British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

The Good Friday Belfast Agreement - Ten Years On

An evening discussion convened by the British Academy and the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool
6pm, Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Eleanor Rathbone Theatre, Myrtle Street, South Campus, University of Liverpool (Map reference D2; Building No. 106) 

Chair: Marianne Elliot, FBA, Director, Institute of Irish Studies
Welcome: David Owen, Chancellor of Liverpool University
Speakers: David Cooney, Malachi O' Doherty, Maurice Hayes, Duncan Morrow, Jonathan Powell

In 1998 the Northern Ireland Troubles - one of the modern world's most longstanding and intractable conflicts - was brought to a close with the historic Good Friday/Belfast Agreement. On its tenth anniversary the British Academy and Institute of Irish Studies at Liverpool University will bring together a panel of experts to discuss the lessons of the Agreement for conflict resolution in divided societies and the problems remaining. The end of most violence, the setting-up of power-sharing political arrangements, the decommissioning of weapons and the transformation of policing have been the most visible outcomes of the Agreement and other areas of world conflict are looking to Northern Ireland as a model.  We may well ask, however, how good a model Northern Ireland really is for the resolution of ethno-religious conflict?  Is it too early to congratulate ourselves when Northern Ireland society is still so religiously polarized, when the voluntary groups trying to address this very issue are losing funds, when splinter republican and loyalist groups are continuing a level of paramilitary activities and when interpretations of the past still have the power to divide?  

The panel will open a wide-ranging public discussion on how such a ground-breaking deal was made, what it has delivered, the lessons and what still remains to be done.

Proceedings will be opened by Lord David Owen, the Chancellor of Liverpool University (former Foreign Secretary, co-chairman of the international conference on Former Yugoslavia, 1992-5), and will be chaired by Professor Marianne Elliott, FBA,  Director of the Institute of Irish Studies and member of the Opsahl Commission on Northern Ireland.   Other panel members include:

David Cooney, Irish Ambassador: He was part of the team involved in the negotiations which led to the Belfast Agreement in 1998

Malachi O' Doherty: Belfast-based broadcaster and writer; a frequent commentator on BBC radio and television and the author of several books on Northern Ireland

Maurice Hayes: Former Northern IrelandOmbudsman and a member of the Patten Commission on policing.

Duncan Morrow: Chief Executive Officer of the Community Relations Council and commissioner on the Northern Ireland Sentence Review Commission.

Jonathan Powell,Chief of staff to Tony Blair. One of Powell’s most crucial jobs during his time in officewas his role in the Northern Ireland Peace talks, which led to the Good Friday Agreement.

Attendance

The discussion is free and open to all. Advance registration is not required.

The Eleanor Rathbone Theatre has a seating capacity of 245; seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.   Please contact Dorothy Lynch, Development Manager, Institute of Irish Studies, for further details dorothy@liv.ac.uk /0151 794 3837.