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It is strange to think that in three and a half weeks I will be sitting in St. Peter's Cathedral for Christmas Eve mass in Belfast, Northern Ireland. What began as a vague idea in January has emerged as a very real ambitious project, only weeks away. While there are many loose ends to tie up in the coming weeks, I am ready for the challenge ahead. A new country with its' own culture, I am very much looking forward to it.
Yet, the Northern Ireland I am going to is a different one than five years ago, or even two years ago. Things are seeming to be getting quite tense as loyalists today converge on Belfast city center to protest the one year anniversary of the city council's decision to limit the flying of the Union Jack to certain days. This protest comes on the heels of a difficult 6 months marked by: a difficult marching season in July with the Orange Order leadership vocally opposing the decision of the Parades Commission on the Crumlin Road of the Ardoyne (and the ensuing rioting); the Sinn Fein Comemoration of IRA operative Thomas Begley (killed when the bomb he was planting in the midst of a busy market day went off prematurely in Frizell's Fish Shop in the Shankill in 1993 killing himself and 9 others); the attack on Belfast Lord Mayor O'Muilleoir during the opening ceremony of a park in Woodvale; spate of Paramilitary "Punishment" attacks and killings in L-Derry; the presence of American Ambassador Haas in talks to address parades, cultural emblems, and the legacy of the troubles; the elevation of security levels to include vehicle check points as a reaction to two recent dissident car bombs (claimed by the organization Oglaigh na heireann); and the fractures in the Loyalist Ulster Defense Association; these are all symptoms of the strong divisions that still exist in Northern Irish society.
Courtesy of Global Post at http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/130715/marching-season-violent-belfast-clashes-video
Despite attempts to attract investment, several high profile events to include the World Police and Fire Games, the 2013 G-8 Summit of world leaders, and L-Derry as UK City of Culture, unemployment and lack of job opportunities persist. Though NI is currently at about 7.3% unemployment for the whole country, there are portions of the country that experience upwards to the 20 percentile range. Many of the economic problems that fueled the troubles persist to this day with the shadow of the past not too far away. Even the major political parties representing on the National Assembly in Stormont seem to be finding themselves in political gridlock with stalled legislation a frequent occurence. While this could be a healthy "release of social steam" with paramilitaries taking advantage of the social climate, there is also the possibility that such an atmosphere could provide trigger and flashpoints that could ignite into a resurgence of violence.
From what I've been following in local NI newspapers such as the Telegraph and the Irish News, it seems that a majority of the people are committed to maintaining the legitimacy of the Belfast and St. Andrews Agreements and are exerting their influence to ensure things don't get out of hand. Dr. Haas' presence is another indication of how the International Community is also working to find a workable solution. This is very good, as this is a very significant opportunity for the Northern Irish to deliberately choose to continue on the path they have trod toward reconciliation since 1995. Though politics and social pressure is heating up, political institutions are still functioning and there are level headed leadership in all levels of society working to facilitate the addressing of grievences in peaceful and democratic ways. I believe that the majority of the electorate are opposed to returning to violence and will eventually work toward social integration, uniting the several divided communities.
While this may seem to be a scary time to be getting into the thick of things, this is really the best time I could have chosen to be going there. Post-Political peace agreement societies are a particular interest of mine in Peace and Conflict studies, and this will sllow me a first hand glimpse at the difficulties that such societies have to overcome. As I'm fond of saying, getting opponents to the negotiating table is the easy part; it's what happens after that's the hard part! Much can be learned from this period of social turbulence. No matter what happens, I'm ready for one of the most paradigm shifting learning opportunities of my life!
