Corrymeela, a Christian community in Northern Ireland, uses a variety of activities, one of which is outdoor education, to tackle the challenges of living within a contested society and to model new possibilities. Structured peace-building experiences focus on the relational aspect of those people, groups, and communities who experience conflict. Three categories of outdoor experiences--urban adventure, outdoor journeys, and adventurous experiences--reflect a rich and complex repository of knowledge designed to support the peace and reconciliation process. Many of the participants know they will be sharing experiences with people about whom they already hold certain perceptions or prejudices, or whom they simply disrespect. The novelty of outdoor adventure activities provides a safe environment in which to see, meet, and hear the experiences of others. Outdoor journeys simulate, through the process of ritual and challenge, the "hero's journey" in which difficult physical and mental ordeals culminate in wisdom and transformation. While undergoing adventurous experiences, notions of shared fate, the dissolving of social hierarchy, and the absence of material possessions lead to a recognition of spiritual or universal connections. Adventurous and outdoor experiences can help people understand their own 'realistic' position in the world. They help participants recognize their personal competencies and desires and the influence of cultural and societal forces so that they may reconcile the relationships around and within them. (TD)