Worldfocus special correspondent Martin Himel looks at how Protestants and Catholics are coming together in the classroom.

Watch another signature story from Northern Ireland: “Wounds still left open from Northern Ireland’s conflict”

For more background on the conflict, listen to our online radio show on violence in Northern Ireland.

Worldfocus special correspondent Martin Himel reports on how a decade of peace has not ended the pain for many families whose loved ones were murdered or vanished.  

Following two recent attacks by Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter groups, Northern Ireland is on edge, fearing a return to the “Troubles” — the decades of violence that killed more than 3,300 people until the 1998 Good Friday peace accord.

In the first attack, the Real IRA gunned down two British soldiers — the first British troops killed in Northern Ireland in 12 years. The following day, the Continuity IRA killed a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Both groups have vowed to continue their operations until Northern Ireland is no longer part of the United Kingdom.

The attacks shook the province’s coalition government of Protestants and Catholics, many of whom disagree on who should rule Northern Ireland — Ireland or the United Kingdom. In the wake of the attacks, thousands have gathered for peace rallies across the country.

Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show explored the history of violence in Northern Ireland and the current political and cultural situations there, examining life in the conflict-torn province and prospects for the future.

Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge hosted a panel of guests:

Paul Arthur is a professor of politics and director of the graduate program in peace and conflict studies at the University of Ulster. Among his books are “Northern Ireland Since 1968” and “Special Relationships: Britain, Ireland and the Northern Ireland Problem.” He has contributed to the Times, New York Times, Observer, Sunday Independent and Guardian.

Kevin Cullen has reported for The Boston Globe since 1985. In August 1997, he opened the Globe’s Dublin bureau, which marked the first time a major American newspaper based a staff reporter in Ireland. Cullen travels to Northern Ireland frequently writing about the conflict. He has spent more time in, and written more about, Northern Ireland than any reporter for an American newspaper.

Honor Fagan is a lecturer in sociology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. She has previously worked at the University of Ulster and has carried out research and published in the subject areas of gender, development, cultural politics and identity formation. She is the author of “Culture, Politics and Irish School Dropouts: Constructing Political Identities.”

Credits:
Host: Martin Savidge
Producers: Lisa Biagiotti, Katie Combs and Stephen Puschel

Irish bloggers are weighing in on both sides of the immigration debate.

“The Spire” writes, “Let us oppose racism through tighter controls, so as to avoid the circumstances such as job displacement which fuel it.”

Blogger John Power considers the effect of mass immigration on children and schools.

“Back Seat Drivers” defends Nigerians, one of the largest immigrant populations in Ireland, and criticizes the Irish media’s coverage of the issue.

Despite claims that some in Ireland’s government have attempted to create a “climate of resentment,” Economist Gerard O’Neill admires the tolerance of Irish people encountering new cultures and links to an official report detailing the prevalence of discrimination in Ireland.

Migration Information provides a short outline of the immigration explosion in the Republic, which is now the second-fastest growing population in Europe. Since 1996, over 457,000 have immigrated to Ireland, a country with a population of just over 4 million.

Northern Ireland, which faces similar economic woes, has implemented harsher border checks to target illegal immigrants and plans to dismantle a passport-free zone between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Associated thumbnail courtesy of Flickr user bass_nroll under a Creative Commons license.