SAVE Northern Ireland
Norhtern Ireland Country Profile
The Northern Ireland power-sharing deal, set out in the 1998 Good Friday agreement, along with the numerous projects that have been developed to bring together Protestants and Catholics, provide positive examples of how communities can be reconciled in the aftermath of violent extremism.
However, Northern Ireland still faces many challenges. The troubles that began in the 1960s have left a legacy of mutual fear and distrust between Unionists and Republicans. Only 3% of children in Northern Ireland attend integrated schools where Protestants and Catholics study side by side.
During 2009 and 2010 there was a notable increase in violent activity, highlighting the precarious state of the current ceasefire. In March of 2009, two soldiers were shot dead, and two more injured, in an attack by the Real IRA (a splinter group of the IRA). There were also several bombings of bridges and vehicles in 2010.
Thankfully, the peace process is persisting. The Hillsborough Castle Agreement was signed in 2010, devolving justice and policing powers to the Northern Ireland executive, and dealing with the issue of controversial community parades. The current situation in Northern Ireland demonstrates that constructing and implementing a lasting peace is an ongoing process, requiring long term investment from all stakeholders.
The establishment of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC) in 1996 marked a breakthrough for women, who had been largely invisible in Northern Irish politics up until then. For the first time, women’s active involvement in local community life began to be reflected at the national level. Women members of the cross-party coalition were not forced to give up either their community or their former political allegiances, but rather to represent them in a new way.
The experiences of women in Northern Ireland, both within the NIWC and beyond it, provide valuable lessons to women in other zones of conflict.
Sprayer in Belfast
