Negotiating Differences Conferences

The Other View magazine organised a conference in the Farset convention centre in Belfast on 3rd December 2003. The theme of the event was how we might negotiate differences rather than settling them by force. A wide-range of people with different opinions participated in the event. Principal speakers were; Des Wilson Springhill Community House, Dawn Purvis (Progressive Unionist Party), Harry Donaghy (An Eochair) and Brian Kelly of the Brownlow Integrated College of Education. Following an introduction by the magazine’s joint editor Tommy McKearney, Dawn Purvis opened the conference by questioning the very concept of negotiating differences. She said that in her opinion it would be best to look at this topic from the perspective of ‘accommodating differences’ and attempting to transform the conflict. In her view, differences would very likely remain and people should not attempt to ignore the very real and profound disagreements that exist.
She also continued by pointing out that there is widely held perception that it is vital to build trust and confidence between communities before conflict can be ended. Dawn challenged this belief stating that while it would be helpful and useful if this were to happen, it is not a vital component in the process – even people who detest each other can arrange a working accommodation if they have sufficient incentive to do so.

The point to emphasise, she said, is that very often too many pre-conditions are set before discussions begin and the inevitable result is breaking-down. She then shared with the conference, her experience of attempting to resolve the conflict between Lower Ormeau Road residents and the Ballynafeigh branch of the Orange Order. In conclusion, Ms Purvis noted the importance of recognizing that an opponent has a legitimate right to hold a view and that the first step in any process of transforming a conflict is to agree or disagree.

The next speaker was Harry Donaghy from An Eochair. Mr Donaghy opened his address by criticizing a widely held view that there could only be a resolution of our problems if and when…. Republicans do…. He pointed out that this highly unlikely and that it is just as difficult to imaging local people coming to terms with another real difficulty they face in their everyday lives, the impact of Globalisation and the detrimental effect that this is having on their prospects for employment and reasonable standard of living. He then went on to describe other areas where very significant efforts are being made to overcome differences by making an examination of our shared and common past. Mr Donaghy spoke of history project currently being undertaken by a number of different agencies in Belfast and in the Republic in order to promote an understanding of times when people of this island participated together in major conflicts. The project is currently studying the First World War and ultimately intends to examine the period of the United Irishmen and Irish participation in the Spanish Civil War.

In the afternoon session, Des Wilson of the Springhill Community House in West Belfast was the keynote speaker. In a lively address he opened by saving that instead of parity of esteem, we might now consider generosity of esteem. He continued, we need to find ways to re-humanise people and to give other people a chance to speak and articulate themselves, to give them a sense of ownership and look at ways and means to transform relationships and structures. He then outlined his view of the contemporary understanding of democracy, saying that over centuries we have come to understand that all people must have an opportunity to vote on the make-up of government. Now, he said, in areas of contention such as Northern Ireland it is time to think in terms of everybody having a real input into decision-making and not just government electing. He pointed out that this was his understanding of what the Good Friday Agreement was supposed to achieve and that we might measure its success of failures in the light.

Speaking from the floor, conflict mediation specialist, Brendan McAlister said that working class communities should think about setting aside constitutional differences and concentrate on their economic problems.

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