Challenges & Approach

The Challenges

A key challenge was to establish parameters for exploring a conflict, the very nature of which is it-self contested. 

• For some it was seen as a terrorist campaign waged by the IRA against the forces of law and order
• For others a conflict between two warring tribes with the forces of law and order caught in the middle
• And for yet others a guerrilla war waged by the IRA against the presence of Britain as malign occupying power

In addition the violence has entrenched these perspectives, increased community polarisation and to varying degrees left individuals and communities locked into perspectives formed, or deepened, in conflict. 

The Approach

• Overview of perspectives
  The ‘epilogues’ filmed material contains the personal testimony of 27 individuals who had direct experience of the conflict. While no resource could represent all perspectives, the resource material strives to be inclusive and these individuals were selected so as to capture the broad spectrum of perspectives that characterise the conflict.
• Represent and Challenge the broad range of perspectives
  The testimonies are edited so that participants find their perspective represented they also find it challenged by the perspective of the ‘other’.
• Creative use of TV drama and poignant personal testimony
  Each of the programme’s six themes is introduced by selected extracts from TV dramas that explore the conflict. These extracts function as dramatic illustrations of the respective themes that the interviews go on to explore in greater depth.
• Frame exploration within the model of a democratic society
  The idea of government of the people by the people is generally accepted (certainly in the west) as the best form of governance in terms of moral force because it enables human freedom. It is for these reasons that the project frames its exportation within the model of a democratic society.

The Methodology

• A workshop environment that models democratic process
• Participants take responsibility for their own learning (modelling Active Citizenship)
• Exercises that:
  • challenge participants to adopt the perspective of ‘the other’
  • are personal and draw out the interconnections between
    • intrapersonal conflict
    • Individual v collective rights conflict
    • interpersonal conflict
    • inter & intra community conflict
    • international conflict
  • rehearse everyday practical interventions