Former US President Bill Clinton said in an article published by the Washington Post that despite the passage of nearly 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland, the situation is still far from what was hoped for.
Clinton added that little progress has been made so far in social integration in Northern Ireland, as neighborhoods are still divided, and economic inequality between the population is still wide. In addition, Britain's exit from the European Union further complicated the situation, as Brexit left the country in a state of political paralysis.
The former US president made it clear that despite all those challenges that still exist, peace in Northern Ireland has withstood and continued, unlike other experiences in different regions of the world that did not achieve the same success.
Several factors
Clinton attributed this to several factors, foremost among them being that peace was a popular demand, as people were tired of the killings and the tragedies that resulted from that, and they were also tired of the successive economic crises caused by the state of division.
In addition, political leaders on all sides displayed remarkable courage during the peace negotiations, making great sacrifices and concessions to their opponents in the knowledge that they were endangering their own political future.
But they insisted on moving forward on the settlement path, and steadily built mutual trust by taking decisive measures, including the release of prisoners and a cease-fire.
Clinton indicated, in his article in the Washington Post, that one of the reasons for the success of peace in Northern Ireland is also the positive American intervention, as the United States worked to help bring all parties together around a successful settlement agreement that achieves the most important thing, which is peace.
special relationships
He said Washington should continue to support peace in Northern Ireland, not only given its "special relationship" with London, but also to appease a wide range of Irish-Americans worried about the fate of their homeland.
Clinton also emphasized that the steadfastness of peace in Ireland is also due to the fact that the Good Friday Agreement was fair for all parties, and guaranteed everyone's commitment to majority rule, but with respect for minority rights, respect for civil and individual rights, the rule of law, the prohibition of violence and the disarmament and demobilization of paramilitary groups.
He also succeeded in establishing a joint decision-making system and regulating special relations with the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Clinton made it clear that the success of any similar experiment in the problems afflicting the world requires leadership figures who have enough courage to face the challenges directly and take the difficult decisions necessary to achieve peace, within a framework that everyone participates in shaping.
