The signing of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement in 1998 heralded the beginning of a bright new dawn for the people of Northern Ireland, and these islands. Its words of mutual understanding and respect, a recognition of difference resonate as powerfully today as they did 23 years ago. There can be no doubt about it, the Agreement was the north’s blueprint for peace. Not an end goal so much as the starting point of a new chapter.  

It is interesting that across that remarkable document, the word “peace” only appears once. The word “peaceful” appears 12 times. Peaceful is something that is significantly easier to quantify, but “peace”? This is a much more difficult and important task. In fact, where it appears in the Agreement is not in providing a set definition but rather in the task of organisations North and South in ‘consolidating peace’. Again, it’s a continual work, not a predetermined end goal.

Given that peace can be so subjective, it can be difficult to define. Yet, unless we reach a definition of peace then we’ll never know what we’re working for. There are no easy answers here. In the past I have written about our capacity to write the story of Ireland’s future together, and I remain committed to that. Twenty-three years on from the Agreement, it begs the question: where are we now in that story, and where are we going? 

Negative peace

The more I look at the state of affairs in the North, the more I am drawn to the conclusion that the peace which we experience at present, while beneficial, is best understood as a negative peace, as opposed to a positive peace. In the study of peace and conflict resolution this is effectively understood as the absence of violence, a peace which is curative and generally pessimistic. Positive peace, on the other hand, is expressed through structural integration. It is preventative and it is optimistic.

While one could certainly argue that we have and enjoy structural integration in our political institutions, it is caveated in that we still have a mandatory coalition and not a voluntary one. Rarely a week goes by in which these institutions are not seen as fragile and in peril. If we want to enjoy positive peace I ask: Where is the optimism in our politics, or politicians? Or rather, where is the positive outworking of our institutions celebrated and presented to the public? 

Perhaps the reason for this is that because we no longer live in fear of direct violence, there still exists within our society indirect forms of violence; poverty, inadequate housing, perceptions, prejudice in racism, homophobia, misogyny, etc. The list goes on. I myself am an optimist and even I struggle to find optimism in our politics and our society! If those within the polar extremes of our politics had to honestly answer whether they want to work with those who sit at the opposing end of the political spectrum, and that each had something to benefit to the other, what would be the response?  

This requires a real and honest assessment, but if you believe that someone’s very existence threatens your identity then we are on shaky ground. The truth of the matter is that we will not get anywhere unless we are willing to take a look at where we are now, and where we want to be.

It is my view, that where we are now, is in stasis and we are not hearing the voices of those who are forward thinking and quietly building that positive peace in their communities. Rather, we tend to amplify the voices of division, and not just of negative peace but rather of negativity full stop. How can we ever be expected to attain positive peace when we continue this practice? We are, to paraphrase the childhood game my friends and I enjoyed, ‘stuck in the mud’.

Toward a positive peace

How do we reach positive peace? How do we change attitudes, establish a true, lasting, and sustainable peace built on justice for all? This is a question which I wouldn’t be so arrogant as to have the answer to, but rather can only offer my answer to. This is a conversation after all. 

A genuine positive peace will attempt to eliminate the root causes of conflict and injustice and build a society that reflects this. 

In looking at Ireland’s story and the chapter we are writing at present, the only conclusion I can draw is that should we wish to reach that true and full positive peace, the only way will be through re-unification and the birth of a New Ireland. The possibilities of such a future are endless and the optimism is profound. The most important question is not what would a New Ireland look like, but rather, why?

This is unquestionably the most difficult question which we on this island have to answer in our current age. Calls for a border poll are becoming louder and more resounding. However, these calls fail to address the root cause of our conflict. Unless we address the fundamental question of why we believe Ireland should be reunified or what it would look like, we risk walking head on into a repeat of the Brexit referendum. Asking people who are British to challenge their place in the union is something that must be handled with the greatest care, respect and sensitivity. If handled wrongly, it will only risk further and more divided conflict.

The North’s place in the United Kingdom goes back hundreds of years, and there has rarely been a time in which there has not been some degree of conflict. Whether this was in the form of the rebellions of the 17th century, colonisation throughout the 18th century, the Irish genocide (Famine) of the 19th century, partition and ensuing conflict of the 20th century or the resurgence of splinter paramilitary groups in the 21st century; as long as Ireland and the North have been bound to Britain we have witnessed conflict. 

Building deeper peace in a New Ireland

As long as the North remains a contested territory, whose citizens are not given a full opportunity for self-determination, there will be conflict that remains under the surface. However, if we genuinely recognise that deeper peace is what we seek – a lasting, sustainable and positive peace – and is more than just the absence of weapons but rather is more concerned with people’s wellbeing, with attitudes and with building communities then we shall see that to achieve a truly positive peace this will require the reconciliation of Ireland’s people before the land. It can be no other way.

This is not something we are doing at present. We may be building communities, but these can often be viewed through the lens of one section of the overall community. As long as peace walls or borders exist, we will continue to be divided. As an Irish nationalist I can understand the frustrations some unionists feel towards a sea border.

Further, I wouldn’t dare suggest that were a border poll held tomorrow and the people voted for reunification that all our problems would disappear and we would be living in some sort of blissful utopia – that would be, frankly, arrogant in the extreme. 

Rather, there is a long road ahead of us where we will have serious questions to address to ensure that delivering a New Ireland is one where everyone feels at home. Just like any negotiation there will have to be compromises made on both sides – very serious ones – and Irish nationalists must prepare themselves for that. Without abandoning your core values, what would you be willing to compromise on? Or rather, in the quest for the end goal, what would you be willing to concede?

This is not going to be a simple road, so let’s make preparations and begin talking.