It is of no surprise that there is a dispute between the Nationalists and Unionists, given the evidence of an ethnic conflict, the disputed use of customs, language, religion, and the claim that both groups have ancestral rights to the same piece of land. The vast amount of events and practices that both groups debate over is overwhelming. The level of discrimination that takes place is apauling. It is to this authors amazement, that a deal could be struck like The Agreement in the hopes of bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Essentially, for the conflict to be resolved, both groups would need to unlearn everything that they have been indoctrinated with throughout their entire lives. The ethnocentric racism would need to end. Schools would need to be desegregated. A Fair Housing Authority that could actually enforce fair housing would have to be enacted. An Equal Opportunity Commission that could actually enforce equal opportunity for all would have to be enacted. Peace in Northern Ireland would, really take a monumental effort from every individual that is a citizen of that province. The Agreement has addressed some of these very issues and it passed a province wide referendum by an overwhelming majority, but the new Northern Irish Parliament has not yet been formed. I fear that all of the courage that members of the peace process, both Unionists and Nationalists, mustered to broker this deal may be for naught because of the stubborn ignorance of a very small minority. If peace is not achieved in this attempt, and the acts of The Agreement are not fulfilled, then we may never see peace in Northern Ireland in our lifetime. Both side have compromised so much, and tried so hard to make a deal that would stick it, would be difficult to envision any leader of any party, either Unionist or Nationalist, that would be willing to make the same concessions again.
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