Women and the Peace Process: Lessons from Northern Ireland

“I know it's not easy for you, living this life, but try to remember, always try to remember, you're not the only one with troubles.”  ― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone

I moved to England  in 2009 to study History and Politics at the University of York, there weren't that many Northern Irish/Irish people there so my presence was a  novelty for a lot of my fellows student and the local people. Most people would eventually state (after a few minutes of polite conversation) that  "it must have been hard for you growing up", to which I would answer "no" because I was born in 1990 and grew up during the tail end of the Troubles. I cannot speak for those who had to live during to the Troubles, nor can I speak for the thousands of Northern Irish women who had to pick up the pieces and carry on during and after the Troubles. 

What I can do is write about some of the lessons that should be learnt from the Northern Irish Peace Process. The most important being that experiences of conflict are gendered and this can and should shape the way in which a society moves forward after conflict. 

If you wish to know more about the conflict in Northern Ireland I suggest you Google it, unfortunately I do not have the time or the blog space to accommodate the long and confusing history of the pain of my country. However, I will be nice and give you a definition I found on Wikipedia.

"The Troubles: is the common name for the ethno-nationalist and sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that spilled over at various times into the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, England and mainland Europe. The Troubles began in the late 1960s and is considered by many to have ended with the Belfast "Good Friday" Agreement of 1998. However, sporadic violence has continued since then."

Northern Ireland has been used as a modern day example of how a country can emerge from conflict due to well executed peace process. Involving the gradual decommissioning of paramilitary groups and the devolution of government to Stormont count the local political parties. My country has a long way to go but has been widely heralded as a success story, however, there are many lessons to be learnt. Especially when it comes to involving women in the rebuilding of society and the bringing about of peace. 

Women may not actively participate in conflict but they certainly have to experience it in one way or another. As I mentioned before, Northern Irish women had to look after their families and maintain some semblance of normality while their fathers, sons, brothers and husbands fought, died, or were innocent victims of the Troubles. Not only were many helpless bystanders they were also made examples of if they fraternised with the enemy (be that member of the opposite community or a British soldier). My Father used to tell me about women who would be and feather while tied to a lamp post in my local town, because of their relationship with the wrong man. 

Northern Irish women were the leaders of the peace process, they started it before the Troubles ended and it materialised in the form of women's groups and charities focusing on reconciliation and finding solutions to moving forward. Despite this women were all but excluded from the the official talks and meetings on the Peace Process, leaving the "hard  work" to the men and the ground work to the women. There is increasing recognition that a gender-blind approach to conflict resolution will not lead to sustainable peace in any country emerging from conflict or hoping to do so.  

Charities and organisations like Belfast Women's Aid have provided grass root support for women and families for several years, Their work has been vital in helping Northern Ireland heal and move on from 30 years of pain and conflict. If 50% of the population (women) are the main actors in creating peace and a sustainable future then it makes sense to include them in every level of decision making and discussion. How can 50% of the population of NI move on and heal if the Peace Process does not acknowledge women's efforts and experiences of The Troubles? 

When Syria emerges from conflict, which it will, the women must be given a safe space to share their experiences and a recognised platform from which these experiences can influence and help direct their peace building of their country. The same goes for Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan, all of which are still experiencing conflict or are at war. 

What can we learn from Northern Ireland?

That women can be the key to long lasting and sustainable peace and that society is the lock and chain.

One final question; Will you help give them a voice or settle in as another link in the chain?



Margaret Ward's article on Gender, Citizenship and the Future of the Northern Ireland Peace Process - http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/women/docs/ward05peaceprocess.pdf

Definition of The Troubles - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles

Youth Unemployment: The Ties That Bind

"Jobs and opportunity are essential for peace."  Barrack Obama, Waterfront Hall Belfast , 2013

Unemployment is a hallmark of my current generation. When living in a capitalist society, the boom and bust is expected but no less devastating when it happens. It is widely agreed that the people most affected by the current economic depress are young people between the ages of 16 -25, we are the so called "lost generation". Young people have the highest rate of unemployment of any other section of society, not just unskilled and uneducated young people but highly skilled labourers and University graduates too. In Northern Ireland 1 in 4 young people are currently unemployed and looking for work, in Sierra Leone unemployment is aproximately at 55% - 65% (1), these are not figures for youth unemployment, however, keep in mind that the oldest people in Sierra Leone are only in their 40's. This means that this figure would speak for the majority of Sierra Leone's population.

Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland may seem worlds a part but in my opinion both countries have a lot in common. Both have only emerged from civil war 10/15  years ago, both are surprisingly peaceful despite their recent violent history. Sierra Leone's economy is one of the fastests growing in Africa and despite the recession, Northern Ireland has made huge societal leaps and is currently negotiating stronger economic links with America during the G8 summit in Enniskillen. However, there is still a lot to be done in both countries and tackling the serious issue of unemployment is one of them.

Sierra Leone has a truly "Lost Generation" of young people who have been mentally and physically maimed by the brutal cival war which ravage the country and it's people. Images of child soldiers and blood diamonds come to mind. This is a generation that should have been in school, playing, learning and growing; not learning to use a rifle to kill others. These young people have not the skills nore the education to take advantage of Sierra Leone's growing economy, one of the suggested solutions for tackeling this has been to overhaul the education system. Which should promote a good work ethic, and provide educational institutions which equip students with the skills to work in the Sierra Leone's biggest industries such as farmining and mining (2). However, the issue of Sierra Leone's rate of unemployment is not a black and white issue with an easy or straight forward solution. Tackeling youth unemployment is one of the main MDG (Millenium Development Goals) for Sierra Leone and other developing countries around the world. Which is one fundamental reasons why I have been given the ooportunity to work in Sierra Leone on employability skills. Obama was correct when he mentioned the importance of having opportunity and jobs, to have peace is not just about not being at war. It means having enough food to feed your family, access to adequate health care, being provided with a decent education and ultimately through self determination having the job you want.

I had a conversation with a firend recently about the the pros and cons of Android and Apple products, at one point she suggested that there were more important things worry and/or be passionate about. Of course she was right, however, I pointed out the fact that I am free to be passionate about something that is not essential for me to live. I am free to argue and discuss this because I have never needed to think about where my next meal will come from, worry about paying for my health care, or be forced out of education at 13 because I was a female and needed to geet a job or get married. Education and prosperity have provided me with the freedom to argue about the merits of Android and Apple and for that I am grateful. Lack of education and prosperity can cause a deep and persistent sense of hopelessness which in turn breeds bitterness and extremist views among young people. The best example of this is during the Flag Protests in Belfast last year, yes there was a genuinie greivance within the Unionist community about this issue, however, young unemployed people (mainly young men) used this issue as an excuse to commit crimes that they would not have done otherwise. These young people have nothing to lose and any excuse to kick off or spit in the face of the " Establishment" is welcomed and to a certain extent I can't blame them for feeling this way.

This has been a longer blog that usual, but this is an issue close to my heart and home and very to every country and society at the minuet. Next week's blog will be my last before I go to Sierra Leone, while I am there I hope to do a video diary about my experiences and upload a video once a week to my FaceBook & Twitter page.

Thank you so much for reading and my blog and I will see you all next week!