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On May 26th 2023 Professor Linda Hogan was admitted as a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Membership is considered the highest academic honour in Ireland. The citation on her admittance read: “Linda Hogan is Professor of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin. A distinguished scholar, Professor Hogan is an internationally recognised leader in the field of social and political ethics. Known for her ground-breaking non-foundationalist ethics of human rights, Professor Hogan was recently awarded a doctorate honoris causa from Regis College, University of Toronto, for her outstanding contribution to the ethics of human dignity, conscience and rights.” Congratulations from everyone at the School on this wonderful recognition.

In a new article published in Third World Quarterly, David Mitchell analyses the contested understandings of reconciliation and its value as a concept in peace studies and practice. In ‘Rescuing reconciliation: finding its role in peace research and practice’, Dr Mitchell considers the four leading interpretations of reconciliation and analyses whether they are coherent and likely to be credible to people in conflict. He argues that reconciliation as ‘transformed social identity’ represents an understanding which is less open to political misunderstanding and criticism.

Prof. Etain Tannam participated in The Irish Association’s seminar at the Royal Irish Academy on April 4th to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The topic under the spotlight was ‘Britishness and Irishness’ with a focus on identity. The panel was chaired by the President of the Irish Association, Professor Brian Walker, QUB emeritus. Other speakers included Professor Peter Shirlow, Liverpool Institute for Irish Studies and Professor John Coakley, Queen’s University Belfast. The discussion examined how significant is the rise of the ‘neither’ identity in Northern Ireland and attitudes in Ireland to unionism and Northern Ireland.

You can now watch a recording of the latest ISE at 50 webinar where the panel provided their expert analyses on the timely and important subject of the teaching of Peace Studies in Ireland, north and south. A panel of leading academics examined amongst other questions, could academia be more connected to practice and how best to capture the wealth of knowledge that exists throughout the peace-building community. All webinars in the ISE at 50 series so far are available to watch. Follow the link to view the webinar resources page.

Coordinator of the Belfast-based MPhil in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, David Mitchell, was engaged by several international media outlets regarding the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The milestone has been marked by numerous events and drawn international media attention. Dr Mitchell was interviewed at length on Radio New Zealand, and was quoted by the newspapers USA Today, Ouest France, Linkiesta (Italy), and La Presse (Canada). He wrote an opinion piece assessing the global ‘lessons’ of the Agreement in the Irish Independent newspaper. In February, he was interviewed live on Al Jazeera television about the background to the Windsor Framework, a new UK-EU deal designed to ease post-Brexit political and economic tensions.

Prof. Etain Tannam writes about the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and says “it is work in progress, but it‘s greatest achievement is peace”. Follow the link to read the article on the Trinity news website. Also see our Peace Studies students reflect on the Agreement and peace studies after a panel discussion with the British Ambassador to Ireland, parliamentarians from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in the House of Commons, and the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Implementation Committee, on 30th March.

Why is doing peace studies important on the island of Ireland? Several universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland offer peace studies related courses and host renowned peace studies scholars. Is the growth of peace studies connected to the history of conflict and peace on this island? How can peace studies on the island of Ireland better serve its purpose at the time of growing uncertainty on a globe with ongoing conflicts and wars? The next ISE at 50 webinar on 30 March will bring together a panel of leading scholars from across Ireland north and south to critically reflect on these questions and more. All are welcome to this free online event. Please follow the link to register.

Not every form of peace is desirable. Nor is every form of conflict undesirable. At last week’s webinar on Religion, Conflict and Peace in Ireland and Beyond the panel explored the different forms of peace societies experience after conflict, and the importance of the politics of religion, conflict and peace. Follow the link to watch a recording of the discussion along with the webinars in the series so far.

On Tuesday 24 January 2023 the Centre for Catholic Studies (Durham University) will host the online launch of ‘Receptive Ecumenism as Transformative Ecclesial Learning: Walking the Way to a Church Re-formed’, at 5.30pm-6.45pm. The book examines examines ecumenical learning for urgent issues, including race, indigenous peoples, women, ministry, interchurch families, human sexuality, and synodality. Linda Hogan will be in conversation with Gabrielle Thomas, Emory University, and the book editors Paul D. Murray and Gregory Ryan. All are welcome to this celebratory launch! Please follow the link to register.

The next in the Irish School of Ecumenics at 50 webinar series ‘Religion, Conflict and Peace in Ireland and Beyond’ will gather renowned scholars and practitioners from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil and Palestine to critically reflect on a range of questions touching on Islamaphobia, Zionism, fake news, as well as a divided past and a shared future in Ireland. The webinar will take place on Thursday 26th January, 5.00 - 6.30pm. All are welcome. Follow the link to register.

On November 19th Professor Linda Hogan was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters at Regis College, University of Toronto, during the University’s 2022 Convocation. The citation honouring Professor Hogan noted that she is a distinguished scholar of international standing, who has committed herself to the promotion of the dignity of human persons and to the formative role of institutions in securing and protecting that dignity. Quoting poet Eavan Boland’s description of Ireland as “once Settled and removed on the edge of Europe is now a bridge to the world.” The citation continued that Professor Hogan embodies that very Irish vocation of bridge-building, noting that she is a global bridge builder between disciplines, peoples, and faith communities. Earlier that week Professor Hogan delivered the 2022 Chancellor’s Lecture entitled Securing Human Rights in the Anthropocene: The Role of Religion.

Reconciliating Divided States: Peace Processes in Ireland and Korea (Routledge, 2022) was launched on Friday 4th November 2022 as part of the international conference, ‘Reconciliation: Perspectives from Ireland, Korea, and Beyond’. The speaker at the launch was Meri Joyce (pictured with the editors). Meri is Northeast Regional Liaison Officer for the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPAAC). She is based in Tokyo and coordinates various peacebuilding and disarmament related programmes, including the Ulaanbaatar Process, a civil society dialogue process for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Follow the link to read more about the book.

Participants in the conference, ‘Reconciliation: Perspectives from Ireland, Korea and Beyond’ were hosted by the School from 2nd-6th November. As well as the conference, the group, comprising academics and practitioners from East Asia, Europe and the US, undertook two days of study visits which included the meetings with Peace Studies academics at the School of Religion, Theology and Peace Studies, officials from the Conflict Resolution Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as a day field trip to Belfast to understand the legacy of conflict and transformations of the peace process. The conference in the Trinity Long Room Hub, which was filled to capacity, was opened by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ireland, Ki-hwan Kweon.

This new report titled, ‘U.S.-China Competition and the Korean Peninsula: From Confrontation to Peacebuilding’, shows how the Korean Peninsula has become the fault line for rising U.S.-China tensions. Released by Women Cross DMZ, the report argues that peacebuilding in Korea offers a much-needed opportunity for U.S.-China cooperation, which would help to reduce tensions, build trust, and, most crucially, avoid a possible war. Click to read the article.

You can now watch back the latest of the ISE at 50 webinars. Prof Jude Lal Fernando, Coordinator of the MPhil in Contextual Theologies and Interfaith Relations, chaired the panel which included Prof Andrew Pierce and leaders of faith communities. Speakers explored the challenges and opportunities to institutionalised religions of a more secular and multi-faith Ireland which has seen significant demographic change in recent decades. Follow the link to watch the recording.

Dr. Dong Jin Kim’s newest research article, ‘The Agency-Structure Problem in Peacebuilding: Constructing a Niche in the Korean Conflict’ (co-authored with Youngchul Chung) has been published in the Pacific Review, one of the leading journals for the study of the international interactions of the Asia-Pacific countries. Building on the sociological understanding of ‘duality of structure’ and the biological insight of ‘niche construction’ this article explores South Korean agency to construct a niche space for its citizens’ peacebuilding with North Korea under the protracted conflict structure. Follow the link to read the article.

On 22 September, David Mitchell was interviewed live about the significance of the Northen Ireland census results, which for the first time in Northern Ireland’s 100-year history, have recorded a higher proportion of Catholics than Protestants.

Prof. Mitchell’s article surveys the historical loyalty of Unionism to the institution of Monarchy, and considers what could be learnt from the late Queen’s example when making the case for the electorate’s identification with the UK in the context of a future referenendum on Irish unity.

Registration is now open for the next in the ISE at 50 webinar series: Faiths in Changing Ireland: Belonging and Going Beyond which will take place on Thursday 6th October at 5pm. Prof Jude Lal Fernando will chair a panel including Prof Andrew Pierce and leaders of faith communities, for an exploration of the challenges and opportunities to institutionalised religions of emerging ways of believing and faith in a more secular and multi-religious Ireland. Follow the link to register.

In traditional notions of international relations, nation-states formulate their foreign policies on the basis, almost exclusively, of national interest, and distinguish humanitarian aid as a separate endeavour categorized as philanthropy. This dichotomy often quarantines aid from foreign policy. In this blog post, Dong Jin Kim presents global health diplomacy as a conceptual framework to bridge the dichotomy between humanitarianism and international politics, introducing his recent International Affairs article on ‘Global health diplomacy and North Korea in the COVID-19 era’. Follow the link to read the post.

The latest ISE at 50 webinar is now available to watch back. The panel included experts from leading social enterprises, as well as Frances Flannery of James Madison University and Prof. Jacob Erickson, School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies. The webinar series celebrates 50 years of reconciliation work by the Irish School of Ecumenics across the island of Ireland. Follow the link to watch the video and see all past recordings.

Dr Dong Jin Kim was interviewed by UnRival, a US peacebuilding organisation, about his peace and reconciliation research, including his recent articles on global health diplomacy in the COVID-19 era (International Affairs), and reciprocal empowerment for peacebuilding (Globalizations). Follow the link to read the interview.

The next ISE at 50 webinar takes place on Thurs 1st June at 5pm. The webinar series celebrates 50 years of reconciliation and dialogue work and research by the Irish School of Ecumenics and is organised by Dr Dong Jin Kim. The panel includes experts from leading social enterprises, as well as Frances Flannery of James Madison University and Prof. Jacob Erickson, School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies. Gillian Kingston of the ISE Trust will be in the chair. Follow the link to book a place.

Etain Tannam was a guest on BBC Radio 4’s The Briefing Room on May 12th, to discuss the future of Northern Ireland politics. She also spoke on BBC News on May 16th on the Northern Ireland Protocol, the DUP and the UK government’s response. Follow the link to listen to the podcast.

Prof. Etain Tannam was guest on UCL’s ‘Uncovering Politics’ podcast, on May 8, hosted by Alan Renwick, Professor of Democratic Politics and Vice Director of UCL Constitution Unit, with former UK senior official and UCL Honorary Senior Research Associate, Alan Whysall. The podcast examined the impact of the Assembly election in Northern Ireland and the future of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing institutions. Follow the link to listen to the podcast.

As counting begins in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, Etain Tannam and Conor Kelly make a case in the Constitution Unit blog for revitalising the three strands of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement: north-south and British-Irish relationships and structures, alongside the power-sharing arrangement in Stormont. The authors argue that these have not outlived their usefulness to provide more constructive forms of political engagement at a time of stand off and collapse of government. Follow the link to read the post.

Comparisons are abundant in the discourse on the Ukrainian crisis, with references to the two World Wars and Nazism among the more common ones. In his latest article, published in The Conversation, David Mitchell examines how in both war time and peacebuilding, comparisons to other well-known conflicts have been used by different sides, sometimes to manipulate the narrative, sometimes to promote acceptance of peacebuilding efforts. They range from the ‘insightful and constructive to the absurd and dangerous’. Follow the link to read the article.

In the latest of the ISE at 50 webinar series, the panel examined how the context of ecumenical work has changed in recent decades - from the decline in church attendance to immigration, as well as scandal within the churches. There remains much reconciliation work still to do, more than thirty years after the publication of Robin Boyd’s book which featured in the webinar title: ‘The Ecumenical Movement and Just Peace on the Island of Ireland: Christianity Discredited or Pilgrim’s Progress?’ Follow the link to watch the discussion.

Dr. Dong Jin Kim’s newest article “Global Health Diplomacy and North Korea in the COVID-19 era” (co-authored with Andrew Ilkhyun Kim) has been published in International Affairs, one of the world’s leading journals, currently ranked No. 1 out of 94, in International Relations. This article uses global health diplomacy to examine the challenges and opportunities of international health aid to North Korea in the COVID-19 era. It finds that vaccine provision is both within the enlightened self-interest of donor states and meets the global responsibility to address unequal access to vaccines.

The next in the ISE at 50 webinar series on 31 March will analyse how Irish churches might deal more creatively with the complex legacy of their manifest failures in a pilgrimage of justice and peace. The Head of the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies, Prof Siobhán Garrigan, joins a panel of diverse voices from Irish churches and Prof. Andrew Pierce will chair the discussion. Follow the link to book your place for ‘The Ecumenical Movement and Just Peace on the Island of Ireland: Christianity Discredited or Pilgrim’s Progress?’.

Professor Etain Tannam will join Brid Rogers, former Minister of Agriculture in the Northern Ireland Executive on the panel for this event, part of the Building Common Ground Series by the Hume Foundation. The keynote speaker is Ulster Unionist MLA for Strangford, Mike Nesbitt. The event will take place at 7pm in G16 on Thursday 10 March, and will also be live-streamed. Places are limited so booking is essential. Please follow the link for more information.

Reconciling Divided States: Peace Processes in Ireland and Korea is the Trinity Long Room Hub publication in focus this month. The new title edited by Dr David Mitchell and Dr Dong Jin Kim explores the parallels between two peace processes which have rarely been studied together. The volume brings together authors from Europe and East Asia looking at areas as diverse as colonial legacies and the role of women and sport in peacebuilding. Follow the link to read more on the TLRH blog.

This thought provoking conversation on where the Irish Peace Process is now, is available to watch on the ISE website. Sharing their unique perspectives were Katy Hayward from QUB, Alex Wimberly (Head of Corrymeela), former Head of ISE, Geraldine Smyth, Barbara Walshe an ISE graduate and Chair of Glencree, and Alan Waite of the RCity project in North Belfast. Follow the link for recordings of the webinar series.

Reconciling Divided States: Peace Processes in Ireland and Korea offers a distinctive perspective on peace processes by comparatively analysing two cases which have rarely been studied in tandem. Written by academics and practitioners from Europe and East Asia, and guided by the concepts of peacebuilding and reconciliation, the chapters assess peace efforts at all levels, from the elite to grassroots organisations. Topics include: historical parallels; modern debates over the legacy of the past; contemporary constitutional and security issues; civil society peacebuilding in relation to faith, sport, and women’s activism; and the role of economic assistance. The editors co-author several chapters, while colleagues in the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies, Geraldine Smyth, Gillian Wylie, and Jude Lal Fernando, also contribute.

In a new episode of the ARINS Podcast, Etain Tannam joins Rory Montgomery, QUB, to reflect on the role of the British-Irish Governmental Conference and the centrality of this forum to deal with future challenges. The podcast, which looks at Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South is a project of the RIA. Follow the link to listen to the discussion.

The next webinar in the ISE at 50 series has been announced. ‘The Irish Peace Process: A Civic Conversation on the Lessons for 2022’ will take place on 27 January 2022. Joining the panel are Katy Hayward from QUB, Alex Wimberly (Head of Corrymeela), former Head of ISE, Geraldine Smyth, Barbara Walshe an ISE graduate and Chair of Glencree, and Alan Waite of the RCity project in North Belfast. David Mitchell will be in the chair for what promises to be an insightful conversation. Follow the link to learn more and register.

Etain Tannam wrote an opinion piece for the Irish Independent on November 15. She provided an analysis of two recent accounts of the Protocol’s negotiation and of its current signifcance - one by former Irish Ambassador Rory Montgomery and one by former senior UK official, Philip Rycroft. Both lead to the conclusion that the Irish government was very highly constrained in its approach to Brexit and Northern Ireland and given EU orthodoxy in implementing the Single Market and UK red lines, it is doubtful that a better solution was available, or that the Irish government could have lobbied further for flexibility at that time. Follow the link to read the article.

On 12 November Dr David Mitchell (Assistant Professor) and Dr Dong Jin Kim (Senior Research Fellow), as well as doctoral researchers Eugene Lee and Donghyuk Kwon, spoke at an event hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ireland. Dr Mitchell and Dr Kim spoke about the Northern Ireland peace process. Eugene Lee compared the Irish and Korean peace processes, and Donghyuk Kwon gave an update on peace efforts in Korea. Eugene Lee and Donghyuk Kwon are directors in South Korea’s Ministry of Unification and are doing PhDs in the School of Religion in Belfast.

On October 21st, Prof. Etain Tannam was invited to speak on BBC Radio Ulster Talkback, with Mark Devenport, on the Churches of Ireland Service of Reflection and Hope to mark partition and the centenary of Northern Ireland. Follow the link to access the podcast.

Prof. Etain Tannam was guest for Professor Colin Harvey of Queen’s University’s podcast on Constitutional Futures, October 7, with Professor Michael Keating, University of Aberdeen, Professsor Jennifer Todd, University College Dublin and Professor Aileen McHarg of Durham University. Follow the link to access the podcast.

Follow the link to watch the latest ISE at 50 webinar, ‘Gender and Peacebuilding on a Shared Island’ which took place on 7th October. The panel included speakers from DFA, Ulster University, DemocraShe, Migrant Women’s Network, and Christ Church, Sandymount. Professor Gillian Wylie chaired the event. The panel explored the ongoing significant challenges for greater representation of diverse perspectives, such as gender, to be part of the key agenda for sharing this island.

Etain Tannam was interviewed by the Financial Times for its Brexit Briefing. Dr Tannam was asked to share her thoughts on the Irish government’s delicate role as interlocutor in resolving the Protocol division.

We were delighted to hear the recent announcement that Ms Eimear Friel has been appointed as Ireland’s Ambassador to Latvia. Eimear completed the MPhil in International Peace Studies at the Irish School of Ecumenics in 2007. She is pictured with President Levits of Latvia. We would like to offer Eimear our congratulations and wish her every success in her new role.

The next in the ISE at 50 webinar series will take place on 1st July. Joining us will be Noel Dorr, John Maguire, Shona Bell, David Mitchell, and Lisa Clark. The webinar will be chaired by Iain Atack, Assistant Professor, Peace Studies, School of Religion, Trinity College Dublin. ‘Ireland - Island of Peace’ will explore the challenges and opportunities for Ireland to become an island of peace. Follow the link to learn more and register.

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (June 19th), Dublin-based NGO Wezesha will hold an international seminar, ‘Voices from the Ground’ with women from conflict zones. Salome Mbugua, who recently completed her PhD in Peace Studies will be one of the speakers. The event will be chaired by Gillian Wylie.

Professor Etain Tannam and Trinity colleagues from the School of Law, Professor Oran Doyle and Dr David Kenny were part of the Working Group on Referendums on the Island of Ireland, led by University College London’s Constitution Unit. The group chaired by Professor Alan Renwick, UCL, published its Final Report on 26 May 2021. It is the culmination of 18 months’ research, including widespread consultations in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Great Britain, and beyond. Follow the link to access the report.

Etain Tannam participated on May 6 in a seminar with Eamon Gilmore, the Special Representative for Colombia, as guest speaker. The subject under discussion was ‘Northern Ireland and the Colombian Peace Accords - Insights on negotiations, design and implementation for sustainable peace seminar’. The event was hosted by Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Follow the link to watch a recording.

Professor Jude Lal Fernando will be one of the speakers at the World Council of Churches International Conference, taking place from 2-4 June online. The conference is hosted by the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and Dr Fernando will participate in a plenary session on ‘Changing Landscape in World Christianity’.

All are welcome to join the next ‘ISE at 50’ webinar on 27 May at 5.00pm, for a discussion on ‘Emerging Irish Identities – Intercultural and Intergenerational Conversations’. Joining Professor Jude Lal Fernando in the chair are a panel of speakers bringing expert perspectives from education and youth work, both north and south. Please click the link to register on Eventbrite, and visit our ISE at 50 pages to find out more about this webinar series which will run throughout the year.

Professor Linda Hogan will be one of the speakers at a multidisciplinary conference exploring the disproportionate impact of ecological degradation on women, with a special focus on environmental and gender injustice such as that arising from mining and other forms of extractivism. Important update: The organisers have decided to waive all registration fees for those without institutional support to increase worldwide access to the conference. If you have institutional funding available, please register to help defray costs. For more information follow link.

In a new article in theJournal.ie Dr Yaser Alashqar gives an insightful overview of the background to the recent escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dr Alashqar is an Adunct Lecturer at the Irish School of Ecumenics, School of Religion. Follow the link to read the article here.

Dr Carlo Aldrovandi publishes a new piece in The Conversation on how the recent violence at the al-Aqsa mosque/Temple Mount area and in the Old City of Jerusalem spiralled into something bigger and more dangerous. Follow the link to read the article.

Professor Etain Tannam spoke with a panel of guests on BBC Radio The Briefing Room on April 15. The question under discussion was ‘How Fragile Is the Peace Process’. Prof. Tannam emphasised the importance of British-Irish intergovernmental cooperation in preserving peace and stability. Follow the link to listen to the podcast.

Etain Tannam with TCD colleague Dr David Kenny, Law School and members of the University College London ‘Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland’ met with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement on 30 March. Speaking before the meeting, Committee Chairman Fergus O’Dowd TD said: “The Working Group is examining how any future referendum on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland would be best designed and conducted. The Committee welcomes this opportunity to engage with these experts and discuss their work on the project to date and explore the findings and recommendations in an interim report, recently published by the group.” Follow the link for the livestream.

Professor Jude Lal Fernando, Course Coordinator of Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies, will speak at the University of Cambridge lecture series ‘Religion, State, Nation’. The topic of the lecture, taking place on 6 May, is Asian Political Theologies. Please follow the link to learn more.

Prof. David Mitchell writes on the politics behind the recent street violence in Northern Ireland. The article analyses the contributing factors to rising community tension in the context both of recent developments and historical attitudes within Unionist political leadership. Follow the link to read the article. (Photo PA/Alamy)

Dr. Dong Jin Kim was invited to speak at ‘Theology in Conversation’ organised by Corrymeela for the 2021 Lenten period, last Sunday 28 March. ‘Theology in Conversation’ brings new and established voices together in conversation about how theological insight into a particular topic contributes to the world outside the academy. In this event, moderated by Pádraig Ó Tuama, Dr. Kim engaged in a conversation about Borders for Today, with Prof. Katy Hayward, Queens University Belfast. During the conversation, Jin brought insight to the Korean context, about ecumenical cross-border initiates there, as well as the complications that come from faith-based cross-border initiatives. Follow the link to watch the event.

As Northern Ireland marks its centenary, what are the challenges and opportunities for greater mutual understanding, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence of people living on the island? The Irish School of Ecumenics explored these questions in their webinar ‘Centenary of Partition and a Shared Island’ on Thurs 25 March. The event is part of a series celebrating 50 years of ISE reconciliation work across the island. Follow the link to watch the video on the ISE website.

Edited by David Mitchell and Gladys Ganiel (QUB), the issue is entitled: ‘The Politics of Conflict and Transformation: The Island of Ireland in Comparative Perspective’. The articles, written by some of the leading scholars in the field, arose from a conference celebrating the work of Jennifer Todd, a major figure in the study of peace and conflict Ireland. The articles engage with themes in Todd’s work, and analyse both current trends and historical issues in relation to conflict and change in Ireland.

The Centre for Post-Conflict Justice, led by Prof. Jude Lal Fernando, brought together a group of poets to read their work for an inspiring event marking UNESCO World Poetry Day on 21 March. The reading featured poets who have come from conflict zones and are now living in Ireland as refugees and aslyum seekers, as well as Irish writers reflecting on conflict on the island of Ireland. The event was supported by the Trinity Long Room Hub. Follow the link to watch the video.

Prof. Jude Lal Fernando has been appointed as School of Religion Champion for the Inclusive Curriculum Project. The initiative, announced by College last year, seeks to strengthen a sense of belonging for an increasingly diverse student body through promoting an inclusive curriculum. Follow the link to learn more about the project.

Dr. Dong Jin Kim’s article, “Reciprocal empowerment for civil society peacebuilding: sharing lessons between the Korean and Northern Ireland peace processes” has been published in Globalizations, a peer-reviewed academic journal covering global politics and international political economy. Dr. Kim’s new article explores lesson sharing between local civil society peacebuilders in the Korean and Northern Ireland peace processes. Based on the in-depth empirical research, this article argues that comparative consultations between peace processes would not only generate useful lessons for each context, but also empower local peacebuilders, provided the comparisons and interactions are reciprocal, not unidirectional or hierarchical. Follow the link for more information.

Professor Etain Tannam participated in a recent edition of The Briefing Room on BBC Radio 4. The panel also comprised Chair of the UCL Working Group on Referendums, Alan Renwick, and discussed perceptions and issues of a referendum on Irish unification. Follow the link to listen to the programme.

Marking the third anniversary of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, the event was organized by the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation. The slogan was “Peace! Here and Now” and it sought to identify new challenges and opportunities in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula and across the world in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. David Mitchell contributed a video presentation on the peacebuilding role of sport in Northern Ireland during a session on sport and peace in Korea around the world.

Dr. Wylie participated in a recent ceremony to mark the award of University of Sanctuary with the Provost and colleagues. She is co-chair of the Sanctuary Advisory Group, along with Dr Fintan Sheerin, and was involved in initiatives including an Equality Project ‘Learning to Build New Lives’ and hosting the ‘Sanctuary in Politics’ courses in ISE Dublin that brought asylum seekers and refugees together to learn about Irish politics and advocacy. Follow the link to learn more.

The Korea-Europe Center is a joint project by the Institute of Korean Studies at Freie Universität Berlin and the Korean Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management. Dr Dong Jin Kim gave a lecture on ‘Peacebuilding and Korean Civil Society’ at the Center’s inauguration conference, “Division, Unification and Peace - 30 Years German Unification and 70 Years Korean War”. Follow the link to watch the recording.

A webinar series started in January to celebrate the Irish School of Ecumenics at 50. ISE was founded in 1970 by Fr. Michael Hurley as a place where people from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary perspectives could explore the meaning and possibilities of peace and reconciliation together. Within the School of Religion in Trinity College Dublin, ISE continues to make its mark in research collaboration and in ecumenical and social renewal worldwide. Follow the link to watch the webinar.

Professors Linda Hogan and Gillian Wylie took part in events marking Global Ethics Day on 21st October. Expert panels discussed the ethics of COVID-19 and Direct Provision in Ireland. Follow the link to register and watch all the Good Summit talks.

The School of Religion is pleased to announce that the new platform Genderhub developed by Dr Maja Halilovic-Pastuovic and Prof Gillian Wylie is live now. The Genderhub is a novel and valuable repository for material, ideas and analysis about the intersections of gender, violent extremism and countering violent extremism. Follow the link to access Genderhub.

Professors Linda Hogan and Andrew Pierce are among the scholars who have contributed to the current Berkley Forum issue marking the anniversary of the death of renowned Catholic Theologian, Prof Gerard Mannion. Follow the link to read the editorials in the Berkley Forum.

Congratulations to Dr Dong Jin Kim who has been appointed to be a Goodwill Ambassador for Peace on the Korean Peninsula by the South Korean Government Ministry of Unification. Jin gave an online talk at the Korea Global Forum for Peace, organised by the Ministry, on 7 September 2020. For more information, please follow the link.

Writing in the Covid-19 Law and Human Rights Observatory blog, Prof. Linda Hogan reflects on the critical role that ethics has to play in the development of a vaccine for Covid-19 by assuring the integrity of the process, the safety of any vaccine, and public confidence in the science. The Observatory blog publishes academic commentary on Ireland’s legal response to Covid-19. Follow the link to read the article.

A new publication, ‘Peacebuilding and Korean Civil Society’, by Dr Dong Jin Kim, is now available through The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies, edited by Richmond and Visoka and published by Palgrave Macmillan. Follow the link to read the article.

Professor Brendan Browne publishes latest piece for Opinio Juris as part of its critical approaches to pedagogy symposium. Prof. Browne notes the dangers on online teaching when investigating international law and the case of Palestine. To read the full article, follow the link.

Prof. Etain Tannam joined the panel last week for a lively debate on Brexit and the Border exploring the various issues relating to the Northern Ireland protocol, followed by an insightful question and answer session. The online seminar was organised by the Centre on Constitutional Change. Follow the link to watch the discussion.

In a piece published on the IACES blog, Professor Etain Tannam examines the legacy of John Hume and the part he played in shaping the thinking behind the Irish government’s Shared Island strategy. In the words of Prof. Tannam, John Hume showed that “belief in change, even in the darkest of times, can make change happen”. Follow the link to read the article.

The programme, broadcast on the SIC channel on Thursday 2nd July 2020, examines the peace process in Northern Ireland in the context of Brexit. Entitled ‘99 Euros’ (‘99 Walls’), referring to the ‘peace walls’ which continue to separate communities, it speaks to people from different walks of life about their experiences of ‘the Troubles’ and ongoing division. Follow the link to view the programme.

‘Together in Hope - An Interfaith Encounter in Response to COVID-19’ is a joint reflection by a wide range of ecumenical and interreligious practitioners coordinated by Prof. Jude Lal Fernando of the Irish School of Ecumenics in collaboration with the Dublin City Interfaith Forum. The joint reflection is aimed at creating space – virtually – in which to find and give hope, courage and support to one another through diverse religious, spiritual and humanist resources. Click the link to watch the reflection.

The Trinity Long Room Hub have featured a research project involving Professor Brendan Ciarán Browne on their news page. The project, which has attracted a grant of €500,000 from the AHRC-DFID Collaborative Humanitarian Protection Research Programme, is due to begin in September and aims to gather evidence on the forced displacement of Bedouin communities in the West Bank, as well as to build local capacity and rights awareness. Follow the link to read the article.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in how politicians work together in Northern Ireland as well as highlighting the shared experiences of communities such as inequalities, challenges in education and support for the NHS. Are these new dynamics likely to continue once the pandemic subsides, or will it be business as usual? Professor David Mitchell looks at three possible scenarios in a piece published in The Conversation. Follow the link to read the article.

The sharing of experiences between personnel from different peace processes is now a common feature of peacemaking worldwide. Participants travel to another peace/conflict arena and take part in workshops with speakers who have similar roles in their process. Transitions reputed to be largely successful, like South Africa and Northern Ireland, are popular destinations for this work. However, there has been little research on the aims, methods, value and risks of these contacts, which are usually private and unpublicised. Dr. Mitchell’s articles, published this week in leading journals, are the first analyses of what he calls ‘comparative consultation’. Follow the link to read ‘Comparative consultation: The theory and practice of ‘sharing lessons‘ between peace processes’ in Cooperation and Conflict.

Professor Etain Tannam was among the speakers for a Trinity Long Room Hub panel on Borders and Nations. The discussion was part of the ‘Re-thinking Democracy in an Age of Pandemic‘ series. The 90 minute workshops engage international speakers and participants comprised of academics, journalists, authors, arts practitioners, civic society representatives, activists and policy makers. Follow the link to listen to the podcast.

Congratulations to Prof. Brendan Browne who has been awarded a Research Development Grant worth c€500,000 from the AHRC-DFID Collaborative Humanitarian Protection Research Programme. The project entitled: ‘Palestinian Bedouin at risk of forced displacement: IHL vulnerabilities, ICC possibilities’ seeks to better understand the humanitarian vulnerabilities of the Palestinian Bedouin at risk of forced displacement in ‘E1’, an area of the West Bank, Occupied Palestine. Highlighting the international and interdisciplinary nature of the project, alongside Dr Browne, the Principal Investigator steering the work is Dr Alice Panepinto (Queen’s University Belfast), with Dr Triestino Mariniello (Liverpool John Moores University), and Dr Munir Nuseibah (Al Quds University).

Congratulations to Dr Etain Tannam, Course Coordinator of International Peace Studies, on her election to Fellowship. With her expertise in British/Irish cross border cooperation and diplomacy, Dr Tannam has been a regular contributor to government reports and media commentary throughout the Brexit debate. Many congratulations from everyone at the School! You can watch the Fellows and Scholars being announced by the Provost by following the link.

Prof. Jude Lal Fernando has edited a new title: ‘Resistance to Empire and Militarization: reclaiming the sacred’. The book gathers critically reflective articles by leading and emerging scholars and practitioners from religious and non-religious backgrounds, representing three generations of survivors of imperial invasions and genocidal massacres across the globe. It brings together ‘testimonies of truth and liberation, written with a prophetic urgency.’

Professor Brendan Browne’s latest article (with Dr Emma Keelan) entitled: ‘Problematising Resilience: Development Practice and the Case of Palestine’ has been published in the Development in Practice journal. The article considers the rapid rise of a resilience discourse pertaining to its application in humanitarian and developmental aid in Palestine. It highlights how the uncritical application of the language of resilience is deeply problematic in places such as Palestine where the asymmetrical nature of the conflict is sustained by international political inertia, significant aid dependency and intersectional and multi-layered conflict experience. The work was supported by the Institutional Strategic Support Fund, SFI-HRB-Wellcome Trust Grant. Follow the link to read the article.

Professor of Ecumenics Linda Hogan, and author and Trinity alumnus Mark O’Connell spoke about transhumanism and ethics at a panel discussion as part of a day-long symposium celebrating ten years of the Long Room Hub. Professor Hogan has published extensively in the area of human rights. Mark O’Connell, author of To Be a Machine, has received the prestigious Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

In the wake of the shock result of the Irish general election, Etain Tannam talks to The Guardian about the implications for Brexit and Irish unification. Asked about the key questions that now need reappraised Prof. Tannam shares her insights into how the result is likely to go down with the UK government, northern Unionists and Brussels. As Prof. Tannam explains, the result forces “a new set of politicians on Downing Street, just as the critical next phase of the Brexit talks begin”. Follow the link to read the interview.

Congratulations to our Conflict and Dispute Resolution graduates who were awarded their diplomas last week! A reception was held in the school after the ceremony to celebrate the fruition of a year’s dedication and study. The postgraduate diploma is designed to provide training in Alternative Dispute Resolution and attracts candidates from a wide range of professions and sectors. We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone continued success in their careers. Pictured at the reception is Marion Mannion with friends.