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Washington & Jefferson College

Publication Date

Spring 2007

Program Name

Ireland: Transformation of Social and Political Conflict

Abstract

May 8th, 2007; a day which will be a monumental moment in history. It will be seen as an end of an era of fighting and lost lives. For others it is going to be a moment of relief and progress. And still others will feel dazed and confused. Yet no matter where one might stand on the spectrum, this day will forever remain a historic one. One which will be referred to in the history books and stories will be told of what lead to this extraordinary moment. May 8th 2007 will be the day which Nationalists and Unionists from the two extreme parties, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party, share power in the Northern Ireland Assembly by their own consent.

For the past three weeks, I have had the opportunity to research this fascinating topic and gain a better and deeper understanding of the current political situation. For myself, this topic was not one of attempting to create a piece of literature which would be cited and used as an example of what should come on the 8th of May, but instead is a result of serious interest in the topic from the start. This project was to focus on the aspects of power-sharing and devolution. I wanted to take Members of the Legislative Assembly, interview them and ask them about the possibility of power-sharing, compile the results and comment on said testimony. The following is a written result of my findings and understandings.

Disciplines

Peace and Conflict Studies | Political Science

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