Northern Ireland History - Essay Example

Northern Ireland History: A Complex History Analysis Northern Ireland, one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, has been dealing withvolatile political and social dilemmas for quite some time now, and continues to do so. Although the prospect of peace has been noted and determinably followed numerous times, all attempts have seemed to be to no avail. The aim of this paper is to discuss thoroughly the elements involved in the struggle for peace that the people of Northern Ireland find themselves involved in - both past and present. By examining the factors, obstacles, and pinnacle points, we can come to a clearer and more knowledgeable understanding on the subject matter. This is what will be dissertated in the following. When discussing the history of Ireland, the 'peace process' is generally considered to cover those events which lead up to the 1994 IRA ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of The Troubles, the Belfast (or Good Friday) Agreement, and subsequent political developments. The history of Ireland in regards to the peace process as well as the ongoing battle and strenuous struggle for peace in the modern world is one of great detail and significant complexity. The Good Friday Agreement was reached in Belfast on Friday, April 10, 1998; it was signed by the British and Irish (Republic of Ireland) governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. The agreement said that Northern Ireland should remain within the UK so long as that was the wish of the people living there; but that the British and Irish governments would give effect to arrangements for a united Ireland if that should become the wish of the people of the province. The basic ideal of the plan is that it sets out a plan for devolved government in Northern Ireland on a stable and significantly exclusive basis, while also providing for the creation of Human Rights and Equality commissions. Such things as the early release of terrorist prisoners, the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons and other far reaching reforms of criminal justice and policing are also included in this agreement. The main provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are as follows: The principle that the constitutional future of Northern Ireland should be determined by the majority vote of its citizens A commitment by all parties to 'exclusively peaceful and democratic means' The establishment of a Northern Ireland Assembly with devolved legislative powers Creation of a 'power sharing' Northern Ireland Executive, using the D'Hondt method to allocate Ministries proportionally to the main parties Creation of a North-South Ministerial Council and North-South Implementation Bodies to bring about cross-border cooperation in policy and programmes on a number of issues Establishment of a British-Irish Council, composed of representatives from the governments of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, to discuss areas of common concern Conditional early release within two years of paramilitary prisoners belonging to organizations observing a ceasefire Establishment of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission A two year target for decommissioning of paramilitary weapons The abolition of the Republic's territorial claim to Northern Ireland via the modification Articles 2 and 3 of its constitution New legislation for Northern Ireland on policing, human rights and equality Normalization of security measures, e.g. closure of redundant army bases Police reform. Undertaken by the Patten Commission (1998-1999) Equality of social, economic and cultural rights of all ethnic communities e.g. official recognition of the Irish and Ulster-Scots languages as equal to English (Wikipedia, 2006). The executive of a new regional government, which should have been installed in April of 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday agreement, is instead held in a state of frozen animation. "Pro-British Unionist refused to sit in government with Sinn Fein, an Irish nationalist party with close ties to the Irish Republican Army, until the IRA begins turning over weapons." (Ring, 1999: 119(24)). The sectarian division of Northern Ireland into unionists and nationalists has been a source of strife ever since the Partition of Ireland in 1920 and the moves towards complete Irish independence from the UK in the 1930s and 1940s. Today unionists support the continued British status of Northern Ireland while nationalists want Northern Ireland to become a part of the Irish Republic. Shortly after the ceasefire was announced, the British government entered into talks with Sinn Fein, a republican party whose objective is to end British rule in Ireland. A politically and socially violent landscape has been an undeniable and unavoidable presence in Northern Ireland for quite some time, and continues to be so. In fact for the younger generation, this has been a fact of life since birth, considering that "The start of the 'Troubles' in Ireland can be dated back to 1968, although the current volatile political situation is underscored by centuries of conflict and the repeated failure of peaceful attempts at a solution." (Konnikova, 2002). When the Connolly Association launched the campaign for civil rights in the north of Ireland in 1958, its purpose had been to alleviate the suffering of the nationalist community in the north, which had been the victim of not only discrimination but also abuse since the setting up of the six-county statelet in 1920. It was also intended that the campaign would expose the nature of the 'Northern Ireland State'; "The imposition of partition in Ireland, against the wishes of the majority of the Irish people, had been undemocratic. Meanwhile the 1920 Government of Ireland Act was presented by the British as an attempt to bring 'better government to Ireland'." (Irish Democrat, 2002). However all of these past experiences and occurrences seem to be in marked contrast with the situation today in Northern Ireland where the unionists are all split and squabbling amongst themselves; the ending of rigged elections has resulted in republican-nationalist control of Derry and many other local councils throughout the six countries; Sinn Fein is now the biggest party in Belfast City Council, with Alex Maskey being the city's first ever Sinn Fein lord mayor; anti-discrimination legislation had been introduced, although it needs to be extended; the Orange Order is no longer allowed to march where and when it pleases; the British government is no longer sitting on the fence having been reluctantly compelled to accept responsibility for the mess created by their predecessors; the United States is involved, with their role shaped by a strong Irish lobby; and - perhaps most importantly - the Irish government has an entitlement to participate in cross-border bodies, which can be built on - the operation of an 'All-Ireland dimension' in operation - provided that life is once again breathed into the Good Friday Agreement. "As a result of all these changes, the nationalist community in the north is much more vibrant and positive than it was in the late 1950s when the Connolly Association launched its campaign. This vibrancy can be seen in the programme of the annual West Belfast Festival, where Irish culture is presented in an international setting." (Irish Democrat, 2002). It has more recently been said by Prime Minister Bertie Ahern that "Ireland must work for peace with Northern Ireland and Britain." (Yahoo, 2006). "Today is a day of remembrance, reconciliation and renewal," Ahern said as he began ceremonies commemorating the failed 1916 uprising against Britain. Ahern was giving a peace related speech on Sunday, April 16, 2006, as he laid a wreath in the Stonebreaker's Yard in Kilmainham Jail, Dublin, "where most of the leaders of the uprising were executed by the British some 90 years ago." (Yahoo, 2006). "As we look to the future, we must be generous and inclusive so that all of the people of Ireland can live together with each other and with our neighbours in Great Britain on a basis of friendship, respect, equality and partnership," Ahern said. Those who are included in the matter of using violent methods in Northern Ireland were always a rather tiny minority, and that violence was officially condemned. However there have also been those on the Republican side who not only shared the aim of a united Ireland, they also had some sympathy for the IRA. "What has changed is not so much the IRA, important thought that is, but the mind of the Republican law-abiding majority." (Harries, 2005). Compromise is nothing new to the players involved in this struggle for peace, and this is in regards to not only the political players but the citizens of Northern Ireland as well. The road to peace is rarely smooth, and is instead rather usually fought with divisive and daunting obstacles. However, the sweet smell of success which lies at the end of the road of all these obstacles and hurdles seems well worth the tremendous effort it takes; this is the situation in which the people of Northern Ireland find themselves. From this review we can see that although the progress itself may be slow, the people of Northern Ireland continue to struggle earnestly towards a modem of peace, driven by that sweet smell of success that lies at the end of the road. Works Cited Hachey, Thomas E., Hernon, Joseph M. & McCaffrey, Lawrence J. The Irish Experience: A Concise History. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe Publishers, 1996. Harries, Richard. "Peace in Northern Ireland." Oxford. 2005. 1 April 2007 < http://www.oxford.anglican.org/bishop/thought/northern_ireland.html> Irish Democrat. "Civil Rights: the Struggle for Peace and Justice." Irish Democrat. 2002. 1 April 2007 < http://www.irishdemocrat.co.uk/features/civil-rights-dgss/> Konnikova, Maria. "Emerald Trials: Northern Ireland's Struggle for Peace (World Review)." Findarticles. 2002. 1 April 2007 http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1744/is_200206/ai_n7066100 Kreider, Jodie. "History of Modern Ireland". 2007. 1 April 2007 http://www.du.edu/%7Ejkreide2/protected.htm Ring, Michael J. "Prospects for Peace in Northern Ireland." Tech.mit. 119(24). Wikipedia. "Good Friday Agreement." Wikipedia. 2006. 1 April 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Agreement Yahoo. "Irish PM Stresses Need for Peace at Easter Rising Ceremony." 2006. 1 April 2007 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060416/wl_afp/irelandbritainnirelandhistorypoliticsuprising_060416114903 Read More