true). When he got home he asked his mother why the boys beat him up and she told him of the sectarian hatred they had. He could never come to terms with why people reacted like this and it affected him so bad that he took his own life, aged 16. I now work for the City of Belfast School of Music and I am involved in schools on both sides of the divide (some schools that Mike is working with) and I can assure that in those schools you will find that some of the kids have so much sectarian hatred, simply because they were brought up around it and it was passed down through the generations. It's a minority of people that are still in this way of thinking, but if it's being passed down through generations, when will it stop? I think Mike and his team in Belfast are doing a great job. If it wasn't for his organisation then some of these kids would never get to play on a team with the other religion. Some of these kids come from lower working class families that cant afford family holidays and their sons are getting to go to America. It's a great idea that is working well and long may it continue in Belfast and Northern Ireland. I was born into a family in the Short Strand area of Belfast. My earliest memory is looking out my bedroom window and seeing an IRA guman patrolling the courtyard in the middle of the block of houses in our street. A short time after that my family decided to move us up to a "safe" area of Belfast. We moved to an area that was "safer" in the sense of the word that we wouldn't see paramilitary gunmen patrol the street anymore or that we weren't living in a conflict zone like the Short Strand. But the area we moved to had a considerably higher threat in the form of stolen cars (joyriding), anti social behaviour etc. If you found me someone that has grown up in Belfast and hasn't witnessed any sort of sectarian hatred, no matter how small, I'd call them a liar. We hear in the news EVERY SINGLE DAY of an attack on a person/people or buildings that have sectarian motives behind them.

I had the opportunity to attend a cross community organisation for many years where I became friends with many protestants. If I had continued to be brought up in the Short Strand, then I would probably have been influenced to "hate" protestants, simply because of their religion. This cross community organisation was City of Belfast School of Music in Donegall Pass – an almost 100% protestant street (back then). When I was 16, my best friend at the time got beat up by a group of local boys on the street simply because he didn't say the letter "h" properly (catholics pronounce the "ha" sound i.e. "haitch" and protestants "aitch" – sounds stupid, but in 99% of cases is true). When he got home he asked his mother why the boys beat him up and she told him of the sectarian hatred they had. He could never come to terms with why people reacted like this and it affected him so bad that he took his own life, aged 16.

I now work for the City of Belfast School of Music and I am involved in schools on both sides of the divide (some schools that Mike is working with) and I can assure that in those schools you will find that some of the kids have so much sectarian hatred, simply because they were brought up around it and it was passed down through the generations. It's a minority of people that are still in this way of thinking, but if it's being passed down through generations, when will it stop?

I think Mike and his team in Belfast are doing a great job. If it wasn't for his organisation then some of these kids would never get to play on a team with the other religion. Some of these kids come from lower working class families that cant afford family holidays and their sons are getting to go to America. It's a great idea that is working well and long may it continue in Belfast and Northern Ireland.

]]> By: mloz http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3327 mloz Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:11:37 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3327 OMG Nicole you're HOT! OMG Nicole you're HOT!

]]> By: Kristina C http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3323 Kristina C Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:27:11 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3323 People being outraged about how the NI conflicts(or lack there of, to some of you) have been portrayed on CNN is fine, the American popular media are no strangers to spin, exaggeration, and distortion. But despite the exact measurements of these walls, Irish knowledge of basketball, and other details that, admittedly paint Belfast in a negative color I think the point is that there is someone making an effort to solve a problem. The severity of the problem can be debated but I don't think Mike's intentions can. For those of you calling him an idiot and resorting to the practice of name-calling as a form of argument, do the right thing and look at what Mike is doing without the lens of CNN. Check out his website and ask people who are involved in the program then you can choose whether or not to chase him with your pitch forks. The fact that people are publicly attacking Mike for trying to help out with an issue that has become important to him could be the reason why more people do not take action when an issue concerns them. Save your outrage for the real atrocities in the world, and have some perspective on the news media, especially American and its intentions. I am not American and though I do know Mike, I don't even like him that much, so I have no stake in the dignity of either, but I am very concerned when we start crucifying people who are trying to make a positive difference in the world. I challenge anyone to say that encouraging sport in any neighborhood - be it Greenwich, Connecticut, Belfast, Ireland, or Baghdad, Iraq is ever a bad thing. So if this is your first time watching American mainstream news coverage and you're upset that an area of the world has been distorted for the masses, then get comfortable at your computer because you'll have A LOT of angry blogging to do. People being outraged about how the NI conflicts(or lack there of, to some of you) have been portrayed on CNN is fine, the American popular media are no strangers to spin, exaggeration, and distortion. But despite the exact measurements of these walls, Irish knowledge of basketball, and other details that, admittedly paint Belfast in a negative color I think the point is that there is someone making an effort to solve a problem. The severity of the problem can be debated but I don't think Mike's intentions can. For those of you calling him an idiot and resorting to the practice of name-calling as a form of argument, do the right thing and look at what Mike is doing without the lens of CNN. Check out his website and ask people who are involved in the program then you can choose whether or not to chase him with your pitch forks. The fact that people are publicly attacking Mike for trying to help out with an issue that has become important to him could be the reason why more people do not take action when an issue concerns them. Save your outrage for the real atrocities in the world, and have some perspective on the news media, especially American and its intentions. I am not American and though I do know Mike, I don't even like him that much, so I have no stake in the dignity of either, but I am very concerned when we start crucifying people who are trying to make a positive difference in the world. I challenge anyone to say that encouraging sport in any neighborhood – be it Greenwich, Connecticut, Belfast, Ireland, or Baghdad, Iraq is ever a bad thing.

So if this is your first time watching American mainstream news coverage and you're upset that an area of the world has been distorted for the masses, then get comfortable at your computer because you'll have A LOT of angry blogging to do.

]]> By: Andrew http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/18/michael-evans/#comment-3317 Andrew Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:18:43 +0000 http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/?p=527#comment-3317 Debz, did I suggest that Mike alone was bringing tourists into Northern Ireland? Of course SOME tourists were coming before, but not in the numbers they are now. To try and use that as another stick to beat Mike with is low. You say you've lived there for 20 years, so perhaps you're not from there and are making the same assumptions about NI society that you are accusing Mike of? I think alot of you are missing the point. What full court peace is trying to do is help children in Northern Ireland integrate. When did that become a bad thing? Debz, did I suggest that Mike alone was bringing tourists into Northern Ireland? Of course SOME tourists were coming before, but not in the numbers they are now. To try and use that as another stick to beat Mike with is low.

You say you've lived there for 20 years, so perhaps you're not from there and are making the same assumptions about NI society that you are accusing Mike of?

I think alot of you are missing the point. What full court peace is trying to do is help children in Northern Ireland integrate. When did that become a bad thing?

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