Forward Thinking host delegation of Likud Party activists in Belfast and Dublin, 3rd - 6th April 2016

Between the 3rd and 6th of April, Forward Thinking organised and facilitated a visit to Belfast and Dublin for a group of prominent Likud activists that with different constituencies within the Party.The meetings were organised under the Irish Peace Process Programme, an initiative where key groups from Israel (including parliamentarians, party activists, and "opinion formers" from civil society) are brought to Northern and the Republic of Ireland and exposed to a variety of perspectives on the conflict in Northern Ireland from the grassroots to the political level. By examining the conflict from multiple levels, parallels and differences with the situation in the Middle East are slowly drawn out, helping participants to reflect on how peace was achieved within Ireland, the ongoing challenges facing peace in Northern Ireland, and the prospects for movement within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.While participants were surprised at the enduring differences and tensions within Northern Ireland, they were also struck by the progress that had been achieved and how even a seemingly intractable conflict was resolved with political leadership, grassroots pressure, and willingness to take risks to try to achieve peace.