Northern Ireland Conflict - Case Study Example

Carmichael and Knox (2004) suggest that the peace process could only happen due to the associated power sharing, elected assembly and reformed system of public administration and civic engagement. Carmiuchae and Knox suggest that the implementation of the peace process was only an attempt to institutionalise stability through a political agreement. Along with changes in the peace agreement, there has also been changes in governance and practices in public sector and civil administration. Following the peace agreement there is a more complex and multilayered governance structure along with participation of local authorities and public bodies that seem to control the administration.

Issues of territorial management exposes problems of constitutional loopholes and controversies that still seem to afflict the governance process and it is important to highlight on the importance of an agreed system of governance for proper implementation of the peace process. This would obviously bring us to the question as to why the peace process in Northern Ireland was particularly so difficult to achieve and what were the barriers to a successful resolution of the Northern Ireland conflict.

As we have suggested, the loss of a balance of power and governance could be one of the reasons for which the peace process was being delayed and was proving to be difficult. . rocess focused on improving the Anglo-Irish relations and deterioration of this relation during the conflict was again one of the main obstacles to the peace process. O'Kane (2004) point out to the apparent shifts in policy between the British and Irish governments and suggest that policy variations have been a major barrier to the successful resolution of the Ireland conflict.

Mnookin (2003) highlights on the strategic barriers to dispute resolution and peace process and uses the case of Northern Ireland to illustrate his study. He suggests that in two party negotiations, the parties try to maximise their own individual returns and that a requirement for unanimity creates strategic barriers that may delay the political process of negotiation. Although certain decisions may be taken even without unanimity, the importance of the sufficient consensus standard as used for the Northern Ireland peace process would show that that not all peace agreements could have a complete political support from all parties concerned.

The changing patterns of violence and the role of paramilitary groups which would be reasons of obstacle of the peace process have been considered by Jarman (2004). Jarman discusses on the changing patters of violence and paramilitary forces in Northern Ireland highlighting instances of violent crime, domestic violence, punishment' attacks, racist, homophobic violence, public disorder and rioting. Jarman highlights the role of the young people and paramilitary organisations and the subsequent police reform program that seems to have made important contributions in the pre peace stage and after the conflict resolution stage ad could have even acted as barriers to peace within a culture of violence.

Within the context of barriers to the peace process,