And the Walls Remain the Same? Local conflict in Northern Ireland in light of Brexit, the Irish border issue and disruptive power sharing

Bert Preiss

The Belfast Peace Agreement on Good Friday 1998 marked the official end to three decades of armed conflict between the Protestant/Unionist/Loyalist and Catholic/Republican/ Nationalist communities in Northern Ireland. However, as shown, the efforts to local conflict transformation have born only limited fruit so far.

In Belfast and other urban areas, sectarian tensions and violence still flare between deprived working-class interface communities, who remain divided by numerous ‘peace walls’. In light of Brexit, the Irish border issue and disruptive power-sharing in Northern Ireland the progress in local peacebuilding seems to have stalled. This might even jeopardize the overall peace process. Within this context, the author explores, largely empirically, the nature and causes of conflict at the interface. Moreover, an attempt is made to provide an outlook for peace in Northern Ireland and to highlight potential lessons for other conflict-ridden, divided societies.

Kategorie: IPW Lectures
Datum: 15. May 2020, 18:30 – 20:00
Ort: Online