The “Good Friday Agreement” of April 1998 came into operation in December 1999, bringing to an end a generation of ethno-political armed conflict: shootings, bombings, political murders, and state terrorism. What it did not end was the sectarian division between politically and religiously intermingled communities. This seminar will address how, over the past 11 years, organizations on either side of the divide have been working together to achieve varying degrees of resolution. Participants will visit Belfast and Derry to meet and talk with community representatives and learn firsthand from those actively engaged in the day-to-day practice of conflict resolution and truth and reconciliation. The conflict will be viewed through various lenses: political, economic, social, and artistic, with the goal being a deeper understanding of the reality of post-agreement Ireland and the many ways conflict and peace continue to impact the country.
