Irreversible peace in Northern Ireland?

Abstract

Although it is a remarkable diplomatic achievement, the Good Friday Agreement could not have been reached without 'constructive ambiguity' about central issues concerning Northern Ireland's governance. Opinions on these issues - disarmament, police reform and the fundamental question of whether Northern Ireland stays British - remain as polarised as ever. Yet gains from the six-year peace process, the most significant of which is a wholesale reduction in terrorist violence, may be irreversible. The process has given legitimacy to the political representatives of former terrorists and accustomed them to using dialogue, rather than violence, to address tough political problems. Rather than any written agreement, this is the enduring accomplishment of the Northern Ireland peace process, and it should become the primary goal of peace processes elsewhere.