northern irelands peace generation frozen out by politics of war
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Northern Ireland's peace generation frozen out by politics of war

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Northern Ireland's peace generation frozen out by politics of war

BorderLand
Belfast - Arab Today

The sudden collapse of a power-sharing agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland has angered a younger generation who feel robbed of their future by the failure of politicians to get over the sectarian prejudices of the past.

After bitter compromises over paramilitaries and policing, the province's cross-community government finally imploded over farmers abusing a green-energy scheme, forcing an election on March 2. 

The confrontation has exposed the frustrations of younger people over what they say is a breakdown in trust between Catholic Irish nationalists and pro-British Protestant unionists that has stifled job creation and economic prosperity.

While there is no sign of a return to the violence that killed 3,600 people, the political crisis looks set to paralyse government in the province for months at the same time as Britain's exit from the European Union threatens shockwaves to its economy, constitutional status and border with Ireland.

"People are frustrated because they can't agree on anything. They can't compromise," said Carlos Barr, a 16-year-old student, referring to the older generation of politicians. "If one side says something the other side has to object."

While it is impossible to quantify the impact of sectarian disputes on economic growth, many young people complain they have scared off foreign investment, delayed reforms and deepened a culture of dependency on the state in the two communities.

"People don't come together enough to make it work," said Henry Joseph-Grant, 33, a Northern Ireland-born entrepreneur.

While jobs are disappearing in older industries like farming and manufacturing, Northern Ireland and its politicians lack the entrepreneurial culture to create new ones, he said. "A lot of the big corporates look at Northern Ireland and are put off."

For swathes of the under-30s, the dominant feeling is the violence of the 1970s and '80s still casts a long shadow over political decisions.

"The frustration that young people speak to us about (is that) whilst they are working hard to... overcome barriers and deal with legacy issues, they feel that this doesn't always happen in mainstream politics," said Chris Quinn, 39, director of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum.

The political crisis came to a head when Democratic Unionist Party First Minister Arlene Foster refused to step aside temporarily to allow an investigation into the green energy scandal and Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said he had no option but to resign.

McGuinness, a 66-year-old former Irish Republican Army leader, was replaced by Michelle O'Neill, 40, whose father was jailed during "The Troubles".

McGuinness had a frosty relationship with DUP First Minister Arlene Foster, whose police reservist father narrowly avoided being killed in an IRA shooting when she was a child. The incident, along with a later IRA attack on her school bus, "is part of who I am", Foster recently told an interviewer.

Two decades after the British army dismantled its garrison in the village of Bessbrook in County Armagh following the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to the troubled province, 31-year-old Darren Matthews says he struggles to see a future.

"The old people, who are the bitter ones, keep us going round in circles," said Matthews, a construction worker who commutes daily to Dublin and is planning to follow friends in seeking better pay and opportunities outside Ireland.

"If people were not so focused on the (Protestant) orange and (Irish nationalist) green, people would be getting a lot more work done," he said.

Like most of Northern Ireland, Bessbrook was transformed by peace: checkpoints were demolished and helicopter landing pads that supplied military outposts were dug up for farmland.

The nearby Dublin-Belfast road was upgraded, bringing tourists from Ireland to visit Belfast museums and landmarks and pose for photos beside murals in once no-go areas.

But in many areas Northern Ireland badly lags behind its neighbour, with half the tourists per head of population. Dublin has 150 flights a week to the United States. Belfast has none.

Many complain jobs are often of lower quality. Average annual wages are less than in Britain as a whole and Ireland.

There is a steady outflow of school-leavers and graduates seeking their fortune abroad. "Of the guys I grew up with, a lot are scattered around the world" from Australia to Canada, Matthews said. "If the politicians were doing their jobs, more people would stay."

Few people see the election in March as delivering a breakthrough. "It's that frustration of the inevitability of the election being this big thing to promote change but it definitely won't," Matthews said.

"It's going to be very difficult to have an election of a less sectarian flavour," Jonathan Tonge, Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool. "I don't really hear the sound of breaking ice."

Early signs are that this election will follow a well-worn pattern, with election posters bearing colours of the Irish or British flag for the two main parties and each side focused on the threat of domination by the other to bring out their base.

Political apathy amongst the younger generation reflects a feeling that older politicians are locked in the past and refuse to engage with issues that they care about.

Ten of 12 young people questioned by Reuters in a straw poll in Belfast voiced deep frustration with sectarian bickering. They listed funding for mental health, integrated education and reform of power-sharing as issues they wanted dealt with.

Five said they would vote for non-aligned parties, which have made slow progress in recent years, taking 12 of 108 seats in 2016 elections compared to six in 1998.

Voter turnout has fallen consistently from 70 per cent in the first Northern Ireland Assembly elections in 1998 to 55 per cent last year, with a half of under 22-year-olds voting compared to two-thirds of over 65s.

At Belfast's modern Victoria Square shopping centre, there was little sense the tide would turn any time soon.

"It's the same people arguing over the same things, it's the same names," said Maggie McSparron, 27.

"They are flogging a dead horse."


Source :Times Of Oman

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

northern irelands peace generation frozen out by politics of war northern irelands peace generation frozen out by politics of war

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

northern irelands peace generation frozen out by politics of war northern irelands peace generation frozen out by politics of war

 



GMT 23:04 2017 Monday ,04 December

Saudi Arabia recalls ambassador to Germany

GMT 02:47 2014 Monday ,17 November

Qatar Library to take part in Conference

GMT 18:17 2018 Friday ,07 September

US Defence Secretary arrives in Kabul

GMT 03:28 2018 Sunday ,21 January

Emirates throws Airbus A380 a lifeline

GMT 15:20 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

Oman Arab Bank launches advanced automation system

GMT 04:56 2017 Thursday ,22 June

ASEAN journalists conclude silk road media journey

GMT 08:08 2015 Thursday ,05 November

UAE media has matured, delivered remarkable successes

GMT 22:37 2016 Thursday ,17 November

Japan aims to increase food exports to GCC

GMT 08:40 2013 Saturday ,02 February

Saladin

GMT 00:12 2016 Sunday ,01 May

December 21 - January 18

GMT 05:35 2017 Wednesday ,25 October

Rio policeman who killed Spanish tourist charged

GMT 01:15 2014 Friday ,24 January

Little Known Facts

GMT 09:03 2013 Tuesday ,09 July

Fathy Abdel Wahab works on social issues drama

GMT 19:13 2017 Sunday ,16 April

Iraqi MP calls government to cut oil from Jordan

GMT 21:38 2017 Wednesday ,12 July

Israeli occupation forces arrest 21 Palestinians

GMT 04:59 2015 Wednesday ,28 October

Saudi blogger flogging to resume

GMT 14:24 2016 Wednesday ,14 December

Wonder Woman loses UN job after protests

GMT 14:28 2017 Saturday ,13 May

Tunisia can repay 53% of its debts
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday