As originally appeared in the Irish News, Saturday 27 August
Dr Anthony Soares, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies
Brexit and its resultant Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland have significantly strained relationships within Northern Ireland, on this island of Ireland, between these islands and with Europe. As the Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, I know that without proper, respectful, and constructive dialogue, solutions will not only be harder to come by, but risks leaving Northern Ireland increasingly isolated.
Since the 2016 referendum, the need for respectful and informed dialogue that mirrors the ethos of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement has become vital for those engaging in cross-border cooperation. As political sensitivities surrounding the Protocol rear their often heated head due to the current impasse at Stormont and the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill going through the UK Parliament, we are regularly reminded of the importance of generosity and curiosity as the basis for constructive debate and for cooperation across these islands.
Recently, we published our sixth quarterly survey on the conditions for North-South and East-West Cooperation. It found that the political context for cooperation has been negatively impacted by the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. The clear message from civic organisations is that one way or the other, the political wrangling over the Protocol must be resolved.
Without a reset of relationships that focuses on honest and constructive dialogue, we will inevitably face even worse exchanges while we edge closer to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. This has been recognised by the House of Lords European Affairs Sub-Committee on the Protocol, which called for a reset of relations in its report published last month.
The challenge of rebuilding these relationships cannot be underestimated. The misinformation surrounding the Protocol, coupled with the new phenomenon of ‘twitter diplomacy’, has created a momentous task that would be dangerous to ignore.
Most importantly, a reset of relations will not be secured if sought exclusively by speaking with one particular actor, nor will it be found by looking exclusively within Northern Ireland. We must not act in isolation from the relations people here have with those in the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and further afield. Nor should the value of civil society groups participating in cross-border cooperation (North-South and East-West) be ignored.
It is this challenge that will be discussed when the 23rd Centre for Cross Border Studies Annual Conference convenes in person on the 29 and 30 September at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk.
This year’s conference will focus on the new challenges and approaches to cross-border cooperation, mobility and relations by bringing together government officials, policy experts and leading academics across two days.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin will deliver an address alongside other keynote speakers including the British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston, and Bernadette McAliskey.
As everyone influential in our society approaches the task of improving lives for our interdependent communities, we must recall the fundamental place of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and the totality of relationships it encompasses. It is these relationships that must be rebuilt upon a foundation of trust and factual dialogue.
To find out more about the Centre for Cross Border Studies and register for our highly anticipated Annual Conference, visit www.crossborder.ie.