Peter Osborne

Reconciliation above all

Paul Gosling on June 29, 2020, 9:02 am | Readers 1346

Reconciliation is the primary necessity facing Northern Ireland, believes Peter Osborne. Peter is a former chair of both the Community Relations Council and the Parades Commission. He was talking in the latest Forward Together podcast from the Holywell Trust. “I come from a perspective of looking at what reconciliation is about,” says Peter. He argues that to achieve reconciliation it is essential to correct the structures that create separation. This has led him to strongly argue for the integration of …

Border Polls, Referendums and the Question of Democracy #BelfastDebate

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 16, 2019, 9:28 am | Readers 3595

“Unlike the moon landing of 50 years ago“, Bob Collins suggested that the current political turmoil would not land ”in the sea of Tranquillity”. Collins was speaking on the last day of the free-to-attend Debates on Europe event held in Belfast. You can watch back Sunday morning’s panel on Border Polls, Referendums and the Question of Democracy.

‘Transformative decisions on Northern Ireland have not been taken’, laments Peter Osborne

Paul Gosling on August 19, 2019, 7:01 am | Readers 3058

Northern Ireland is more than 20 years into a 50 year peace process, which is being held back because government here has failed to take the radical transformative steps that are required. This is the view of Peter Osborne, the former chair of the Community Relations Council, in the latest Forward Together podcast. Peter explains: “We are in a process that will last at least 50 years. Some people thought when the [Good Friday] agreement was signed, we had peace. …

Civil Rights Movement: What Went Wrong? #JHISS

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 24, 2018, 8:00 am | Readers 2651

WATCH Monday’s political panel at the John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh which looked back on the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement and asked What Went Wrong? Gregory Campbell, Bríd Rodgers, Colm Gildernew and Trevor Ringland, chaired by Peter Osborne.

SOAPBOX – Bosnia-Herzegovina and the importance of accountable structures that deliver

Soapbox on August 27, 2016, 2:08 pm | Readers 496

SOAPBOX – CRC’s Peter Osborne reflects on a recent visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina 21 years after the end of their conflict. He asks whether the international community will let Bosnia-Herzegovina down again as it continues to come to terms with its divisions and competing identities.

Reflections on Remembrance – avoiding disharmony or transforming relationships? #JHISS

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 26, 2016, 8:07 pm | Readers 616

SURVIVING OR TRANSFORMING? Listen back to this afternoon’s panel at John Hewitt International Summer School who were asked whether we are just getting through these years and the contention without too much disharmony, or are we creating something new and transforming relationships on this island?

An uncomfortable conversation* at #Feile15 [*in the sense that a lack of hope leads optimism to wither]

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on August 3, 2015, 9:09 pm | Readers 1647

Pulling names out of a hat to decide the order of speaking, Presbyterian Minister and deputy Equality Commissioner Rev Lesley Carroll began by looking through “a dark lens” and delivered a downbeat assessment of the present state of reconciliation in Northern Ireland – we need to “change our tune, change our dance steps, or we’ll burrow a hole in the ground and fall into it”. She was followed by CRC chair Peter Osborne who spoke about continued segregation, relative funding …

The Flag Dispute – Anatomy of a Protest seminar – what, who, where, how and why? +audio +video

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 29, 2015, 7:07 pm | Readers 2055

The researchers from QUB’s Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice behind The Flag Dispute: Anatomy of a Protest report [PDF] held a seminar in Queen’s University this morning. [Gladys Ganiel blogged in detail about the report when it was published in December.] Two of the six researchers behind the report introduced the main findings. Paul Nolan quickly revisited the background to the protest (the “archaeology”). The PSNI gave researchers open access to operational logs from the …