Northern Ireland, and specifically its capital Belfast, has a long history of inter-community violence rooted in a deep ethno-sectarian divide. This divide stems from clashes between Protestant Unionists, who want to remain a part of Britain, and Catholic Republicans, who wish to be a part of the state of Ireland. Violence began as early as the 17th century when the English and Scottish came to Northern Ireland (then considered ‘Ulster’) in order to establish plantations. The conflict came to a head in the 1960s, which began a period known as ‘The Troubles’ in which there was an increase in violence on both sides, usually instigated by paramilitaries, and many causalities. In the 1990s, an initiative for a peace process was established, ending in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. More than fifteen years later, the ceasefire has continued to hold and with the exception of a few rare cases, politically motivated violence has ceased to exist in the city of Belfast. However, although the city is now a much safer place to live, there is still a substantial lack of trust and interaction between the two communities. While peace was established on the surface, there is still a lack of a deep-rooted peace.
Living in Belfast during their period of reconciliation has been an eye opening experience. Many aspects of living in the city that may seem strange to someone from the United States are a part of the daily life of Belfast citizens. There are protestant communities and catholic communities, and they do not interact with one another. In some cases, peace walls higher than the Berlin wall separate the neighborhoods in order to avoid confrontation between them. While there is technically ‘peace,’ it is a separate peace.
Interestingly, one of the issues that has the most potential for a violent confrontation is the flag. In the United States, it is an ordinary sight to see the American flag hanging from houses and buildings. In Belfast, the flags are a symbolic reflection of the divide. In unionist neighborhoods, the British flag is present, while in republican neighborhoods, the Irish flag is used. You immediately know which side’s neighborhood you are entering. Due to this, parades and marching are also a form of contention here in Belfast. The unionists celebrate the protestant victory against the Catholics in battle that took place in the 17th century every 12th of July. There is a great deal of political tension on this day if the Unionists march near a Catholic neighborhood.
This semester, I am able to participate in a service learning aspect of my Irish History course. This past week, a classmate and I spoke to two men who are in charge of a community watch program. These two men grew up throughout the Troubles and have seen the worst of the violence here in Belfast. These activist programs, and their leaders, hold a great deal of respect in their given communities. Throughout the Troubles, there was a great amount of distrust of the police force on the Catholic side. To this day, many citizens feel more comfortable approaching these activist organizations than the police when issues arise. While the organizations will suggest going to police depending on the issue (as the trust in the police force has grown stronger in the past decade), they can often resolve the issue more effectively on their own, consulting with the leaders of the other community’s activist groups if need be. One of these men explained a situation in which he helped to defuse a potentially serious clash. There was a Protestant gathering during one of their holidays and out of mere curiosity, a group of Catholics travelled to the other neighborhood to see what was going on. However, the Protestant community perceived the group of Catholics as a threat and were fearful of them. The Protestant community knew to call this man, the leader of the community watch organization, in order to call back the Catholics. He came and they listened to him, and the problem was resolved quickly. However, if police had come to breakup the gathering, there was a chance that it could have escalated from an interaction born of curiosity into a violent clash acting upon instinct and distrust.
While this distrust between communities is very evident, community programs are currently at work that aim to bridge the gap. While the older generations grew up throughout the Troubles and are naturally more distrustful of the other side, there is a substantial effort to unite the youth in workshops and activities in order to work together towards a more united future.
