ToPeaceandBeyond–SharingourJourneys[1]

Aconferenceconvenedto mark the20thAnniversaryoftheGoodFriday/Belfast Agreement 1998

Context

Thevastmajorityoftheconflictsthatcurrentlythreatenglobalstabilityarenotnew,but father partofongoingcyclesofviolence.Manymodernpeaceprocesseshavefailed. The World Bank’s World Development Report 2011 found that repeated cycles of violence and recurrent civil wars are the dominant form of armed conflict, with all civil wars that started after 2003 occurring in countries that have a history of civil war.[2]

Inthiscontext,thedurabilityoftheNorthernIrelandPeacesettlementisasignificantachievement.TheUKisoneofthefewwesterncountriesthathasresolvedarecentconflictwithinitsborders–andhas managed to sustainthepeacethatfollowed.The20thAnniversaryoftheGoodFridayAgreement/BelfastAgreement,(Easter1998),representsasignificantopportunityfortheBritishCounciltoconveneanevent,whichwillmarkthismoment,reflect on what has been learnt by all the actors involved, and enable a forum for international learning and sharing of good practice in peace-building.

Objectives

Theconferencehasa number of proposedobjectives:

  1. To mark the achievements of the UK in peace-building, as well as reflecting on the contribution of partners such as the EU and the USA
  2. To reflect on the role of Ireland and citizens across the island of Ireland in the achievement and continuation of the peace settlement
  3. To create an open, inclusive and safe space for international dialogue to reflect upon the experience of the peace process
  4. To allow practitioners, academics and policy makers from the UK, Ireland and beyond to share their own experience of the “journey to peace” – and beyond
  5. To encourage new thinking and research in the field of peace-building

EventMessages

Theconferencewillhavethreekeymessages:

  1. Theroutetopeaceisarich and complexnetwork of individuals and institutions, actions and relationships, involving numerous actors fromgovernment,the third sector, education, media, culture, sports and arts, as well as all citizens
  2. Theofficialtrackiscriticaltosealingthedeal–butthemomentumforpeaceisbuiltovermanyyearsbymanyactors on multiple tracks
  3. Thepeaceagreementisjustthebeginning–andpeaceisoftenlostbecauseitisseenastheend.Itisjustashardtomovebeyondpeaceandsustainit,asitwastogetthereinthefirstplace.

Thesemessagesandthejourneysthatepitomisethesemessages – wherepeacehasbeenwon–NorthernIreland–orwherethepeacehasbeenlost,because,forexample,thefocuswasonlyontheformaltrack–SouthSudan–willbesharedduringtheevent.

FortheUKgovernmentthisisanimportantmomenttoi)markasignificantachievement(mademoresignificantbythecontext above);ii)tosendamessageaboutthesignificant experience andexpertisetheUKhastosharewiththeworldpost-Brexit.TheUK’smilitaryandsecurityexpertiseisalreadyhighlyvalued.ThisconferencecementsanimportantmessageabouttheUK’scomplementarypeace-buildingexpertise(andtheroleoftheBritishCouncilinthatarea).

FortheBritishCouncilthisisanidealmomenttosharethemulti-tracknatureoftheUK’sjourneytoGoodFriday1998andbeyond–tothesigningoftheagreement,tosecuringwidersocietysupportthroughthereferendumprocessandbeyondtothestablepeacewithprosperitythathasfollowed.The British Council can bring its wider international networks – for example in Colombia, South Africa, Nepal and Lebanon – as well as its own experience of implementing work to encourage a culture of peace. In addition, the British Council can draw on cross-sectoral networks – in youth, arts, sport and education – to illustrate the multiplicity of actors involved.

Partners

OurtwoproposedpartnersfortheeventareQueen’sUniversityBelfastandUlsterUniversity.Bothhaveworldclassexperienceinthisareaandaccesstopractitioners.InQueen’swewillworkthoughtheSenatorGeorgeJMitchellGlobalInstituteforPeace,SecurityandJusticeandinUlsterUniversitythroughtheInternationalCentreofExcellencefortheStudyofPeaceandConflict(INCORE).Althoughbothinstituteswillbringinwideruniversitybuy-in,theircollaborativeinvolvementyetagainunderscoresthemessageaboutwhatisrequiredforpeaceandwhathaschangedasaresultofthepeaceprocess.

Theevent

We are open to the style and shape the event takes. As it stands, we propose three key elements:

  1. An openingceremony, which will respond to anticipated significant media and public interest in such an event, willdrawtogetherarangeofgloballyrecognisedkeynotespeakersontheNorthernIrelandandotherpeaceprocesses.TheopeningsessionwillcompriseaplatformforkeyfiguresfromGB,Northern Ireland and Ireland, and will allow for reflectionon not onlytheofficialtracktopeaceandsubsequentprogress,butalsothe realitythattheofficialtrackisonlyapartofthecomplex maprequired foradurablepeace.
  2. A conference or policy dialogue event willdrawtogetherarangeofacademics,policy makers,civilsociety representatives and actors from diverse areas (sports,artsandculture)to highlighttherichnessofdifferentjourneysto–andbeyond–peace. This will encourage new partnerships and potential for research.
  3. Aninternationalmarketplacewillallow the British Council and its partners to draw on their significant global access to experience and expertise, will enable networking opportunities and the sharing of case studies.

Thelocation

BelfastwasnamedastheBestUKCityfor2016intheGuardianandObservertravelawards,andasoneofthetoptenconferencelocationsbytheFinancialTimes.Moreparticularly,itisacityregion,which,becauseithasemergedfromdecadesofcivilconflict,underscores–inbricksandmortar-thedurabilityoftheUK’sachievement.Atthesametimeitstillstrugglestopavetheroadfrompeacebecauseofon-goingissueswithseparationandsectarianism–emphasisinganotherkeymessageoftheconference–thatadurablepeacestartswithanagreement,butisbuiltbyfurtherdecadesoffocusandattentiontothedriversofconflict.Tohosttheconferenceitselfwewillseeklocations–e.g.theCrumlinRoadGaol-thatarerootedin“thetroubles”,buthavebeenreimaginedandrepurposedaspartofapeacefulprosperouspresent.Thevenueitselfisthemessageaboutthecomplexnetworkofroutesto–andbeyondpeace.

Belfastalreadyhostsnumerousinstitutionsfocusedonpeaceandreconciliationandisaregularstopforstudents,academics,andpolicymakersseekingbestpracticeintheseareas.Thisconferencewillbothbuildonandenhancethisposition–whichmeansthattheBritishCouncileventwillbothshareUKexperienceinthiscriticalareawithothercountries, will convene international expertise and encourage new partnerships in practice and research.

[1]Working title

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