According to Dr. Novosel, the historical and political situation in Northern Ireland is “loaded” emotionally for many Americans of Irish descent and for those who see the conflict in terms of Imperialism and Colonialism and the fight of a “small nation to be free and united.” However, he believes that this conflict was/is much more complicated than simple slogans, such as “Brits Out” or “No Surrender.” His talk analyzed this period and its actors in all their complexity. As part of the discussion, he also addressed the question, “Do you ever talk to Terrorists?”

Dr. Novosel teaches in the History Department at Pitt. Since 1974, he has traveled regularly to Northern Ireland. Over the past five years, he has worked with grassroots organizations in Belfast. He recently completed a book, Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity: The Frustrated Promise of Political Loyalism, to be published in 2013.

Teaching International began in 2004 to promote greater awareness of global trends and civic engagement and to broaden students' understanding of intercultural and international issues. This year's focus on the Celtic Nations, defined as Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Isle of Man, and Cornwall. The accompanying theme for the year is water, which not only is related to sustainability issues, but to broader themes such as human rights.

We recommend the term "nation" when referring to these six "official" regions/islands. It is a useful term because it is tied to notions of ethnicity, culture, and geography rather than political status. Several nations can exist within a single country, or can span national borders (as is the case with Ireland).

The term "country" denotes a "sovereign" status that only the Republic of Ireland enjoys (excluding N. Ireland). The other five nations have some degree of "home rule," but are not independent.

The preferred pronunciation of Celtic is with a hard C (i.e., like a K), although this issue continues to be debated. In general, however, the soft-C pronunciation (i.e., like an S) seems to be reserved for sports teams and the more academic venues use the hard-K (see, for example, "Is it 'keltic' or 'seltic'?").

The accompanying theme for the year is water, which not only is related to sustainability issues, but to broader themes such as human rights.