46 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2015

Date Written: March 17, 2015

Abstract

In a sense, the “Irish peace process” is a success story, as it has largely achieved a shift from military/paramilitary violent conflict to political conflict, played out through democratic institutions. However, the perception that a peace has been achieved belies the fact that the meta-conflict remains unresolved. This article engages with the Irish peace process in the context of the collective human right of self-determination. I argue that self-determination retains a mission of liberation in the twenty-first century, particularly in relation to contemporary colonial cases, such as that of Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland. In this context, I explore the Irish peace accord, the Good Friday Agreement (“the Agreement”). While the Agreement has shifted the conflict largely into the realm of political debate, it has been less effective in promoting a peace that is grounded in justice. Indeed, some have recently argued that the people of Northern Ireland must choose between peace and justice. In this article, I question this proposed binary and argue that it is possible and worthwhile to pursue both justice and peace. An effective process of transitional justice for the North of Ireland can acknowledge colonialism as well as its impacts in Ireland, and can promote self-determination. Such a process can provide the foundation for the Good Friday Agreement to be implemented in ways that promote not only an end to violent conflict, but a just and lasting peace.