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There Is No Glory in Any War

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Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Compromise after Conflict ((PSCAC))

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Abstract

In this chapter, the focus shifts to the peace process in Northern Ireland and, in particular, the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998 (otherwise known as the Belfast Agreement). The intention is not to describe in detail the provisions of the Agreement, or the twists and turns of the peace process, as these have been well-documented elsewhere (McEvoy 2007; Shirlow et al. 2005; Vaughan and Kilcommins 2008). Rather, the chapter explores the attitudes towards the peace process of the women ex-combatants in the study, providing insights into the subjective legacy of the Conflict and setting the scene for exploring the women’s subsequent experiences. The women’s reflections are set alongside a discussion of some of the principles underpinning the Good Friday agreement, in the context of broader debate about the nature of transitional justice and the role of penal reform, and of attention to social justice in the transition from Conflict to peace.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Agreement Reached in Multi-Party Negotiations (Cm 3993, 1998). For further details of the parliamentary stages of the legislation and all the legal preparations for devolution, see http://www.nio.gov.uk/implemact.htm. The Agreement was translated into legislation in the form of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

  2. 2.

    United Nations rule of law and transitional justice activities include developing standards and best practices, assisting in the design and implementation of transitional justice mechanisms, providing technical, material and financial support, and promoting the inclusion of human rights and transitional justice considerations in peace agreements.

  3. 3.

    There are lessons here from many societies around the world which can be categorised as ‘post-violent societies’, (for example, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Southern Sudan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and much of Latin America).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Azrini Wahidin

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  1. Azrini Wahidin
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Wahidin, A. (2016). There Is No Glory in Any War. In: Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland. Palgrave Studies in Compromise after Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-36330-5_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-36330-5_10

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-36329-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-36330-5

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

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