Forward Thinking bring delegation of Media figures from the Israeli Russian-speaking community to Belfast, 19th-22nd April 2015

Forward Thinking, with the support and assistance of the Skainos Center, organised a series of meetings for a delegation of media figures from the Israeli-Russian community in Belfast, 19th-22nd April. The visit provided an opportunity to reflect on Northern Ireland's Peace Process - both its successes and failures - and to explore if there are any similarities or potential lessons with the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.Over the course of the visit, delegates engaged with a diverse range of politicians, academics and civil society activists who shared their respective experiences of Northern Ireland's conflict and subsequent peace.  Meetings were held in Stormont with political figures from both Unionist and Nationalist parties in order to discuss the achievements and mistakes of the peace process and dealing with the legacy of the past. Delegates then met with Irish and British Diplomats to discuss the development and role of governance mechanisms that ensured the structure for peace was there and had a strong basis and the role of the third party in mediating and monitoring.Other meetings included a  roundtable with academics from Queen’s University Belfast was held to discuss the historical roots of the conflict and the necessity of investment in and focus on the social peace process alongside the political peace process; meetings with the Police Service of Northern Ireland to discuss the challenges presented by the legacy of the conflict and the need to re-build trust and confidence within communities; and meetings with former combatants and victims of the violence to discuss dealing with the past and moving on from violence. Delegates also took part in a tour of Belfast’s interface peace lines and memorialisations, enabling participants to draw parallels with their own experiences of divided communities and the entrenchment of fear between communities even after peace.From these diverse meetings several common themes began to emerge including: the possibility of moving past the conflict and accepting the other and working together; the need to put self in other’s shoes to understand why the violence is happening, and therefore how it can be brought to an end; and the sustained efforts that are required to build on the peace, but also the enormous dividends of peace. Individuals from all sides of Northern Ireland's political divides also stressed that huge achievements can be made in just a few years in even the most intractable of conflicts.