Call to 'finish the job' on delivering peace and reconciliation at Peace Summit

Ulster University’s Magee Campus will today (Friday 3 March) host a Peace Summit led by the John and Pat Hume Foundation and Community Dialogue.

The event will reflect on the progress of peace and reconciliation since 1998, and to discuss next steps still need to be taken to finish the job. 

The summit comes after months of engagement with peacebuilders, local communities and young people across the island of Ireland who were tasked with reflecting on what still needs to be done to deliver peace and reconciliation 25 years after the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.  

Working with partners including Glencree Centre for Peace & Reconciliation, Youth Action NI, Holywell Trust, Ulster University’s International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) and the Integrated Education Fund, the summit will consider four themes.

These are: Political Progress; Participation and civic engagement; Cohesion and sharing; and Issues not addressed in the Agreement.

Attendees will discuss the consultation document and agree on calls to action that seek to finish the job of peace and reconciliation.

Speaking in advance of the summit, Professor Brandon Hamber from Ulster University and John Hume and Thomas P. O’Neill Chair in Peace said: "As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday agreement, the Peace Summit is an important and timely opportunity to take stock of the unfinished business of peace. 

“Political developments in the past week make peace and reconciliation all the more urgent, and give pause to the fact that neither peace, nor political agreements, should be viewed as an “event”. 

“Peace and reconciliation is an ongoing process that needs support, investment and recognition; it is the foundation of creating a better society, and should be central to government policy rather than an add-on. 

“This project engaged with people far and wide, seeking out voices that often go unheard in political discourse, and many who may often feel disconnected from the political process.

“We will ensure that these voices are heard loud and clear by decision makers, and that the next generation of peacebuilders are supported to finish the job of peace and reconciliation.”

Louise Malone, YouthAction NI, said: “Two of the key issues emerging from this project are the challenges for political leadership and the fragility of the institutions, as well as the perception of many people that their voice and their interests are not adequately addressed by their political representatives. 

“The disconnect was most acutely felt amongst young people, many of whom expressed frustration at what they described as the prioritisation of “green and orange” politics. 

“As one contributor put it: “I wouldn’t say that we don’t care – I would say that we don’t care in the same way that our parents care.”

“This cuts to the heart of what the Peace Summit is about; understanding the journey we have travelled, but respecting the fact that we are not at the destination, and that to get there, we may need to adjust our approach.”