To give participants both an overview of, and an insight into, the underlying
causes of conflict
To help develop a culture of justice and human rights
To better equip citizens to play an active role in peace building
Programme Objectives
To develop a sense of active citizenship based on human rights and
justice
for all2
To underscore the view of democracy as a conflict resolving process3
To build awareness and understanding ofthe differences within and between
the various perspectives4 that have been in conflict5
To underscore the contested nature of History and its role in shaping
perception6
To explore the circumstances that fracture civil society to the point where
people adopted a ‘war’ as opposed to a ‘peace’ orientation7
to resolving conflict
2 This sense of citizenship is necessarily holistic and such citizens
embrace with their rights, a reciprocal responsibility towards the
rights of the ‘other’ 3 Within this internationally respected view of democracy it is by a state
upholding Human Rights & Justice that it reinforces its legitimacy (to manage
the conflict resolving process) strengthening public confidence in its rule of
law and consequently its right to hold a monopoly (on behalf of the citizenry)
on the use of force
4 (Unionist/Loyalist, Nationalist/Republican and British/State Security Forces)
5 and so the potential for forging new alliances in peace building
6 in particular our perception of ’ourselves’ (our identity) and the ‘other’
7 particularly in addressing the necessary tension between the ideal of
democracy and its political reality in a given time and place
