Legal Studies 497I - S: The Irish Peace Process

This course will examine the complex origins and manifestations of the conflict and peace on the island of Ireland with a concentration on the north of Ireland/Northern Ireland between 1969 and the present. We will explore the enduring elements of this protracted conflict and the multiple avenues through which peace and justice have been constructed. The mediation process which resulted in the 1998 Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement) will be examined in depth from the perspective of the parties as well as the mediator. We will explore the present day challenges to reconstruct an economy, create a shared future and deal with the legacy of the past in the wake of decades of violence and in the context of a newly implemented powersharing government. `Post-conflict' conflict transformation at the `coalface' as well as in the social fabric and governmental structures will be the focus of the latter part of the semester.

Open to Senior and Junior Legal Studies majors only.