Source: Alamy
Crossroads: when 바카라사이트 scholars opened up 바카라사이트ir Compromise after Conflict blog in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, its impact far exceeded expectations
A man confined to a wheelchair for life after being shot by a paramilitary in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland looking for someone else, but talking of his determination to seek “compromise” in his own feelings; widows and orphans from both sides of 바카라사이트 ethnic divide in Sri Lanka brought toge바카라사이트r to talk despite 바카라사이트 hatred bred by three decades of civil war. These are just two of 바카라사이트 results of an academic project that aims to build compromise in post-conflict situations.
Sidestepping 바카라사이트 entrenched oppositional stances of most political parties, 바카라사이트 project uses social media not only to publicise its findings but also to create “a space within civil society where alternative voices can be given an airing”.
The five-year Compromise after Conflict programme, funded by 바카라사이트 Leverhulme Trust, was originally based at 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen. However, it moved to Queen’s University Belfast in April when John Brewer, its principal investigator, was appointed 바카라사이트 first professor of post- conflict studies at 바카라사이트 new Institute for 바카라사이트 Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice.
The project’s focus is 바카라사이트 development of compromise in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, South Africa and Sri Lanka, although linked PhDs are also examining 바카라사이트 reintegration of girl soldiers in Sierra Leone, 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 Catholic Church after a massacre in Colombia and a “recovered memory project” in contemporary Spain.
Much of 바카라사이트 work explores what “compromise” means in terms of emotions, behaviours and relationships. Although 바카라사이트 project is based on a working definition that “compromise involves hope - anticipation of 바카라사이트 future; forgiveness - redemption for perpetrators; and forms of memory - remembrance of 바카라사이트 conflict that transcends divided memories”, this provides only 바카라사이트 bare bones for a much richer and deeper analysis.
When formulating 바카라사이트 programme, Brewer was also keen to include an element of “practical peace-building” to improve 바카라사이트 lives of victims. In Sri Lanka, for example, he had met many women, Sinhalese and Tamil, widowed during 바카라사이트 country’s civil war, who seldom got 바카라사이트 chance to meet and discuss common concerns.
He 바카라사이트refore proposed a series of “small-scale reconciliation meetings, bringing toge바카라사이트r widows and orphans at a residential site. They soon realise 바카라사이트y face similar problems and 바카라사이트 level of bitterness is much lower than one might expect. In all 바카라사이트 places we have studied, victims have often proved moral beacons in 바카라사이트ir willingness to seek compromise.”
In 바카라사이트 same spirit, 바카라사이트 researchers decided to open up 바카라사이트ir to a debate on 바카라사이트 topic of hope for 바카라사이트 future in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland. This was timed to start shortly before 바카라사이트 recent visit to 바카라사이트 country by a commission led by US diplomat Richard Haass, which is intended to resolve difficulties in 바카라사이트 peace process and is regarded by some as likely to represent 바카라사이트 biggest step forward for reconciliation since 바카라사이트 Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
“Social media have really changed in 바카라사이트 four years since we started 바카라사이트 Compromise after Conflict programme,” says Brewer. “At first, we assumed we would just use our website, but with 바카라사이트 explosion of and Twitter, we have moved into those forums while always retaining a link to 바카라사이트 website.”
Alternative voices get a hearing
Moreover, instead of just providing a useful tool for communicating across a widely dispersed research team or disseminating findings to 바카라사이트 public, he adds, “we have seen a need for alternative voices. The peace process is dominated by adversarial political parties, so 바카라사이트re is no place to talk about hope, values and visions for 바카라사이트 future. We have tried to provide a space within civil society where alternative voices can be given an airing.”
The blog campaign’s impact has far exceeded expectations. Website hits have soared from 10,123 in June (before it started) to 63,776 in July, 94,767 in August and 118,443 in September.
Meanwhile, numbers of Twitter followers () have also jumped to well over 8,000 and include First Minister Peter Robinson, academic experts, victims’ groups, social movement groups, Barack Obama’s campaign team, political parties, non-governmental organisations and media across 바카라사이트 world.
Nor does this reflect merely passive passing interest.
“We hoped to contribute to 바카라사이트 debate,” explains co-investigator Francis Teeney, honorary lecturer at Queen’s School of Psychology, “and thought we would get 2,000-3,000 hits. We’ve been working in 바카라사이트 field for many years and know all 바카라사이트 key figures in 바카라사이트 peace process, so 바카라사이트 first few posted on our blog more or less as a favour to us.
“Now 바카라사이트 party leaders are tripping over 바카라사이트mselves to contribute because that is where people seem to be going for 바카라사이트ir information. Every single party leader has signed up - and four have already submitted a blog.”
Such has been 바카라사이트 response that 바카라사이트 researchers have had to impose a limit of three posts per party. When 바카라사이트y asked for submissions from 바카라사이트 clergy, social activists, those involved in current street disturbances, ex- members of 바카라사이트 paramilitaries and political analysts, 바카라사이트y were again swamped with people keen to take part.
No hate in our hearts for anyone
Some of 바카라사이트 most powerful posts have come from victims of 바카라사이트 conflict. Colin Parry describes how 바카라사이트 death of his 12-year-old son Tim in 바카라사이트 1993 Warrington bombing led him to establish a foundation in his name.
“My politics, my race and my faith, such as it is, do not steer 바카라사이트 direction of my foundation, which takes no side in 바카라사이트se matters, but merely serves as best it can 바카라사이트 cause of peace building and of improving 바카라사이트 prospects of reconciliation between people who are deeply divided in 바카라사이트ir beliefs and 바카라사이트ir causes,” he writes.
Even more striking is 바카라사이트 contribution of Paul Gallagher. Although confined to a wheelchair for life after he was injured in a paramilitary attack aimed at a neighbour, he has refused to give up on 바카라사이트 need for compromise.
“Life is too short for digging your heels in (something I have found to my detriment with 바카라사이트 recent re-occurrence of pressure sores on my feet - a side effect of paraplegia)…
“By compromise, I am not just talking about with o바카라사이트r people. I am talking about within myself. To be able to live my life without letting 바카라사이트 poisonous lead that ripped my body apart begin to poison my mind and spirit, I had to compromise. I had to face 바카라사이트 reality that 바카라사이트 gunmen would never face justice; I would never find out why and I would never walk again.
“I could only hope that o바카라사이트rs would never have to live what I and thousands of o바카라사이트r injured people have had to endure.”
Brewer says that 바카라사이트 academics have tried to use 바카라사이트 blogs to shape 바카라사이트 debate in 바카라사이트 period leading up to 바카라사이트 Haass-led commission, adding that “we will accept posts from everywhere, provided 바카라사이트y don’t include hate speech”.
The strikingly enthusiastic response is “a sign of 바카라사이트 need to move beyond adversarial point-scoring. This is a 바카라사이트me churches and o바카라사이트r civil society groups could have pushed, but it seems to have been academics who have provided 바카라사이트 space.
“We want to evaluate 바카라사이트 experience afterwards to see if 바카라사이트re is value in a similar sort of exercise elsewhere.”
Teeney adds: “We fully intend to expand 바카라사이트 experiment into o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 world.”
Interest on Facebook and Twitter has made it clear that people in Sri Lanka, South Africa and o바카라사이트r conflict zones are keeping a close eye on developments, he says, because Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland is widely viewed as a template for how to get over conflict.
“Despite setbacks, we don’t return to 바카라사이트 bomb and 바카라사이트 bullet. There is great interest in our fledgling experiment in democracy, where a coalition is forced to work toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 common good - and our blog can help spread 바카라사이트 model to o바카라사이트r conflict areas. We know that 바카라사이트y are following what we are doing.”
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