Northern Ireland Political Conflict Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Northern Ireland Political Conflict - Case Study Example This essay discusses the various perspectives to the peace process and conflict resolution in Northern Ireland showing that the outcome of the peace process as an enduring framework could be interpreted in different ways. After the finalisation of the Northern Ireland accord, all Northern Ireland political groups agreed on the formation of a new coalition government, but in 1999 the peace process faced a major setback when the IRA refused to disarm. The IRA claimed that it would disarm only after a new government is formed. The Ulster Unionists wanted disarmament of the IRA and boycotted the Assembly session that would have nominated a new coalition government. Thus the initiated Northern Irish government that was promised in the 1998 accord was brought to a halt in 1999. This process of new government formation was attempted several times although failed consequently due to IRA's failure to keep promises on decommissioning, a position they held in 1998. The IRA disarmed completely in 2005 to end violence making way for an enduring peace process in the region. However it is important to focus on whether this has been successful. Globalisation seems to have played a major role in transforming the approach to conflict and in bringing about stability within a region. This could be explained by the fact that the emergence of global institutions associated with globalisation can bring about changes towards de-territorialsing sovereignty and can also provide solutions to resolve the ethno national conflicts within a trans-national context. Globalisation perspectives consider the national problems at a global level and in case of both Northern Ireland and Israel Palestine conflicts, conflict resolution has been associated with global integration although in these two cases, there have been many differences in the structure, dynamics and outcomes of the peace process (Ben Porat, 2005). Ben Porat (2005) has highlighted the fact that the Agreement in Northern Ireland meant for peaceful resolution has been based on a power sharing model between Protestants and Catholics so that both the groups could claim and express their national identity. This according to Ben Porat is quite in contrast to the peace process in the Middle East and agreement between Israel and Palestine that focused on partition rather than power sharing. Coakley (2003) points out that the agreement of 1998 between British and Irish governments has been a subtle political document which could be exemplary and a model for other similar conflicts. Coakley discusses extensively on the features of the agreement suggesting that the document included several important decisions and compromises in the areas of citizenship, rights, equality, reforms, and criminal justice systems, release of prisoners, demilitarization and decommissioning of paramilitary weapons. All these aspects were considered within the agreement and being a very comprehensive document, the 1998 settlement could be considered as exemplary as some of its features would be common to all similar conflicts providing a basis for conflict resolution. Dingley (2005) however claim that the 1998 agreement which has been considered