In 1998, after three decades of conflict, lasting peace was achieved in Northern Ireland through an accord variously known as the Good Friday Agreement or the Belfast Agreement. The 25th anniversary of that Agreement comes next month.
Though there are problems – the institutions of power-sharing government established through the Agreement are currently suspended, and pockets of paramilitary violence remain – the settlement reached a quarter of a century ago has been strikingly successful in its central aim: conflict has not returned; and contestation over Northern Ireland’s constitutional future is now conducted solely by political means. People in Northern Ireland have lived in much greater freedom and security as a result. For most people, life has got much better.
Nevertheless, 30 years of conflict were always going to leave lasting legacies that would take time to heal. And research conducted in part here in UCL is exploring those legacies and comparing them with patterns found in other post-conflict societies around the world.
This week we are joined by Professor Kristin Bakke and Dr Kit Rickard.
Mentioned in this episode:
UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.
Political Philosophy and Climate Change
Politics in Northern Ireland
Voting Systems and the Representation of Women
The Politics of Climate Change
The Origins of the Secular State
Courage in Politics
The Transformation of British Welfare Policy
The Origins of Social Trust
Why did Argentina invade the Malvinas/Falklands in 1982?
The Pedagogy of Politics
Freeing Bureaucrats to Succeed
Taking Offence
Intermarriage and Voting in Africa
Governments and Private Sector Suppliers
Public Preferences on Taxes and Spending
Online Public Shaming: Social Media, Ethics and Punishment
Legacies of Armed Conflict in Northern Ireland
COP26 in Review: Reflections on Glasgow
Regulating the Internet
Analysing Politicians’ Words
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