Therefore, the Good Friday Agreement has had some positive effects, but many issues are still unresolved.
Possibly the greatest term of the Good Friday Agreement was the reformation of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which meant that Northern Ireland could rule themselves, making it a much fairer; the unionists were very happy about this. However, this assembly failed to work in 2002, due to accusations of Sinn Fein passing information onto the IRA, and has returned in 2007, this shows that it is possibly fragile, yet with growing co-operation from paramilitary groups the strength of the Assembly seems at its best. The return of the Assembly brought the re-introduction of power sharing, where Ian Paisley stated that the DUP would enter into government with Sinn Fein, providing the republican group was committed to peaceful means only. This shows that governmental issues are resolving, however suspicions will always be raised as to whether Sinn Fein is a political party committed to democratic methods. For lasting peace, the country needs to see examples of co-operation between previously opposing people for themselves, Ian Paisley (leader of the DUP) and Martin McGuiness (co-leader of Sinn Fein) should effectively be able to do this.
Since the Good Friday Agreement definite progress has been made with Paramilitary groups, despite what could be called a chaotic beginning. The IRA did not decommission weapons at first, which angered the UVF who also stopped, however, in 2003 the IRA began to decommission some weapons, despite this, a clause in the Good Friday Agreement meant that publication of the details of amounts and types of weapons were banned. Therefore unionists had to go by the word of the international group in charge of decommissioning, leaving them unsure as to what extent it had occurred. Another problem since the agreement is the continuing violence; when the amount of killings decreases, there is a growth in the number of beatings. Also, some republicans and loyalists will never make compromises; therefore there will always be opposition, leading to violence. Yet in August of 2005 the IRA released a statement claiming that, for the first time, they were fully committed to achieving peace, this was followed by a great act of decommissioning, and confirmed by a Protestant vicar, as again information was not allowed to be presented to the media. One major issue with the terms of the Good Friday Agreement was the promise of early release of prisoners, which could be classed as insults to the families, both unionist and nationalist, of victims of violence. However the release of prisoners symbolises the end of the troubles and if this is what it would take to rid the country of violence and to make a better world for people to live in, it had to be time to forgive and forget, although it would be very hard. For lasting peace a full decommissioning of all weapons from either side needs to be ensured; if it means release all prisoners than this must be done, however, this would need an increase in security, as violence could easily return.
Security issues have vastly improved since the Good Friday Agreement. The RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) were considered to be corrupt by many, especially nationalists, who had not forgotten internment; where people could be arrested without evidence and for no reason. However in 2001 it was reformed, called the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland), had a new badge and new uniform, with an aim to be completely neutral, professional and co-operative within the community, this improved the nationalist perception of policing in Northern Ireland, however, republicans will never accept the authority of policing in Northern Ireland, as they don’t accept the legitimacy of “Northern Ireland” itself, again showing their unwillingness to make compromises for peace. Another positive development has been the return of many British troops from Ireland, meaning less military presence and creating a safer and warmer atmosphere. For long lasting peace I believe that it should be ensured that the PSNI is permanently equal, including healthy numbers of Catholics and Protestants as well as females. Also, until it is obvious that there will be no return of violence I think that small quantities of British troops will be needed, yet not so obvious as to anger Irish nationalists.
Marches have always been important to the Protestant community, particularly the Orange Order, however they have also been a source of controversy, and measures have been taken to prevent dispute. Nationalists class the marches as ignorant and offensive; on the other hand, Orangemen believe that republican leaders, in a bid to prevent them from having the privilege, have created opposition. One of the greatest problems caused has been the annual Drumcree march at Portadown, where what was once countryside was replaced by an estate that predominantly housed Catholic people. This has been resolved by the establishment of an independent Parades Commission that adjusts the routes taken, yet this has received enormous opposition from people within the Orange Order who claim the government are failing to recognise protestant rights. It is difficult to expect long lasting peace when the marches are so crucial to the protestant community, yet offensive to Catholics, and an increasing worry is that unionists will eventually become too frustrated with the “erosion” of their culture, possibly resulting in loyalist paramilitaries entering the streets to show a violent march of force.
Overall I believe that the reform of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the co-operation of characters within it has been the most significant development in the peace process and this was as a result of the Good Friday Agreement and commitments made by opposing parties; if this continues in the manner that it has been then no more solutions will be needed for this governmental issue. Other issues were only partly solved, as violence may have decreased somewhat it still exists. Decommissioning has now took place and this is vital, however the majority are left with no clue as to what extent this has happened, due to the clause within the agreement.
The most important unresolved issue is the matter of paramilitary groups. Although there is no outstanding violence occurring at present, these groups are the most fragile pillars in the peace process, and any minor compromise can cause upset and in there case a violent reply.
To bring lasting peace I think that members of paramilitary groups need to be kept on watch in order to ensure that they are in keeping with the peace process. Furthermore, especially in the case of the Orange marches, where loyalist groups could potentially spark off the “troubles” once again, therefore the issue of marching may be an even more significant unresolved issue, as it is the most difficult to create a happy atmosphere on either side.
In summary, I have learnt that history is incredibly important in Northern Ireland, as it signifies itself as a country; knowing your background is vital to the way in which you lead your life, and the beliefs that you have. If it wasn’t for certain events in history, Northern Ireland wouldn’t exist, therefore knowing of such events is crucial in order to be patriotic and have pride in where you came from as well as resolving long standing issues such as the “Troubles”.