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Learning from a Peace Process: Theory, Practice and the Case of Northern Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2020

David Mitchell Open the ORCID record for David Mitchell [Opens in a new window]
David Mitchell*
Affiliation:
Peace Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Belfast campus, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: damitche@tcd.ie
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Abstract

The goal of ‘learning’ from peace processes is widely expressed in conflict resolution scholarship and practice but inadequately understood. This article investigates what kinds of knowledge can be learned from a peace process, the theoretical and methodological bases of such learning, and what impact it may have. The article begins with an interdisciplinary discussion of reasons to learn, the kinds of lessons proposed in the peace process literature and how theories of learning may be applied to a peace process. Following this is a case study of the sharing of the Northern Ireland peacemaking experience with other conflict-affected societies, especially through facilitated dialogues between decision-makers. This contributes to a comprehensive ideal model of learning from peace processes – something which, it is argued, may result in ‘transformative learning’ and a ‘policy paradigm shift’ towards de-escalatory conflict management. A definition of a peace process ‘lesson’ is offered to guide future research.

Keywords

peace processlearningNorthern Irelandmediation
Type
Article
Information
Government and Opposition , Volume 56 , Issue 4 , October 2021 , pp. 705 - 721
Copyright
Copyright © The Author 2020. Published by Government and Opposition Limited and Cambridge University Press

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