There is nothing unusual about two 17-year-olds lounging in a backyard on a sweltering summer afternoon. But Mark Kearns is a Roman Catholic from Northern Ireland and Graham Carson is a Protestant.

Their trip to America, which ends today, is part of the Children's Friendship Project for Northern Ireland, which involves nearly 100 youths between 15 and 17. This year, 10 teenagers from Northern Ireland -- five Protestant and five Catholic -- came to New Hampshire.

"Here, you are far away from the people who would try to influence you and who you talk to," said Kearns, who is from Newtownbutler

Carson, who is from Enniskellen, continued his friend's thought. "If I were with certain friends at home, they would be against it," he said of his friendship with Kearns. Both said that when they return to County Fermanagh, they will remain in contact with each other.

During their month-long stay with two families in America -- Ginny and Jon Frank of Amherst and Dee and Lianne Deranian of Windham -- both teens said they've discoverd that their differences end with their respective religions. And even there the differences aren't that great.

There are far more similarities in the two religions," said Carson. "[The program] does make it seem so stupid how things are back home because here you have Catholics and Protestants together and everybody gets along with everybody."

The Friendship Project, established in 1987 was designed to forge lasting friendships among Northern Ireland's Protestant and Catholic youth. The goal of the American arm of the program is to build trust between the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland by pairing teens from the same county, one from each religion, in an American home for a month over summer holidays.

The trip is part of a larger, year-long program in which teens from both religions meet weekly to discuss and mediate their differences.

Christine Robidoux, along with husband Greg, coordinates host families and activities in New Hampshire. The state has played host to program participants since 2002.

"They're surprised when they meet each other and they don't have to try to figure out what religion they are," said Robidoux, who is hosting two 17-year-old girls from County Tyrone in her Temple home this year. "It is something they would do in Northern Ireland and here it doesn't matter."

Kelly Morrow, who is being hosted by Robidoux, said that opportunities to meet and mix with people of the other religion are limited by segregation in 90 percent of Northern Ireland's schools and in most towns.

"You live side by side here in Mareica, regardless of religion for the most part and it goes to show that we can do it in Northern Irelad as well," said Morrow, who hails from Fivemiletown.

Neither Morrow nor her counterpart, Mary Elaine McCavert, who is also being hosted by Robidoux, wanted to reveal which religion they were. It wasn't important, they said because they've grown to appreciate how little their differences matter through this program.

Religion is important but we need to get along at the same time," said McCavert, who lives in Omagh. "It's important for our generation to realize that we can make a difference."

Host families say that they are happy to help these teens change their society.

"It's a good cause, peace," said Lianne Deranian. "We really wanted them to bond over here and to see what an American family is like and how people of different ethnic backgrounds can live together."

For more information about the program and how to become a host family visit www.cfpni.org or call (888) 524-0648.

Copyright 2005 Union Leader Corp.
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Permission to print this article has been given by New Hampshire Union Leader and by Elise Castelli, author and photographer.