Community Relations Council

Recently the National Geographic Traveller voted Belfast one of the world’s top destinations, referring to it as a ‘treasure that had sort of been preserved’. Further accolades came from the Financial Times, which listed Belfast as being in the top ten places in the world to hold a major event. Richly deserved, this international praise and acknowledgement was further recognition of the physical, social and emotional transformation the city has undergone. Yet, there remain a number of issues from the past, which continue to impact on the present, and that is the issue of the Troubles architecture, namely peace walls and interface barriers. Since 1969, these physical lines of demarcation have dominated the landscape of working class Loyalist and Republican communities in Belfast. Communities such as those in North Belfast are shaped and divided by forty-four of these barriers, and continue to be characterised by high levels of unemployment, poor housing, social and economic deprivation, and a lack of investment. However, over the last two years, a new political and community focus has resulted in an evolving, yet tentative process, which has aimed to confront the sensitive and difficult questions, which surround these peace walls. These conversations, facilitated by groups such as NBIN have raised important questions about how peace walls are defined and interpreted. They have brought to the fore the diversity in the opinions and views which exist within and across interface communities about peace walls. Furthermore, these discussions have revealed the challenges, which exist in relation to the importance people place on values, identity and culture, along with the complexities in reconciling competing agendas, which exist within communities, service providers, the community and voluntary sector, politicians, local government, and the NI Executive. Understanding these challenges and accepting that the status quo of segregation and deprivation must change, can assist the ongoing transformation processes which organisations such as NBIN are integral too.