Northern Ireland Conflict

The Northern Ireland conflict is typical of conflicts in deeply divided societies. The motivations of conflict were at once religious, colonial, and ethnonational. The conflict was driven by power and resource inequalities. It was rooted in communal solidarities, interests, and identities that were not simply the creations of politicians or paramilitaries. The Northern Ireland peace process provided a model for a temporary cease-fire in the Basque Country, and the 1998 settlement held out hope for other such conflicts. In the Northern Ireland case, favorable conditions of settlement included British-Irish cooperation and support from the EU and the United States for an egalitarian, negotiated settlement.