Thinking outside the box for peace at Derry's Gasyard Centre

Ray Bassett, the longest-serving Irish government official in the north, joined former Journal Editor, Pat McArt in Derry's Gasyard Centre on Tuesday for the latest instalment of the Connections Peace Barrier Project’s ‘Did Ye Hear About?’ conversation.

A capacity attendance that included politicians, ambassadors, journalists and, of course, the regulars heard Mr. Bassett explain how after years of failed attempts at finding a solution to the Troubles it was decided to adopt a grassroots strategy by sending civil servants from the Department of Foreign Affairs north to talk to people in all sections of the community. 

Amongst these, who became known as ‘The Travellers’, was a young Bassett who was to spend the best part of the next two decades travelling to all arts and parts of the six counties.

Speaking on Tuesday Bassett, who was ambassador to Canada and Jamaica when he retired from the DFA, recalled the early days north of the Border.

He said: ‘When the Troubles erupted it was clear to us all that Dublin really hadn’t a clue what was going on. Intelligence gathering had been left to the Gardai and they were not equipped for that. Gardai going across the Border was never going to work. So, a number of colleagues and myself were dispatched to get a handle on what was really happening. It was a bit hairy on occasions with threats and all that, but we stuck at it. It was a block building approach, block by block. It was slow but it worked.

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‘The reason I am certain it worked is that I contend that talking to people on the ground was absolutely essential. 

‘Talking to the politicians and community leaders wasn’t enough. We needed to think outside the box. And that’s what we did.  Taoisigh such as Bertie Ahern, Albert Reynolds, Brian Cowen told me that they pored over those reports to get a clear a clear picture of not only where we were at but where we needed to get to. It shaped what was to be future Irish government policy. And that was the key to getting a deal.’

Speaking after Tuesday’s event, Chris McDonagh, organiser said: ‘‘We were absolutely delighted to see such a great attendance to hear Ray Bassett today as part of our 'Did Ye Hear About' series.

‘Our ability to attract a speaker of Ray's calibre and attract such a large and diverse audience is a testament to the importance of the difficult conversations that we are having in our community, addressing the issues of the past in an effort to strengthen our peace and move reconciliation forward.

‘Grassroots engagement is not only the foundation of peace-making, but also fundamental to securing it long into the future. Ray understands this better than most as it was a cornerstone of his career, and it remains at the heart of everything we are trying to accomplish within the ‘Connections’ Project.’

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“The series' first season rounds out with two more events in March, to be announced soon.