Northern Ireland.

The tragedies of the past have left a deep and profoundly regrettable legacy of suffering. We must never forget those who have died or been injured, and their families. But we can best honour them through a fresh start, in which we firmly dedicate ourselves to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all. From the Good Friday Agreement, p2
Northern Ireland was for a long period seen as one the world’s ‘intractable conflicts’, with little hope of a political solution to the violence between Catholic and Protestant communities. From the late 1960s until 1998, fierce and violent clashes involving paramilitaries and security forces, dominated the conflict, leaving more than 3500 people killed – among them nearly 2000 civilians.

Happily, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 brought together political enemies in an agreement that offers hope for a sustainable, peaceful future for Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement has often been taken as the end point of ‘The Troubles’, as the conflict in Northern Ireland is known. However three recent bomb attacks, targeting a bank, and a Catholic police officer’s father, and killing Ronan Kerr, a young Catholic police recruit – all attacks linked to dissident Republicans – indicate that peace in Northern Ireland is not as secure as widely perceived.

Regardless of these incidents, Northern Ireland offers a hopeful example of the impact that local peacebuilding can have on violent conflicts. Local NGOs were vital in creating spaces for the dialogue and the constituency for political agreement that eventually brought about the Good Friday Agreement, and continue to work in their communities, striving for a sustainable restoration of peaceful relations.

Our guide to selected peacebuilding organisations in Northern IrelandResources, timeline, and key background information on the conflicts in Northern Ireland

From the blog

Commentary Ireland: the inside track on making peace

There are numerous places of historical conflict around the world where there is a clear need for helping those involved to find common ground. The current events in the Middle East and North Africa, in which popular uprisings are toppling, or at least trying to topple, long-standing regimes, are welcome. Yet there are no guarantees that a seamless shift to democracy will inexorably follow. Sadly, there is a real risk that new inter-community disputes will arise in those areas in the months and years ahead. Read more >>>

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INCORE Peacebuilding Summer School

INCORE, the peacebuilding research centre in the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, are still accepting applications for their 11th annual summer school, which this year will take place June 7th-11th. Three modules will run as part of the course. Read more >>>

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Commentary UDA decommissioning in Northern Ireland

Good news today in Northern Ireland, where the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) has claimed to have completed putting their weapons beyond use. This comes some 5 weeks ahead of their February deadline, when the decommissioning body ceases to operate. The UDA claim was officially confirmed by General John De Chastelain, head of the international decommissioning body. Read more >>>

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Commentary Religious cooperation and peace

In many conflicts around the world, groups are divided along religious lines – Catholic and Protestants in Northern Ireland, Muslims, Animists and Christians in Sudan, Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox Christians in Bosnia-Herzegovina. But have these conflicts been motivated by religion, or have other divides happened to fall along religious lines? What has been the role of religious beliefs? And how can religious groups work together for peace? Read more >>>

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From the field Berlin 1961-1989, Belfast 1969-????

Following on from the discussion paper ‘A Process for Removing Interface Barriers’ by Tony Macaulay last year, a group of youth workers working in interface communities in Belfast have been meeting together to discuss the issue of Peace Walls, and to explore how to ensure that children and young people are fully involved in any process. The meetings have been co-ordinated by Youth Link NI, the inter-church youth work training organisation. Read more >>>

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From the field Beacons & Bonfire Management

Groundwork Northern Ireland has been delivering on Belfast City Council’s Bonfire Management Programme for the past five years. Thirty communities across Belfast are now engaged in minimising the negative environmental impact of their bonfires, promoting family friendly festivals and engaging in discussions around cultural traditions & the impact of bonfires on Nationalist and minority ethnic communities. Read more >>>

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Tags: Northern Ireland

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