George Mitchell and Conflict in Ireland ADR Processes at Work
Posted by Site Staff on Monday March 24, 2008
There have been battles, wars, violence and bloodshed in Ireland since the 1500s between Protestants and Catholics.
In the late 1500s Queen Elizabeth I of England banned Catholic services while assassinating bishops and priests. Catholics suffered severe discrimination as a Result of Protestant English rulers.
In the early 1600s King James I of England took land from Ulster(Northern Ireland Province) and gave it to English Protestants and Scottish settlers. Protestants become the majority in Ulster and have remained so. Political maneuvering and violence were the norm in this region as a result of Religious differences and hunger for power.
During the centuries attempts have been made to stop the bloodshed; all to no avail. On April 10, 1998 The Good Friday Agreement was concluded. Power sharing was now possible.
British and the Irish Governments are in accord restoring power sharing in Belfast, Ireland Drops its territorial claims to Northern Ireland. Referendums are held on both sides of the border
and the Agreement is approved.
British and Irish Governments had invited former Senator George Mitchell (a highly experienced politician, great communicator and coalition builder to broker the peace. Senator Mitchell accomplished the following:
- Conflict evaluation-through meeting with all the stakeholders allowing each to voice their concerns and interests.
- Setting principles(Mitchell principles)-six(6) antiviolence principles became the bedrock for the negotiation process. This was necessary to meet the serious issue of paramilitary activities and weaponry. George Mitchell demanded commitment of all parties to include splinter groups to “democratic and exclusively peaceful means of resolving political issues“. This became the test for participation in the talks.
- The “inclusive “ nature of Mitchell’s process was a factor in bringing stakeholders together. Everyone was tired of violence including most paramilitary factions.
- Building an agenda was difficult; an agreed set of ground rules was necessary. There was suspicion as George Mitchell was an outsider and an American to boot. He utilized “muscle mediation” hammering out an agenda And ground rules.
- Senator Mitchell employed a brilliant tactic. He set a deadline to finish The agreement Parties could not drag their feet or use excuses to put off this urgent task. This would be done now not sometime in the future.
- George Mitchell and his team hammered out an agreement during the last thirty hours of the deadline, keeping the pressure on all parties concerned.
- A sixty page document emerges with all negotiated points and mediated issues included.
- Talks continue with discussions and meetings.
The Agreement took twenty two(22) months to conclude. All were in acceptance With the exception of a few paramilitary groups. Involved were eight(8) of the largest Political parties in Northern Ireland along with the British and Irish Governments. Sectarian violence could come to an end.
Leaders of the largest Protestant and Catholic parties, John Hume and David Trimble Were in accord. The agreement allows people to settle differences through political means, not bloodshed and guns. In 1999 the Power Sharing Executive was formed with David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party(UUP) at its’ head. Problems arose when the Irish Republican Party(IRA) was found to not have decommissioned their arms. In 2005,after more talks the IRA agreed to lay down all of its’ arms; they also agreed to decommission their paramilitary groups. The Ulster Volunteer Force agrees to lay down its’ arms and decommission its’ paramilitary activities and groups. Peace is at hand finally or is it? The cease fire is tentative with more violence breaking out In 1998(the Omagh bombing).
The Good Friday Agreement created a one hundred eight(108) member assembly and fourteen (14) member executive body where both Catholic and Protestant representatives Work and sit together.
This is an extraordinary, ongoing process with a heavy majority of religious parties and factions agreeing to same. In 1999 then Prime Minister Tony Blair stated to the House of Commons,” I expect this is often and has been an imperfect process and an imperfect peace, but it is better then no process and no peace“, Conflict and Hope in Northern Ireland , Paul Sussman, 2000 www.CNN.com/specials/2000/n.ireland/overview.html
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) with patience, firmness ,consistency and creativity has again worked. Modalities of ADR take a desire to resolve issues. George Mitcell’s use of inclusion, agenda, deadline, ground rules and open ,complete talks
were of the utmost importance with tenacity and patience implemented.
Let us not forget President Carter’s efforts between Egypt and Israel. ADR works. Uncountable lives ,violence and mayhem have been prevented by the actions of Senator George Mitchell and President Jimmy Carter through ADR processes.
Good blog
Posted by: kelly on Monday April 21, 2008