Lee Lavis served as an infantryman in the British Army, stationed in Northern Ireland for over two years during the Troubles. After leaving the military, he settled permanently in the country he had once patrolled as a soldier. His path toward reconciliation work began through a forum connecting former British soldiers with the civilian communities they had once been deployed against, where he built a lasting friendship with Fiona Gallagher, whose brother was killed as an IRA volunteer during the same period. That relationship reframed how Lee understood his own service, from a personal experience of soldiering into a shared history with the people and communities of Northern Ireland. He now works with former paramilitary prisoners on reconciliation and conflict transformation, and speaks openly about the class dynamics underlying sectarianism, the legacy of the conflict, and what genuine dialogue across old dividing lines requires. His story has been featured by the BBC and the Veterans for Peace network. Today, Lee welcomes CIEL students and visitors to Northern Ireland, taking them across the country to walk the ground where the Troubles happened and teach the history in a way no textbook can.