A final Settlement within reach? (5th - apr - 1998)

There has been speculation that a first draft of a final settlement to the troubles in Northern Ireland may be only days away. Let us hope that this is true but realise that some effort is required from all sides still.

There are probably several ways in which the various parties could help this final phase along(if indeed it is the final phase).

(1)Most of the politicians on both sides involved with seeking a resolution to the conflict are realistic in their approach and what they are prepared to accept as a final settlement , knowing full well that only a settlement which has the support of a majority of the people in both of the main communities will have long-term success. However there are a small minority, on both sides who do not accept this and still think in terms of a purely one-sided settlement which gives constitutional recognition to only one of the main traditions. It would help if these people also took to heart the need to find a settlement acceptable to a majority of the people in both of the main communities.

(2)Even at this late stage those who have not already done so could make a determined effort to realise that there are two sides to this situation, two ways of looking at Northern Ireland's position and that from a purely humanitarian point of view any settlement must take into account, recognise and respect these two differing views and traditions. A closed -minded, simplistic , one-sided out-look (on either side) will not help at this stage. Strange as it may seem after so many years, there are probably large numbers of people in both communities who do not truly understand the ethnic identity and aspirations/political beliefs of the majority of the people in the other community but instead have some slanted, imperfect understanding of these.

(3)Everyone involved in the talks should also realise the dehumanising effects on themselves and on their own people of holding onto narrow-minded , one-sided dogmatic views and any settlement which would leave the people of either of the main communities oppressed and unfree also harms the people in the community doing the oppressing . It would mean creating/maintaining a society where everyone is not free and equal but one where people are divided, where some can feel fully part of the society and some feel it is alien. Such a society would be totally unhealthy , both for those in the oppressed community and those in the community responsible for the oppression. A healthy society where both traditions are treated equally would benefit all of the people in Northern Ireland.

(4)Politicians involved in the talks should realise (if they do not do so already)the great responsability they have to the people of Northern Ireland to secure a just settlement which recognises and respects the ethnic identity, aspirations and loyalties of the people in both of the main communities. They should take on board that any settlement must have the support of a majority of the people in both of the main communities and that this necessity must override their own personal wishes or the wishes of their party for a settlement. All parties should accept that if they wish for a certain long-term outcome for Northern Ireland then they must convince a majority of the people in both of the main communities of the rightfulness of that particular outcome. In the meantime the focus of all the parties and politicians should be to find a settlement which has the support of a majority of the people in both of the main communities.

(5)It may be hard to go into the talks with a spirit of genorosity , particulary given that there is such deep-rooted suspicion on both sides. However parties should be prepared to give ground on their own demands if they see politicians on the other side giving ground on theirs ( rather than just seizing on the offered ground and gobbling it up without offering any return). One of the greatest hindrances to the development of a peaceful settlement is the depth of suspicion on both "sides" about whether or not the "other side" really is intent on a just settlement or is involved in some deep plot to con the people on the "other side". This suspicion has dogged the search for peace and while it is too much to expect everyone to drop their suspicions and in fact it may be a good thing in that it will mean that a proper settlement will have to be properly "tied down" in every way, everyone should be aware of how such suspicions may be unfounded and how they slow the process down, if in fact everyone is genuine about reaching a settlement that would be acceptable to the majority of the people in both of the main communities.

(6)If it is the case that the framework of a settlement is worked out that is acceptable to the majority of the people in both of the main communities and generally acceptable to both Governments and all of the main parties then hopefully everyone will put their hearts into it and try to make it work, realising that a proper lasting peace to everyone's benefit can be built on it, rather than letting old enmities cause them to drag their feet.


A proper peace settlement could mean the start of a new way of life for the people of Northern Ireland, where violence is at an end , where political instability and uncertainty about the political future has disappeared and people can start living a normal life like it is lived in most other parts of the western world. It would be an incredible day for the people of Northern Ireland if they got up one morning and "the troubles" really were all over for good and the politicians really had succeeded in forging a settlement that the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland were happy to live with. The politicians can make this happen.

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