By Gary Keenan

Coming from our little six-county-entity-of-competing-terminologies can seem at times to bring with it a mixed bag of emotions. Most of us are fiercely proud of calling ourselves “citizens of this part of the world”; however we choose to define it. There is something palpable about being born and growing up in our small corner of Europe; something unique; something that the outside world struggles to fully grasp and understand.

It’s interesting to see how the dynamics of citizenship and competing political ideology can all be swept away in a heartbeat in given circumstances. Take for example when we meet people from home on holiday in some “other place”. Very rarely will the political eccentricities of our homeland divide us from each other abroad. You only have to look at the leaked picture of Jamie Bryson with a hurling stick in hand as testament of that. We enjoy the ability to flit from one “identity” to another when far away from home, but we still have a lot of work to do to make that feeling resonate when we are back in situ as it were.

Frequently I am caught in the middle of our beloved divided society. Brought up in one tradition, forming my own thoughts to come out on the other side of the political spectrum, has given me pause over a number of issues in the past. Yet more and more recently, I am seeing (I believe) the glowing embers of a hope that has been under threat.

We have struggled to use the flames of potential that were ignited upon the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the beginning of the Peace Process to our full advantage. It is interesting to note that political parties who made their careers on the backs of a specific ideal have benefited immensely from embracing something different for a longer term effect. Sinn Fein, who made it their mission to be the political voice of armed struggle, have in more recent years been criticising those people who wish to continue perpetuating the very same course of action that the “Shinners” themselves once espoused.[1] The DUP, who similarly built up their political capital on a staunch anti-agreement platform are now not only the strongest Unionist voice in a pro-agreement power sharing institution, but some of the most vocal critics from the Unionist camp of those who would seek to bring down that very system.

The extremist views on all sides of the constitutional debate are retreating into their own ideologies and becoming more extreme in their turn. It can be easy to despair over the economic damage caused by both Union Flag protests and Dissident Republican bomb scares. Events like this and so many others threaten to smother the flames of hope and throw us back into the cold darkness of our troubled past.

Yet the embers of hope are still there.

Rather than representing the majority position of each community, the radical positions that we see playing out on the news are now very much a minority voice. Bomb scares, rather than eliciting the terror they once commanded, are nothing more than mere annoyances that have to be put up with; a small distraction that briefly interrupts an otherwise ordinary day. Similarly with the protests over issues such as flags and parading. At one time, such events could have brought the whole place to its knees ala the Ulster Worker’s Council Strike in 1974. Now again, aside from the economic damage caused in both cases, they might influence the route people might choose to drive through Belfast, but little other effect is really felt.

Sure, there are the odd blips along the road. Rioting and Belfast have become almost synonymous again in the world media. But thankfully, as unpleasant as it is to have the image of ourselves beamed into the homes of people across the globe be one of conflict, these incidents are now the exception and not the rule.

There is much to be proud of when looking at the progress we have made over the last ten years. Who would have thought we would ever have seen the leader of the DUP addressing a GAA function and arguing for “progress not just for that section of the community from which [he comes], but for everyone who inhabits this place we call home.”?

We are an increasingly globalised society. Labels such as “British” or “Irish” communities are becoming more and more of a gross generalisation with which to label the inhabitants of our homeland. As the black stain on our history that we call “The Troubles” recedes further and further back into history, colours of flags and tunes of songs are becoming of less and less importance to each subsequent generation. More and more, we are seeing that what truly matters is that we are fed, have jobs, have roofs over our heads, have access to good healthcare and a great education. These are the things that are truly important.

Recent events seem to be trying to drag us back into our past. It is important to remember the words of what is my favourite piece of Belfast wall art. “A nation that keeps one eye on the past is wise. A nation that keeps two eyes on the past is blind.” The embers of hope for the future are still glowing. All we need to do is pay no attention to the darkness around them, and fan them into a flame to guide us into a new, peaceful and shared future.