Peace – Slugger O'Toole

Curating the conflict: Everyday Objects and the challenge of representing the Troubles

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on March 28, 2026, 10:42 pm

| Readers 649

An online panel discussion hosted by The Peace Museum in Bradford brought together museum professionals, academics, and heritage practitioners to explore how the conflict in and about Northern Ireland has been represented in exhibitions. Chaired by Dr Louise Purbrick of the Royal College of Art, the conversation introduced the museum’s current special exhibition, Everyday Objects Transformed by the Conflict, developed by Healing Through Remembering (HTR). The panel included Professor Elizabeth Crooke of Ulster University, Dr Karine Bigand of Aix-Marseille University, and Dr …

Navigating fraught legacies with trauma-informed archival practice

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 27, 2026, 11:46 am

| Readers 540

The Quill Project recently hosted a comprehensive event focusing on the examination of archival practice, care, and ethical responsibility in a post-conflict context. Hosted by the Quill Project — a digital humanities research enterprise based at Pembroke College, Oxford, which is currently focused on building an inclusive digital archive of the Northern Ireland peace process — the gathering at Holywell Trust in Derry/Londonderry was chaired by Barry Houlihan, an archivist at the University of Galway. The event featured a series …

The power of peacebuilding: McAleese’s personal toll and Hume’s enduring call for dialogue

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 23, 2026, 12:13 pm

| Readers 1395

The John and Pat Hume Foundation recently hosted a significant gathering at Clonard Monastery to reflect on the enduring legacy of John and Pat Hume in achieving peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Father Ciaran O’Callaghan, Vice-Director of Clonard, welcomed attendees on behalf of the Rector and community, noting the profound connection between the Hume Foundation and the Redemptorists. The event, broadcast globally to an online audience, featured former President of Ireland Dr Mary McAleese as the guest of honour. Broadcaster Jim …

‘What is the peace?’ Rethinking Northern Irish photography from the Troubles and beyond

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on June 26, 2025, 10:53 pm

| Readers 1803

The latest series of talks at the Photo Museum Ireland featured an insightful lecture by Colin Graham, a professor of English and an accomplished author. The evening’s discussion centred around the intricate subject of Northern Irish photography, with a particular focus on its evolution from conflict to peace and the various artistic interpretations within that spectrum. Colin Graham’s background is rooted in literature and cultural studies, which provided a unique lens through which he examined Northern Irish photography. He noted, “I moved back to Belfast …

Exploring cultural peace work in Northern Ireland

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on May 31, 2025, 2:54 pm

| Readers 1093

Cultural peace work entails using creative and cultural practices to foster peace and reconciliation, particularly in post-conflict societies. In Northern Ireland, various organisations and individuals are harnessing the power of arts and culture to address deep-seated issues from a history of sectarian violence. In a recent session centred on cultural peace work and the dynamic of creativity in peacebuilding, various experts shared their insights. Their discussions delved into the importance of cultural spaces, the challenges faced in creative practices, and the significance …

Monitoring peace progress in Northern Ireland: a wellbeing framework

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on March 5, 2025, 2:12 pm

| Readers 1279

While much of the media coverage of the launch of the Northern Ireland Executive’s latest Programme for Government (PfG) rightly focused on the specific, quantifiable targets (or lack thereof), a complementary “wellbeing framework”, with dozens of regularly updated metrics, has received little comment. The PfG Wellbeing Framework has the potential for journalists and others to regularly monitor and scrutinise the executive’s progress on ten named “strategic domains” across three “missions”. First Minister Michelle O’Neill explained to fellow MLAs at the tabling of …

‘A floating process’: drafting the Downing Street Declaration

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on December 15, 2023, 10:22 am

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The thirtieth anniversary of the Downing Street Declaration was marked by a panel discussion organised by ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South) and held at the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) in Dublin. RIA member Professor Katy Hayward chaired the conversation with Professor Ian McBride, Seán O’Huiginn, and Sir Jonathan Stephens. The event was in support of the Quill Projects at Pembroke College, Oxford; Writing Peace is bringing together archives, private papers, and oral histories from across the political …

GRACE: measuring trust for better community relations

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 17, 2023, 11:52 am

| Readers 606

On the International Day of Peace, as part of Good Relations Week, research undertaken through a partnership between the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (Coventry University) and Community Relations in Schools (CRIS) was launched. The research examines the role of trust-building in school-based reconciliation initiatives: “Trust, while taken for granted as important, has not been deeply unpacked or examined to better understand its more particular role in facilitating a move towards reconciliation,” declared the organisers, and the panel …

‘Building anew’: sharing lessons of transition in Germany and Ireland

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 10, 2023, 11:50 am

| Readers 3455

A conference to mark Germany Unity Day was held at the Royal Irish Academy, co-hosted by ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South), Maynooth University, and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dublin. Two panel discussions explored practical matters of transition in Germany while being alert to and making attempts to avoid and/or counter societal polarisation in any transformation process. The German Ambassador to Ireland, Cord Meier-Klodt, said that for him the focus of the day’s …

Addressing the evil of sectarianism: Bill Shaw on life, faith, and hope

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on September 27, 2023, 10:47 am

| Readers 3328

The retreat and conference centre run by the Passionate community, Tobar Mhuire, was the venue for a guided interview with Bill Shaw, presented as an opportunity “to explore their experience of life, faith, and where they find sources of hope in their lives”. The event was included as part of Good Relations Week 2023. Brian McKee, a professional facilitator and director of Seedlings, welcomed the attendees and invited Shaw to start from the beginning. Declaring himself, “I’m from Sandy Row,” …

Acknowledging deep hurt and pain: Day of Reflection at Belfast City Hall

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on June 21, 2023, 10:33 pm

| Readers 753

Belfast City Council hosted an annual Day of Reflection event for a second year, providing an opportunity for people and communities across the city to acknowledge the deep hurt and pain caused by the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. After introductory remarks, a short film was repeated during the day, interspersed with readings from a variety of authors. Attendees were invited to share their hopes for the future by adding a leaf to a “Message Tree”, and a number …

Transmitting photographic energy of colour and love: Hannah Starkey’s Northern Ireland peace women

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on June 12, 2023, 6:19 pm

| Readers 565

As part of the Belfast Photo Festival and in partnership with the Ulster Museum, artist Hannah Starkey gave a talk about her previous work and current exhibition on display, Principled and Revolutionary: Northern Ireland’s Peace Women. She addressed an audience of two dozen seated in the middle of the exhibition room, surrounded by 21 two-metre portraits on the walls. Starkey began by sharing memories of growing up in Belfast, accompanying her mother at her market stall, noting her respect and …

‘We have institutions to build a better future’: Bríd Rodgers

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 18, 2023, 12:53 am

| Readers 1143

As part of its Origins & Legacies: The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement project at the Linen Hall Library, some of the protagonists of the negotiations from across the political spectrum shared their insights at The Origins of the Agreement event. The panellists were: Gary McMichael; Monica McWilliams; Bríd Rodgers; Peter, Lord Weir; and Mitchel McLaughlin. The conversation was chaired by Mark Simpson, political correspondent for the BBC at the time of the agreement of the peace accord. The library’s chief executive, …

Art can transcend GFA ‘institutional sclerosis’: Paul Arthur

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 17, 2023, 1:23 am

| Readers 1772

Professor Paul Arthur (Ulster University) suggested that the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement could be interpreted as “the end of the beginning”, when we moved from a political life of zero-sum (if you’re winning, I must be losing), to one of agreeing to disagree (with an element of mutual respect). He elaborated on this during his talk at the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady, as part of a series of events co-hosted with his university and the Causeway Coast …

The memorials in our heads: the Im/material Monument (Gail Ritchie)

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 11, 2023, 7:28 am

| Readers 1243

As the information sheet for Gail Ritchie’s exhibition, The Im/material Monument, points out, 25 years after the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement there is no memorial to commemorate the collective dead of the Troubles. Through a series of objects, Ritchie challenges our imaginations as to what our memorialising could be. With a guided tour, she explained the motivations and intent of her work on display at QSS Artist Studios. Ritchie began her curated tour by remarking that she had …

‘Human peace wall’ marks Good Friday Agreement’s 25th anniversary

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 7, 2023, 11:07 pm

| Readers 1144

A “human peace wall” event at a Belfast interface marked the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. About 100 people lined up from the Falls Road to the Shankill Road end on Northumberland Street, forming a line of solidarity across the community. They stood still for 25 seconds, to mark the years since the peace accord was agreed upon. The event was organised by New Life City Church and the Falls Residents’ Association. After some singing and prayers by …

Good Friday Agreement ‘best thing that’s happened on this island in the last 100 years’: Coveney

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 26, 2022, 2:08 pm

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Minister Simon Coveney TD, Ireland Minister for Foreign Affairs, resumed his speech that was interrupted by a bomb scare earlier this year in north Belfast. He was the keynote speaker guest as part of a series of seminars, “Building Common Ground”, organised by the John & Pat Hume Foundation for Peaceful Change and Reconciliation. After Minister Coveney’s address, there was a facilitated discussion with Claire Sugden MLA, a former Justice Minister. Father Gary Donegan reminded the audience that the event venue, the Houben Centre, is …

Peace Heroines: Spotlight on Stormont

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on September 29, 2022, 4:42 pm

| Readers 1237

The Herstory project, established in 2016 to elevate the stories of women in national histories, launched an art exhibition at the Long Gallery in Parliament Buildings, Belfast. “Peace Heroines” features nine vibrant, largescale individual portrait paintings by artist FRIZ — women who have made an indelible mark on the Northern Ireland peace process, including Monica McWilliams, Pearl Sagar, Linda Ervine, Pat Hume, May Blood, Ann Carr, and Saidie Patterson. Several took part in an event discussion with Herstory creative director, Melanie Lynch. After …

‘A Long Night’s Journey into Day’ — distinguishing process and progress of reconciliation in South Africa

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 9, 2022, 11:20 am

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As part of the Feile programme of events, and supported by the Department of Foreign Affair’s Reconciliation Fund, the award-winning documentary film about South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process, A Long Night’s Journey into Day, was screened at the James Connolly Visitors Centre, followed by a comprehensive discussion with Professor Brandon Hamber, who shared his experience of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Screening The film covers four stories from the over 22,000 stories submitted to the …

Musicking for peacebuilding

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on December 2, 2019, 11:47 am

| Readers 607

Musicking for peacebuilding Sounding Conflict: From Resistance to Reconciliation by Allan LEONARD 28 November 2019 The state-of-the-art acoustic facility, the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) at Queen’s University Belfast, was a most appropriate meeting place for a two-day symposium that explored the roles of music, from activist resistance to a hopeful tool for reconciliation from conflict. The event was organised by the Mitchell Institute for Global Peace at Queen’s University. Professor Fiona Magowan welcomed several dozen delegates, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor David …