Bringing Peace to Northern Ireland

Bringing Peace to Northern Ireland It has proved hard to bring peace to Northern Ireland. There are many

factors causing the difficulties. I think some are more important than

others are. I think the most important factors are as follows.

Religion is a problems because throughout history there have been

rivalries between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

Paramilitaries are a problem because they have a huge amount of

control. Difference of opinions between people is a problem because it

has been difficult to keep everyone happy. Extremists, to justify

their actions, often refer to history. Politics has been a problem

because there has not always been a balance of power between people of

different opinions. Social groups have caused a problem because they

have separated the two different religions and not learnt to

compromise and live together in peace. Each factor is complex but

proves why it has been difficult to bring peace.

Currently, the Good Friday Agreement, set up in 1998, is in action to

help keep peace in Northern Ireland. This agreement states, for

example, that the Northern Ireland assembly runs Northern Ireland. The

Northern Ireland assembly must have an equal number of seats for

Unionists and Nationalists, so there are a range of views. This peace

process caused problems because the IRA refused to decommission their

arms. They use these arms as their power to protect themselves. They

also feel at war with Britain and don't want Britain to overpower

them. It hasn't been until recently very recently that the IRA have

begun to decommission. The...

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... public, which have turned their opinions. For example, when James

Conolly and Padhraic Pearce took part in the Easter Rising, many

Nationalists disagreed. However once they had been executed by the

firing squad, many people change their opinions. They felt this

punishment was too harsh.

I also think one of the biggest problems has been that people use the

past to justify their actions. This causes a problem because this will

encourage others to do the same and the situation in Northern Ireland

will not improve.

Paramilitaries hold a huge amount of control because of the money they

receive for weapons, for example. There for it is a big problem and is

a difficult step to overcome in order to bring peace. Therefore it is

all extremists who must learn to compromise before peace is restored

into Northern Ireland.