Peace process

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The peace process describes efforts by interested parties to effect a lasting solution to long-running conflicts, such as the Northern Ireland peace process see Belfast Agreement, Arab-Israeli conflict and Peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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[edit] Northern Ireland

Ireland was partitioned or divided in 1921 following the Irish War of Independence. 26 counties to the south became an independent nation known originally as the Irish Free State and today as the Republic of Ireland. While the 6 counties in the north-east historical province of Ulster with a loyalist Protestant community, largely descended from British planters, remained part of the U.K. as Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's Catholic minority mostly supported a united Ireland and, for decades, complained of persecution by the Protestant dominated devolved government led by the Ulster Unionist Party. The idea of a United Ireland amongst Irish nationalists means Northern Ireland leaving the UK to join the Republic of Ireland. A bloody communal conflict was fought in between 1969 and 1998 known as The Troubles. On the one hand republican paramilitaries fought British armed forces, the local police and loyalist militias in an attempt to end British rule in Northern Ireland while Loyalist paramilitaries fought to maintain Northern Ireland's union with Britain, loyalist measures involved mostly targeting Catholic civilians. Over one thousand civilians were murdered by both sides during the conflict.

An end to the long running ethnic/political conflict in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles came with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement in 1998. In exchange for the disarmament of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and much smaller and less committed moves towards peace by Loyalist paramilitaries a set of reforms was introduced which have been accepted by the majority of both communities. The vast majority of Irish republicans and Irish nationalists who favour a United Ireland have agreed that Northern Ireland's link with the United Kingdom should remain until a majority of its people decide otherwise (Northern Ireland's population contains a majority of Protestants who are Unionist or Loyalist and as such oppose Northern Ireland leaving the U.K. to unite with the Republic of Ireland).

The former police force known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary or RUC which Irish nationalists claimed was discriminatory towards members of Northern Ireland's Catholic minority has been replaced with a cross community force known as the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland). Since the Provisional IRA has abandoned violence all together, their political ally Sinn Féin, which is currently the largest nationalist party in Northern Ireland, has been allowed to form a power-sharing government with the largest Unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party. New legislation on human rights and equality has been introduced in order to meet concerns of sectarianism (persecution of the Catholic community who mostly support a united Ireland), the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was established, A North-South Ministerial Councilhas been created combining elected officials from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to cooperate on matters of joint concern, the right of all residents to hold either British or Irish citizenship has been granted and as has the recognition of minority languages (the Irish language and Ulster Scots).

The agreement was approved by the vast majority of voters on both sides of the Irish border and is seen as an example of how ethnic conflicts can be ended. There are still problems with a minority who oppose the peace process (factions such as the Continuity Irish Republican Army and so called Real Irish Republican Army) however most paramilitaries both republican and loyalist have supported the peace process. As a result prisoners from paramilitaries that vowed to no longer engage in violent activities (such as the Provisional IRA, Irish National Liberation Army, Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association) were freed on early release.

[edit] Middle East

In the Middle East, various solutions have been offered, and some tried. Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat worked together to create an official peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, which ended the formal state of war between the two nations as a result of the Camp David Accords (1978). The Oslo accords was a later framework between the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel.

Many groups and individuals have created projects working for peace among Israelis and Arabs, most of which have as one of their goals overcoming religious prejudice.

The usage of the term peace process is often criticized as being in an improper context to the given situation. Osama bin Laden has referred to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process as a "capitulation process". Left wing critics like Noam Chomsky argue that the history of US involvement in the Middle East discredits the idea that what may be taking place is an authentic peace process:

Any discussion of what is called a "peace process," whether the one underway at Camp David or any other, should keep in mind the operative meaning of the phrase —by definition, the "peace process" is whatever the US government happens to be pursuing.

—Noam Chomsky, "Peace Process" Prospects

After the eruption of the al-Aqsa Intifada and wave of mass suicide bombings the Israeli usage in term peace process have decreased significantly. A more neutral Hebrew term Hebrew: התהליך המדיני‎ ("the international political process") is used by the Israeli media, where peace process is often used in irony.

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