Suchergebnisse

A member of the Social & Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) shares personal experience with the Irish peace process, focusing on the theory-practice mix in peacemaking. The deadlock surrounding the suspension of institution established under the Good Friday Agreement is seen to demonstrate the difficulty of sustaining the theory underpinning the Agreement. In addition, trust is cited as key to peace in Northern Ireland. Although the Agreement has yet to be fully realized, it is asserted that public support for it remains intact; the main challenge is to keep working toward complete implementation. That is, the key political challenge is to put the theory behind the Agreement into practice. Some of the positives to emerge from the Agreement are delineated & a call is made for participants in current all-party talks to use them to fullest advantage in addressing critical issues, eg, commitment to full implementation of the Agreement. Attention is then given to outlining the principles of the European Union on which the Agreement has been based. The nonviolent stance of the SDLP is laid out, & its challenge to the Unionists articulated. The SDLP framed its analysis of the situation in terms of three relationships: between the Northern Irish people, between Nationalists & Unionists, & between the Irish & British people. Commitment to the Agreement is reiterated. J. Zendejas