Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict

Introduction: Mari Fitzduff, former Executive Director of Irish conflict resolution organization INCORE, and now Professor and Director of the MA Conflict and Coexistence Programme at Brandeis University, suggests that cease-fire agreements and peace processes take a long time to develop and will likely hit several stumbling blocks along the way. She describes the lengthy process in Northern Ireland and highlights the importance of celebrating small victories.

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Northern Ireland Peace Process
Mari Fitzduff
Professor and Director of the MA Conflict and Coexistence Programme at Brandeis University

Interviewed by
Julian Portilla
2003

We eventually got the agreement ceasefire. Ceasefires in '74 broke down, that's not uncommon either. We eventually got a labor party that was quite brave. We got the agreement in '98 and now we're five years on and just about dribbling into the ends of the problems. So by and large most people will be on board with policing probably by the end of this year. The leftover troubles at the cold face, which are really partly loyalists who did not have places in the new scheme of things, they're easing up a little. I suspect that they will disappear fairly quickly within this year, and we think even Parades is probably going to be finished by this year or next year.

There's a good lesson there, is that it does take time, there's rarely a moment when you say I remember having a celebration party after the ceasefires were called, and that was actually '94, '95. I said, "Look, I know we're going to have a difficult time, but let's just celebrate this moment." You've got to realize that the work certainly does continue on after that.

The pens which write against disarmament are made with the same steel from which guns are made. -- Aristide Briand

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