Iraqi officials seeking to create peace from conflict joined with Northern Ireland experts this fall for first-hand lessons in how the “Troubles” there have been turned into a developing peace over the last 10 years. Nine senior members of Iraq’s Council of Representatives took part in an NDI-sponsored study mission to Belfast to gain a comparative perspective on many issues common to both societies – such as ending sectarian discord, brokering peace agreements and power sharing – through meetings with major players from all facets of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Prior to the study mission, Lord John Alderdice, one of the negotiators of the Good Friday Agreement that brought a settlement to the conflict in Northern Ireland, moderated a two-day NDI-sponsored forum in Erbil that brought together Iraqi representatives from eight political parties and 20 civil society organizations from Kirkuk for a two-day, first-of-its-kind event.  Male and female participants of different constituencies, ethnicities, religions, generations, and interest groups discussed security, economic development, public administration and other issues affecting the disputed governorate.

Speaking to the Iraqis in Belfast, Lord Alderdice hailed the prospect of competing interests aligning with common goals. He urged the MPs to maintain engagement at the local level where political parties can have a tremendous impact.

“People assume trust is a requirement for a successful process.  Trust is an outcome,” he said.  “You would be crazy to trust your enemy – trust comes because you make little agreements and then deliver on those agreements.”

In Belfast, the Iraqis met jointly with leaders – including First Minister Dr. Ian Paisley of the Unionist Party and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein – who during the height of the Troubles held sharply opposing views.  “There are people in the world who think a resolution of the situation in Iraq is impossible,” said McGuinness.  “I don’t accept that.  Many people thought it was impossible that Dr. Paisley and I would even sit here in this room together.  We overcame that impossibility and so can you.”

The Iraqi MPs praised their Irish hosts for their honesty in depicting the lingering after-effects of the Troubles. For example, Unionist Party Member Jeffrey Donaldson told them, “It has been a very difficult journey for us in Northern Ireland, but I want to encourage you that what seems like an impossible problem to be solved can be solved if there is the will to do it.” Donaldson also acknowledged that “mistakes” had been made in their quest to find peace and stressed the importance of including all sides in the Iraqi peace process.

“The experience we gained through this visit is very useful to us,” said Iraqi MP Hamid Majid Mousa, “We will attempt and attempt and attempt until we reach peace. … We are working, keeping up dialogue; we disagree and get frustrated, but we always come back to the table of negotiations…We feel no option except to keep going forward.”

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Published on Dec. 20, 2007