Communicating Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding: How does storytelling challenge the meta-conflict in Northern Ireland? Jamie Pickering A thesis submitted for the degree of PhD Department of Sociology University of Essex October 2020 Abstract Research into the way that peacebuilding and transitional justice contribute to or challenge existing discourses in affected regions demonstrates a fragile relationship, whereby interventions may exacerbate existing cleavages in divided societies. Storytelling includes a range of approaches that allow people to express and listen to stories related to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. This can take various forms; it may involve community led oral history projects, intergroup talking circles, or exhibitions where artwork or objects are used to tell the story of the conflict’s victims. Building on theoretical frameworks presented in both transitional justice and peacebuilding literature, this thesis is primarily concerned with issues related to post-conflict narratives. In Northern Ireland this is most notable in what is referred to as the meta-conflict; the conflict about the conflict itself, which persists today. In global peacebuilding and transitional justice efforts, the existence of this tension can result in initiatives that pointedly avoid questions around the causes and conduct of the conflict itself. I addressed this uneasy relationship through semi- structured interviews with storytelling experts and facilitators, to present a rich account of the methods of grassroots peace work in Northern Ireland. In addition to an account of local experts from across the spectrum of storytelling projects this thesis presents an alternative analytical framework, by considering the extent to which the meta-conflict is challenged by these projects. It is argued that storytelling projects challenge the meta-conflict in the process of story-gathering due to a commitment to core principles shared by storytelling facilitators, but that there is a far more varied approach to story-sharing, due to the difficulties of contextualisation and political or economic barriers. Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank the participants in this research, and anyone who helped contribute to the fieldwork. I am enormously grateful for the time you took to speak to me. I hope that, in return, this research is of some use or interest to peacebuilders in Northern Ireland. This thesis would not exist without the support of my supervisors. Thank you to Carlos Gigoux Gramegna – I am grateful for the relaxed but ever-present support, reassurance and constructive feedback. Thank you also to Colin Samson for his wise suggestions and ensuring I will never use the word ‘whilst’ ever again - quite right too. I would also like to thank the following for their academic support: Ulrike Theuerkauf and Martin Scott at UEA - for giving me the inspiration, guidance and confidence to apply for a PhD in the first place. Clara Sandoval-Villalba for some important first year pointers around transitional justice literature, and Johanna Römer for her encouragement and feedback. Aoife Duffy for some essential input regarding my initial research design – which is partly owed to a lightbulb moment in one of her classes. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support – thanks to anyone who has asked about the thesis and not glazed over when I started to explain, or offered respite of some kind. You know who you are – the inane chat on Whatsapp, coffee in Bury St Edmunds, installing a bathroom in Rougham or singing in the Barclay End. Thank you to my Grandad for backing me during my MA – and giving peace of mind and approval during a time of uncertainty. Chris, Sal and the wider Garforth clan – thank you not only for the support, but perhaps more importantly the values that you and your family stand for. It certainly made the decision to embark on an MA and PhD, and in this particular field, seem like the ‘right’ thing to do. Thanks must go to my parents – for bestowing upon me stubbornness, argumentativeness and a healthy respect for learning. All have proved vital during this research and come directly and indirectly from you both. Thank you also to my sister for nourishing these traits over the years, and commenting on the introduction. Finally, my wife Rachel and daughter Zoë for the love, unwavering belief and daily inspiration to keep plugging away. Contents Table of Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... Contents ...................................................................................................................................... List of abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 – Introduction ................................................................................................ 2 1.1 - Thesis Outline .................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 – Literature Review ....................................................................................... 12 2.1 - Transitional Justice – theoretical insights ...................................................................... 12 2.1.1 - Historical and theoretical foundations ............................................................. 13 2.1.2 - Interdisciplinary tensions .................................................................................. 17 2.1.3 - Contemporary interests in Transitional Justice research ................................ 19 2.1.4 – Transitional Justice and Grassroots Initiatives ................................................ 21 2.2 - Peacebuilding .................................................................................................................. 25 2.3 - Civil Society, Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding ................................................... 30 2.4 - Between Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding: the theoretical position of this research ................................................................................................................................... 34 2.5 – Peacebuilding and Transitional Justice in Northern Ireland – Past ............................. 35 2.6 – Peacebuilding and Transitional Justice in Northern Ireland – Present and Future ..... 40 2.7 - Storytelling in Northern Ireland ...................................................................................... 45 Chapter 3 - Analytical Framework .................................................................................. 53 3.1 - The challenges of measuring reconciliation................................................................... 54 3.2 - Locally centred peacebuilding measurement ................................................................ 58 3.3 - Meta-conflict and contested narratives .......................................................................... 61 3.4 - Meta-conflict as a thematic focus ................................................................................... 62 3.5- The significance of the meta-conflict as a thematic focus ............................................. 68 Chapter 4 - Methods ..................................................................................................... 70 4.1 - Epistemological Position ................................................................................................. 71 4.2 - Law, Ethical Approval and Risk Assessment ................................................................... 74 4.3 - Addressing the research questions ................................................................................. 78 4.4 - Sampling .......................................................................................................................... 82 4.5 - Who was interviewed? ..................................................................................................... 85 4.6 - How were interviews conducted? ................................................................................... 91 4.7 - Questioning...................................................................................................................... 93 4.8 - Expert interviews ............................................................................................................. 99 4.9 - Outcome of fieldwork and analytical approach ........................................................... 102 Chapter 5 - Storytelling, story-gathering and the meta-conflict ...................................... 105 5.1 - The goal(s) of storytelling .............................................................................................. 108 5.1.1 - Centrality of the storyteller: Catharsis, Therapy and Acknowledgement ...... 109 5.1.2 - Reconciliation ................................................................................................... 113 5.1.3 - Diverse accounts and complicating the narrative .......................................... 116 5.1.4 - The content of stories and the meta-conflict .................................................. 120 5.1.5 - Conclusion .......................................................................................................