Why Is It Proving So Difficult To Implement The Good Friday Agreement?

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Adam Richardson   Y11    H6   Mrs. Johnson

Why Is It Proving So Difficult To

Implement The Good Friday Agreement?

The history of the Irish Problem dates back almost half a century, to the reformation of England, under Henry VIII’s rule. With this, there was a stream of protestant immigrants into Northern Island. Being a catholic country outside of King Henry’s rule, and so escaping the reformation, there was an instant clash of very orthodox and strong religious opinions and beliefs, which triggered 500 years of ongoing problems in Northern Island. However, only is the 20th Century did these problems escalate to be so apparent and public, and we can now take a detailed look at all the major factors that make the introduction and operation of the Good Friday Agreement such a fragile and difficult task. Now, many more nations are involved. American Senator, George Mitchell was called into Northern Island to pick up pieces of the broke peace process, he is generally believed to have helped substancially in the peace talks. As part of the United Kingdom, British figures have often come into play. Following the Labour party’s victory over John Major’s Conservatives in the 1997 general election, Mo Mowlam was instated the Secretary of State in Northern Island. Soon, plans for talks with Sinn Féin were announced.

The agreement itself was drawn up not so much as an all round solution, as the situation is beyond an immediate cure, but more as a compromise that would provide a more stable environment in which to progress forwards with the peace process. The agreement caused mixed feelings from each side, some points benefiting one greatly, other points upsetting either side. Although this caused both sides to hold criticism to the agreement, it also gave each side benefits to the agreement. Workers in the peace process could only hope that both sides were ready to settle for a compromise, and not reject anything less than a victory.

As you could predict, with the age old conflict between the two sides, there is definite segregation present within Northern Island. This can date back evidently to 1922, when the British forces in Ireland introduced a partition, ironically as a desperate measure to try to prevent further conflict. This evermore strengthened people’s reluctance to other points of view and ways of life. Catholics work at Catholic establishments and likewise do Protestants and their own workplaces. The two communities live their lives separately and when confrontation occurs, the outcomes often make segregation seem a more sensible option in the short run. However, segregation itself denies even the slightest development of an understanding or relation between both groups. Protestant children grow up, blind to the opinions and views of the Catholics, just as adults of both sides learn to live life with the other side absent. This allows no time for either group to accept each other’s differences, and so blocks a pathway to unity. A slight impression that maybe this segregation has caused a permanent scar on the peace process, as far as social harmony is concerned, becomes apparent in the case of Holy Cross School. Pupils of both origin were invited to attend the school, and as a result, events short of violent riots were entailed. It is likely that the concentrated arrogance towards other’s beliefs since the military enforced partition has caused a plague of closed mindedness amongst both sides, which may take time to undo. Nevertheless, the Good Friday Agreement takes segregation into account, and introduces a council of ministers from both sides to work together to reach their own compromises and agreements, which can slowly filter through to the public, and in time begin to attack the mental apartheid present currently.

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More recently, as the situation matures, strong political arms on each side are formed. Many political parties are associated closely with an ally activist group, such as Sinn Fein’s links with the IRA.

The problem arises not so much from the groups themselves, but when activist armies such as the UDA and the UVF split and give birth to smaller paramilitary groups, referred to as breakaway or splinter organizations, such as the Ulster Freedom Fighters. This system means that not only do you have two generalized groups, armed, disagreeing with and fighting each other, but you also get situations ...

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