REC•NSIDERATI•NS Ted Smyth took part in the Irish peace process as an Irish diplomat in the United States, Britain, and the secretariat of the New Ireland Forum. The Unsung Heroes of the Irish Peace Process Ted Smyth Why did the Irish peace process eventually been viewed as traitors to their Catholic succeed in stopping the sectarian killing af- tribe, but today they are celebrated for their ter centuries of violence in Ireland and when courage and integrity. other sectarian conflicts still rage around the The road to peace in Ireland was led by world? Might there be lessons the Irish many, many individuals who made contri- could teach the world about reconciling bit- butions large and small. There were politi- ter enemies? The political successes in cians who were truly heroic, but it should Northern Ireland owe much to that oft- never be forgotten that the ordinary people scorned ingredient, patient, determined, and of Northern Ireland steadily found their principled diplomacy, which spanned suc- own way toward reconciliation, defying his- cessive administrations in London, Dublin, tory and the climate of fear. Maurice Hayes, and Washington. The result is a structure a columnist for the Irish Independent and a surely durable enough to survive the IRA’s veteran peacemaker puts it well: “Through- disturbing recent violations: an apparently out the troubles, in the darkest days, there long-planned $50 million raid on the have been outstanding examples of charity Northern Bank in Belfast in December at- and courage, of heroic forgiveness, often, tributed to IRA militants and the leader- and most notably, from those who had suf- ship’s unabashedly outlaw offer to shoot fered most. One thinks of Gordon Wilson, their own members responsible for the bru- who held his daughter’s hand while she died tal murder of a Belfast man, Robert Mc- in the rubble of a bombing in Enniskillen, Cartney, after a pub quarrel in January of dedicating the rest of his life to the search this year. The peace may be tested once for reconciliation.”1 again during the perennially volatile Some of the finest people from two con- “marching season” this summer when tinents worked on the Irish peace process for Ulster hardliners vent sectarian passions. 30 years, and their influence was apparent Still, there is agreement that a political in three decisive elements that made the dif- peace now prevails, backed by a popular ference between success and failure. The consensus sturdy enough to frustrate a veto first element was strong political leadership by a violent minority, or a continued crimi- in pursuit of a unifying vision consistently nal conspiracy by Sinn Fein/IRA. The univer- supporting nonviolence. Such leadership is sal public revulsion in Ireland north and rare, but just as South Africa was fortunate south toward the IRA’s handling of the Mc- to have Nelson Mandela to lead it peacefully Cartney murder and the huge swell of sup- to freedom, so Ireland was fortunate to have port for McCartney’s sisters in their public John Hume, an eloquent, charismatic Irish- calls for the arrest and punishment by due man with a Ghandi-like faith in nonvio- process of his killers give ample evidence of lence. As long ago as 1972, the soft-spoken the success of the peace process. Twenty founder and former leader of the Social De- years ago, the McCartney sisters would have mocratic and Labor Party (SDLP), an essential The Unsung Heroes of the Irish Peace Process 79 voice of moderation and nonviolence for 30 colony, and just before the outbreak of the years, stated that peace could only be based First World War the British government re- on “an agreed Ireland,” with shared govern- luctantly concluded that it could not govern ment between the two nationalisms, the the country and moved to grant a form of Irish Nationalists who wanted Irish unity, independence. The Loyalists settlers in the and the British Loyalists, who wanted to re- northeast, fearful of losing privileged status, main part of the United Kingdom. smuggled weapons from Germany preparing The second key element was political to fight British troops if necessary to retain imagination and receptiveness to new ideas the British link. By 1920, the British gov- by key politicians and officials in Ireland ernment gave in to these threats and parti- and Britain who established a series of insti- tioned Ireland, in effect gerrymandering a tutional frameworks to build confidence majority for the Protestant Loyalists. Half a between the two sides and to provide securi- million Irish Nationalists were trapped ty. Among these institutions were the Sun- within the new border. ningdale Agreement, the New Ireland Fo- Successive British governments legiti- rum, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, and the mized this stand-off by guaranteeing that Good Friday Agreement. Probably the most Northern Ireland should remain part of the important breakthrough was the Anglo- UK so long as the Loyalist majority wished Irish Agreement of 1985, which guaranteed it. Writing in Foreign Affairs in 1979, John the equal legitimacy of the conflicting loy- Hume concluded that this “produced the alties by giving the Irish government a sig- basis for a half century of injustice, discrim- nificant role in Northern Ireland for the ination and repressive law, a situation in first time in history. A leading commenta- which the minority community have been tor on Northern Ireland, David McKittrick the persistent losers and victims”3 of the London Independent, says: “In retro- The state that was founded on violence spect, that agreement was a turning point went on to erupt in regular cycles of vio- in the peace process and provided the foun- lence during the twentieth century, the dation for its ultimate success.”2 The story worst being the recent “Troubles” that left of how that agreement was reached and suc- 3,600 dead and thousands more dreadfully cessfully implemented is a combination of maimed. The beginning of this latest con- shrewd calculation and courage, which lured flict can be traced to the Loyalist murders in people from the extremes, promising re- 1966 of three innocent civilians (one a 77- spect, protection, peace, and a prospect of year-old Protestant, mistakenly assumed to prosperity. be Catholic). At the time, many Catholics The third element was the important and Nationalists were inspired by the Amer- role of the United States in providing job- ican civil rights movement to march for ba- creating peace incentives and in correcting sic rights such as “one man, one vote” and the imbalance of power between Britain and fair allocation of public housing. The Ireland. America, with its 40 million Irish marches, with the familiar refrain of “we Americans, decisively helped the peace shall overcome,” came under increasing at- process through at least three major crises tack by both Loyalists and the local police, that threatened to derail it. with 77 injured in a Derry march in 1969. The sectarian conflict in Northern Ire- Ian Paisley emerged as the leader of the Loy- land dates back to the seventeenth century alists, ranting against Catholics and whip- when Protestant settlers from Scotland ping up fear among Protestants. In the sum- seized land from the native Catholic Irish as mer of 1969, 150 Catholic homes in Belfast part of the British attempt to colonize Ire- were burned by rioters as the police stood land. But Ireland was always a troublesome by. In the face of such provocation, the Pro- 80 WORLD POLICY JOURNAL • SPRING 2005 visional IRA came into being, recruiting vol- Asked, for example, during a meeting in unteers as “the defenders” of the National- Derry why he objected to “wee boys” throw- ists. It was not long, however, before this ing stones, he gave a reply which will res- defender role became, like that of the Loyal- onate with anyone who has seen the geno- ist terror groups, one of sectarian aggression cide dramatized in the movie Hotel Rwanda: and criminal conspiracy. “Because you don’t know what effect it will Stung by international outrage at the have—whether it will be a broken window, attacks on Irish Nationalists, the British twenty broken windows, or a thousand government deployed soldiers on the streets dead. When you can’t control a weapon, you of Belfast and Derry both to protect the don’t use it.”4 Later that year, Hume was Nationalists and restore stability to a situa- elected to the local Northern Ireland parlia- tion that was getting out of hand. The ment and together with five other members troops were initially welcomed by the local formed the SDLP, which would become population with flowers and trays of tea. the majority nonviolent voice of the Irish But the IRA deliberately provoked the Nationalists. troops, and their heavy-handed reaction was In an attempt to replace violence with seen as a broad attack on the Nationalists. politics, the British and Irish governments In tactics eerily similar to those employed in joined the SDLP and the moderate Loyalist the Sunni triangle in Iraq, local communi- party, the Ulster Unionist Party, in a novel ties rallied around the “insurgents.” The initiative in 1973. The result was the Sun- British hope of acceptance as a neutral ningdale Agreement, which provided for a peacekeeping force was finally dashed by in- power-sharing government between Nation- ternment without trial of hundreds of Na- alists and Loyalists in Belfast, and a consul- tionalists and the “Bloody Sunday” killings tative role for the Dublin government. of 13 civilians by British paratroopers in While the prescriptive arrangements were 1972. Many ordinary Nationalists and Loy- visionary, the extremists of Northern Ireland alists became convinced that only some sort were not yet ready for compromise.