Expect the noise levels to increase. Earplugs may even be required.
The major flaw in the ‘reconciliation first’ argument – in the Irish unity discussion – is its apparent antipathy to the fractious and loud nature of democracy. An open invitation to mischievous disruptors/spoilers – local and global – to mess with collective ambitions. Those whose main aim is to impede the necessary planning for the future of Ireland.
Good to note then that serious political and civic actors are not fooled by the migraine-inducing repetitive tools of distraction. People who are mature enough to grasp that the journey to a united Ireland will be difficult and may even beturbulent. As anything worth achieving in life tends to be. Recognising this reality now will help in steeling everyone in advance.
That is one reason why the various unity initiatives are to be welcomed and encouraged. Not because united Irelanders are on the same page (they are definitely not) but because this effort demonstrates a desire to keep pressing on despite bad-faith actors who are determined to derail the project.
Civic and political unionism is not adjusting well to the new dynamics of life in the North. A statement of the obvious.Separation and segregation feed the spread of distinct universes here. Instincts, intuitions and defaults that are carried into all aspects of life in the region. The fragmentation evident throughout unionism is best viewed as a desperatereaction to success.
Why share this purely personal reflection? There is a risk that these tactics may achieve their plain intention. This is a major problem in the case of those who appear to believe constitutional change in Ireland will happen through an ill-defined mystical process of all-island communal healing. A near theological image divorced from the fraught and messy nature of deliberation, dialogue and debate. I am an optimist, but even I know that Irish unity will be a hard slog.
A united Ireland will not be constructed in a dream world during a comfortable night of restful sleep. It must be prepared for in the open and won. Even in this post-Agreement environment that will often be against formidable opposition. There will not be a singular moment of island-wide catharsis. Although that is possible in the Netflix series that follows. Those who lose may remain unsettled and unhappy for a very long time. That deep feeling of disappointment can, of course, be anticipated, managed and mitigated. But it will remain.
Like many others, I look forward to reading the pathways, proposals, blueprints and roadmaps. There will agreement and disagreement, on process, substance and on personalities. Egos will consume time and energy; the patient wise headsout there will know how to address that sensibly. The key is to stay fixed on the opportunity presented to this generation and understand the shared responsibility to deliver.
Colin Harvey is a Professor in the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast. The views expressed here are those of the author only and do not reflect any institutional position.
Further information about Professor Harvey’s work is available here: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/colin-harvey/
Expect the noise levels to increase. Earplugs may even be required.
The major flaw in the ‘reconciliation first’ argument – in the Irish unity discussion – is its apparent antipathy to the fractious and loud nature of democracy. An open invitation to mischievous disruptors/spoilers – local and global – to mess with collective ambitions. Those whose main aim is to impede the necessary planning for the future of Ireland.
Good to note then that serious political and civic actors are not fooled by the migraine-inducing repetitive tools of distraction. People who are mature enough to grasp that the journey to a united Ireland will be difficult and may even beturbulent. As anything worth achieving in life tends to be. Recognising this reality now will help in steeling everyone in advance.
That is one reason why the various unity initiatives are to be welcomed and encouraged. Not because united Irelanders are on the same page (they are definitely not) but because this effort demonstrates a desire to keep pressing on despite bad-faith actors who are determined to derail the project.
Civic and political unionism is not adjusting well to the new dynamics of life in the North. A statement of the obvious.Separation and segregation feed the spread of distinct universes here. Instincts, intuitions and defaults that are carried into all aspects of life in the region. The fragmentation evident throughout unionism is best viewed as a desperatereaction to success.
Why share this purely personal reflection? There is a risk that these tactics may achieve their plain intention. This is a major problem in the case of those who appear to believe constitutional change in Ireland will happen through an ill-defined mystical process of all-island communal healing. A near theological image divorced from the fraught and messy nature of deliberation, dialogue and debate. I am an optimist, but even I know that Irish unity will be a hard slog.
A united Ireland will not be constructed in a dream world during a comfortable night of restful sleep. It must be prepared for in the open and won. Even in this post-Agreement environment that will often be against formidable opposition. There will not be a singular moment of island-wide catharsis. Although that is possible in the Netflix series that follows. Those who lose may remain unsettled and unhappy for a very long time. That deep feeling of disappointment can, of course, be anticipated, managed and mitigated. But it will remain.
Like many others, I look forward to reading the pathways, proposals, blueprints and roadmaps. There will agreement and disagreement, on process, substance and on personalities. Egos will consume time and energy; the patient wise headsout there will know how to address that sensibly. The key is to stay fixed on the opportunity presented to this generation and understand the shared responsibility to deliver.
Colin Harvey is a Professor in the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast. The views expressed here are those of the author only and do not reflect any institutional position.
Further information about Professor Harvey’s work is available here: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/colin-harvey/