After decades of conflict and against all the odds, the Good Friday Agreement was adopted on April 10, 1998 and endorsed by the people of Northern Ireland in a referendum the following month. Twenty-five years on, in the turmoil surrounding Brexit and the collapse of power-sharing once again, “Writing Peace” will illuminate in all its complexity the story of the negotiated peace ushered in by the Agreement.
The project’s pioneering multi-media platform will bring together archives, private papers, and oral histories from across the political spectrum to create a rounded view of the context and detail of the peace process. A unique visualization of the primary source material will immerse users, whether seasoned academics or school children, in the negotiations, enabling a clearer understanding of the hopes and fears of those at the table, as well as the pressure imposed by stakeholders outside the room.
Cutting-edge analytical tools will trace the origins of particular phrases and the developing roles of different individuals and political parties over more than a decade, allowing us to celebrate the full constellation of peace makers involved and helping scholars and practitioners alike to learn lessons for the future.