Civil Society Leaders’ Perceptions of Hopes and Fears for the Future

Abstract

Civil society actors such as nongovernmental voluntary community group leaders as well as funding agency development officers have taken a leading role in implementing grassroots-level peacebuilding efforts in post peace accord Northern Ireland. It is important to map these civil society leaders’ direct experience and their perceptions to assess the impact of the funding in the overall peace process in Northern Ireland. This article captures the hopes and fears of 120 civil society leaders and funding agency development officers in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties whose projects are funded by the International Fund for Ireland and/or the European Union Peace III Fund. Many respondents concurred that both funds have genuinely contributed toward achieving the overall goals of peacebuilding (though mostly at the grassroots level) while some were skeptical about the future sustainability of the peace process. Their skepticism was evident, as few tangible changes at the macro political–economic level have occurred since 1998 as the funding draws to an end in 2013. However, the respondents also highlighted the uncertain future that now exists for the younger generation. There is also an absence of effective leadership in the wake of the recent trend of dissident violence, which has a denegrating effect on envisioning a peaceful and just society for all citizens in Northern Ireland.