Northern Ireland at an important junction with its past: No room for a new generation with a conflicted conscience

The weekend brought with it a clear illustration of the problems facing Northern Ireland. They are plentiful and challenging, at times interrelated and at times relatively distinct. Such challenges engulf the social, cultural, and economical tapestries of the region. Amongst the debris, particularly of last weeks horrific act, shone a light – undeniably bright and possibly a groundbreaker.

This post will look primarily at the rising dissident threat. Let’s begin with the discovery of a potentially devastating 500 lb van bomb near the border town of Newry. Similar in context to the Omagh bomb which killed PSNI officer Ronan Kerr – capacity, intent, and presence were the narratives at play. Quickly shift forward to yesterdays remarkable peace march in Omagh (again a relic of years gone by). Add into the mix, Gerry Adams’ offer of himself and/or any member of his party in a mediator role. And finally, another contextual aspect was the obvious cross border nature of the rising threat.

Northern Ireland is at an important junction with its past, make no mistake about it. And more importantly, it is not a time for a conflicted conscience. Yesterday’s march will provide a symbolism that is important. Adams’ leverage and credibility in the dissident movement makes his offer arguably ineffectual (despite representing an honest brokerage mechanism). The past is a currency for those who live beyond it (aware of its lessons and contextual nature) not those who live in it, a point which Adams’ offer/presence clearly articulates. The island, North and South, needs to develop beyond a conflicted conscience to one of process and peace. The story has to become one of related capacity, intent, and presence in the struggle against dissident activity.

Importantly, everyone has a role to play in this. This light of realisation shone most bright this weekend. The participants and methods remain remarkable similar, itself a challenge. Again, a recurring theme here is that this is not going to be an overnight job. Education, time, patience, finance, capacity, etc – the buzzwords. Buzzwords need to create buzz. They need to provide tangible and calculable benefits, there remains the challenge. It is becoming the time to tell the stories of the past, warts and all, so that we can move on from the past. This, of course, is not easy but if Northern Ireland fails to find a coherent and sustainable way to “deal with the past”, then the challenges will remain. The past needs to be constructive. The players are changing (however slowly), this is a remarkable opportunity that cannot be missed. If you want proof of this, look at the amazing amount of young people at yesterday’s march.