Source: (2001) In Reconciliation, Justice, and Coexistence: Theory & Practice, ed. Mohammed Abu-Nimer, pp. 255-273. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books.
In the spring of 1998, the Belfast (or, Good Friday) Agreement marked a turning from violence toward politics as the arena and means for seeking a viable political system in Northern Ireland agreeable to the people and groups in conflict. In this chapter, Fitzduff looks at the developments that led to this agreement, and she asks why they took so long. Specifically, she examines the extent and focus of strategies of justice and equality work, of cultural coexistence initiatives, and of reconciliation approaches. Elements that she covers include legislation, employment inequities, social need, cultural diversity, drama, policing, and community development and relations. From all of this, she derives certain lessons that have emerged from the experience in Northern Ireland.
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