The pieces to peace: Analyzing the role of civil society in the design and implementation of Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement
Date
2021
Authors
Mallon, Brett
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Abstract
Designing and implementing effective, durable peace agreements within conflict zones is a challenging task for peacemakers and peacebuilders. Particularly when working in the context of intractable conflicts and divided societies, transitioning from conflict to positive peace, without becoming stuck in a state of liminal peace, is complicated. Thus, critically assessing the successes and failures of one of the most durable peace agreements in the last half-century, Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement, provides opportunities to discover key lessons in pursuit of deeper understanding of the complexities of peace and conflict.
This research project employs a qualitative, grounded theory structure which explores the successes and failures of the Good Friday Agreement from the perspective of the civil society leaders tasked with delivering everyday peace at the grassroots level. Data was collected in Northern Ireland in 2018. In-depth interviews were conducted in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast with 29 civil society leaders working in the peacebuilding field.
Data evaluation revealed five key themes which represented concerns and lessons learned for civil society leaders, while reflecting on their time working in the shadow of the Good Friday Agreement. First, study collaborators highlight the strained, one-way relationship between civil society and the political apparatus in Northern Ireland. Second, they noted troubling trends with youth disillusionment and disengagement with the peace process, and the dangers that reality creates for the future of the region.
Third, the complex and challenging nature of peace funding in Northern Ireland is discussed as a strain on the ability to embrace organic, locally owned peacebuilding. Fourth, civil society leaders discuss the atmosphere of negative peace that dominates Northern Ireland, which fuels their frustration with a peace process that lags behind expectations. Finally, participants provide critiques on the design of the Good Friday Agreement and offer their ideas for improvement.
This research study argues for the importance of integrating civil society throughout the peacemaking and the peacebuilding process within conflict zones. Embracing the local turn in peacebuilding offers an effective path towards developing durable peace agreements that are representative of grassroot needs, and capable of securing positive peace.
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Keywords
Northern Ireland, Peacebuilding, Peace Agreement, Civil Society