Pathways to Peace
Reflections on the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement in the Middle East
The Good Friday Agreement was a truly historic opportunity for a new beginning in Ireland, bringing an end to decades of violence in Northern Ireland. Ireland’s road to peace was not straightforward, and gives much to reflect upon and learn from.
This was the topic of discussion at ‘Pathways to Peace’ seminar on 6 May 2024, in the University of Jordan, organised by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University and the Embassy of Ireland in Jordan. Set against the backdrop of current events in Gaza, there was much focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict throughout the event, as well as the exploration of broader concepts around peace and reconciliation.
The Good Friday Agreement in context
While the discussions centred on how peace was achieved in Northern Ireland, Marianne Bolger, Ambassador of Ireland to Jordan and Iraq, noted in her opening remarks that:
“The Agreement… which brought about an end to conflict [in Northern Ireland], stands as a testament to the power of diplomacy, of international efforts and the resilience of communities striving for peace. It cannot, of course, be discussed in a vacuum and we are all acutely aware of the current catastrophic situation in Gaza.”
The Ambassador also emphasised the fact that since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza, Ireland and Jordan have held many common viewpoints on the need for an immediate ceasefire and adequately addressing the deteriorating dire humanitarian crisis and its impact on the death and suffering of innocent civilians.
Dr Marwan Muasher, former Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a thought provoking keynote speech that highlighted the parallels between the Good Friday Agreement and the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr Muasher underscored the imperative to glean lessons from the Northern Irish peace process and reinforced some of the opening remarks made by Professor Zaid Eyadat, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan: “The Irish experience teaches us that the path to peace is not one that must be led exclusively by elites and politicians. Instead, it's when championed by ordinary people with an extraordinary vision."
Role of civil society
The purpose of the event was to examine the peace process in Northern Ireland from a number of perspectives, including the role of civil society, women and young people and this provided a platform for engaging discussions and audience participation to an engaged and diverse audience.
The speakers also provided insightful perspectives around the issues. In his presentation, Ruairí de Búrca, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the importance of perseverance, compromise, addressing dehumanisation, the need to create space for ambiguity as well as the often painstaking work required to protect and preserve peace: “The corollary of that is the peace is never the peace. Because beneath that peace, there's always other currents, and you need to keep at it… That's what we've been trying to do for the last 25 years."
Monica McWilliams, co-founder of Northern Ireland's Women's Coalition, provided an engaging overview of the necessity for women to be included in negotiations: "Beyond the statistics lies a narrative of great significance, the lived experience and the indispensable contribution of women in nurturing dialogue, in forging connection, and in charting the path toward long lasting peace in their societies and beyond… If you don't understand the other side that you're negotiating with, you will not have the knowledge of what they want or need."
Debbie Watters, co-director and founder member of Northern Ireland Alternatives, provided impactful and personal details of her own experiences of working with loyalist communities in Northern Ireland and her empathy for the suffering of those affected by events in Gaza: "It's about seeing the humanity of the other and understanding when wrong has been done, wrong needs to be righted… As someone coming from a British identity, I stand with you all today, because this has been a very emotional experience."
Launching the Peace Heroines Exhibition
The Embassy of Ireland also used the opportunity of the Pathways to Peace conference to launch of the ‘Peace Heroines’ exhibition for the first time in the Middle East region in the Arabic language. The exhibition highlights the extraordinary contribution of women from all backgrounds and traditions in passing down a more peaceful and secure Northern Ireland to younger generations.
The University of Jordan will host the exhibition for a number of weeks in the Student Centre, before the Embassy of Ireland in Jordan brings its powerful message about women in peacebuilding to a wider audience across Jordan, at a time when Jordan‘s political modernisation vision includes a focus on enhancing women’s political participation in advance of forthcoming elections planned for later in 2024.
The Pathways to Peace seminar was made possible through collaboration between the Embassy of Ireland, Jordan and the University of Jordan, and through the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Reconciliation Fund.