Seminar discusses Northern Ireland: Fragile Peace in an Age of Austerity
The Birkbeck Centre for the study of British Politics and Public Life hosted this invitation-only roundtable seminar at Birkbeck on 14 October 2011.
The Birkbeck Centre for the study of British Politics and Public Life, in association with The Political Quarterly, hosted this invitation-only roundtable seminar at Birkbeck, University of London, on 14 October 2011.
The meeting brought together leading academics and journalists from Northern Ireland, the republic of Ireland and mainland Britain who work on Northern Ireland.
The roundtable, which took place in the Council Room, was productive and often contentious, taking stock of the peace process as of late 2011. It explored the future of the political and constitutional settlement in Northern Ireland in light of growing dissident and paramilitary activity and cuts in public spending, as well as economic turmoil in the South. The conference closed with a discussion of other facets of Northern Ireland which pertain to the peace process, notably the future of the media and state of the economy. Many participants contributed articles which will form a special issue of Political Quarterly in early 2012.
The special issue will in turn provide the impetus behind a special panel of the Political Studies Association, which will be held in Belfast in early April.
Issued: 10 November 2011