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CENTRE
RESEARCH
Register
of non-Political Cross Border contacts
This research involved the creation of a comprehensive register of
groups which have developed cross cultural or cross border links in Ireland.
It is intended that a demonstration of the scope of such activities and
that they occur naturally and productively may make it easier for political
leaders to take risks in the process of achieving a lasting peace in Ireland.
First edition published in 1995 as A
Register of Cross Border Links in Ireland.
Second edition published in 1998.
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Cross
border Poll
The survey of attitudes towards the conflict in Northern Ireland was
administered by the Centre for Peace and Development Studies and the
Centre for the Study
of Conflict. It was carried out by
Irish Marketing Surveys Ltd. simultaneously in Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland. A representative sample
of 1881 adults were questioned. Results
were published by The Irish Independent and Radio Telefis Éireann.
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A
Comparative Study of the Development and Role of Voluntary Sector
Organisations against Violence against Women in Northern Ireland, The Republic
of Ireland and Croatia
This project is designed to help build a comprehensive account
of voluntary sector work against violence against women in Northern
Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Croatia.
It emphasises positive activist roles as distinct from the more
common image of the passive victim. It
also examines the relationship between violence against women and the level
of violence in society as a whole. The research was published in 2000 as Private
Pain, Public Action: Violence Against Women in War and Peace.
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Protestant Perceptions of the
Peace Process in Northern Ireland
After the initial optimism reflected in the
positive vote for the Belfast Agreement in Northern Ireland, a general
sense of unease has grown, especially within the Protestant community
there. To date these
sentiments have been articulated through media soundbites which have
tended to depict the Unionist community as intransigent and obstructive. They also have had the effect of reinforcing the strong
perception in the Republic of Ireland, and elsewhere, of the Protestant
population as being predictable and homogenous in nature.
The objective of this book is to provide an opportunity for the
expression of a range of views which may do more justice to both the
character and mood of the Protestant community in Northern Ireland.
Launched in December 2000.
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The Development of Cross Border
Police Co-operation in Ireland
Cross-border
police co-operation has tended to be unstructured and undeveloped.
In the light of the Patten recommendations and evolving EU
obligations the police forces on both sides of the border will be
expected to embark upon a major
programme of cross-border co-operation. Currently, there is no
framework, ethos or tradition for such co-operation.
This creates an opportunity for the universities to work with the
police forces and the governments to help create the intellectual
infrastructure and knowledge base necessary to develop and sustain the
sort of co-operation that is be expected of the two police forces in the
light of the Patten recommendations and EU obligations. The
University of Ulster and the University of Limerick are collaborating in
this research project to study ways in which this might be achieved most
effectively.
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Cross
Border Co-operation in Agri-business
Golden Vale Research Bursary
A three year Doctoral project has been completed.
It studied the degree of co-operation between farmers on either side of
the political border in Ireland and the extent to which a developing peace
process and a closer union with Europe are likely to effect such co-operation in
the future.
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Cross
Border Curriculum Project
The Irish Times Research
Bursary
A pilot research programme was carried out in schools in Northern Ireland and
the Republic of Ireland into the extent to which schools on either side of the
political border might develop programmes which can contribute to mutual
awareness and mutual sensitivity of children throughout the island.
Consideration was also given to the similarities and differences which
exist within the two educational systems and the effect these might have on a
developing peace process. Important
areas of study included curriculum, teacher mobility, qualifications, resources
and funding. It is intended that
this pilot research will initiate a major and much more comprehensive study of
educational structures in Ireland and how they might best contribute to the
peace process there. Published in
1997 as Education in Ireland.
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DOCTORAL
RESEARCH
Completed
In Progress
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Completed
Peace by
Piece: Multi-Track
Diplomacy and the Northern Ireland Conflict
Dr. Alan Morton
Honorary Benjamin A. Gilman Research Scholarship
The duration of conflict in Ireland has led to the development of subtle and
sometimes effective cross-cutting relationships among
individuals and groups 'on the ground'. Given
the political impasse the purpose of this research project is to examine the
present extent and future potential of such sub-political strategies and to
examine the social, educational and economic co-operation which exists among and
between the two parts of Ireland. To
date, the range of such informal contacts has been either under-estimated or
unknown and that the potential of such 'bottom-up diplomacy' has been largely
ignored. At the moment, therefore, little information exists with
regard to either the contribution such individuals and groups have made to the
peace process in the past, or their needs and potential to do so more
effectively in the future.
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Revolutionism
and Civil Society: Cuba in the post-Cold War Period
Dr. Alex Gray
The objective of the research is to investigate and analyse Cuban civil society
during the post-cold war period (Cuba's 'Special Period'). The framework
of the study will be revolutionary political theory and historical accounts of
revolution. Throughout the study attention is given to the
contemporary role assigned to revolutionary ideology in Cuban society in order
to gain knowledge about the extent to which traditional revolutionary ideology
is affecting current civil society behaviour. The research is dealing with
the extent to which Cubans employ revolutionary ideology in the process of
creating space for civil society. The ultimate objective of the research
is to bring about an increase in dialogue about Cuban civil society
by: a) drawing attention to the unusual circumstances brought about by the
Special Period, b) redressing the dearth of information about Cuban
civil society, and c) investigating the extent to which revolutionary ideology
is employed in contemporary Cuban civil society. A system of progressive
focusing will lead to specific study of the activities of Cuban NGOs, as
representative of civil society organisations.
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An
Analysis of the Role of External Actors in the Truth Recovery Processes of
Post-conflict Peace-building
Dr. Jennifer Tangney
Irish
Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Government of Ireland Post-graduate Scholarships
Scheme
The growing awareness of the importance of peace-building exercises has led to
the development of many initiatives worldwide, truth commissions being but one
method which has been employed. The
high profile nature of some of these commissions, coupled with the need for
outside involvement in their creation and execution, has meant that external
parties such as states, NGOs and religious organisations have been widening
their competencies and getting involved. Little
research has been undertaken with regard to the optimal style and level of
involvement. For this reason, there is an urgent need to analyse the roles
played by external actors in the past and the impact of their actions on the
truth processes. This research
also attempts to set out guidelines and recommendations for future participation
by external parties in this field.
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Culture and the Subject in International
Relations. Historical Narratives, National Identity and Chilean Foreign
Policy
Dr. Martin Mullins
The thesis is an examination of the impact of
historical narratives on the foreign policy of the Republic of Chile.
The focus of the work is on policy development in the years of
the ‘transicion’ that
followed the sixteen years of military rule. In essence it is an examination of political culture and
identity-formation in the aftermath of a national trauma.
In Chile, during the 1990’s, there was an attempt to develop a
coherent political strategy in the face of a divided society.
The absence of shared notions of the past has tended to undermine
attempts to formulate a vision of the future and this in turn has
impacted upon the country’s foreign policy.
According to many commentators, the country has in recent years
opted for a low international profile, leaving behind its more activist
profile of the past.
The work also argues for more attention to be
afforded to a subject which traditionally has been seen as peripheral in
International Relations. Whilst
accepting the value of systemic approaches, new methodologies are also
required if the voices at the margins of the world economy are to be
heard. The work
investigates ways in which such a dialogue can be developed.
In Progress
Bringing
Bahá'i ideas into the development of cosmopolitan political theory: a new
model for an emerging world order
Nalinie Mooten
This research a) considers the various theories which claim the
obsolescence or 'displacement' of the nation-state as a political unit able to
regulate world affairs and engender peace and security; b) employs a Bahá'i
case study as a cosmopolitan model calling for the recognition of the oneness of
humanity. It also considers the possible emergence of a New World Order based on increasing
international co-operation in the view of achieving greater peace and
security. Through the examination of cosmopolitan ideas since their
inception, the research will include the concrete realisations of cosmoplitan
political theory, such as the setting up of international organisations and
their suggested future improvement.
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Peacebuilding in
Lebanon: Patriarchy and social discontent as dynamics in a
developing reconciliation process
Victoria Firmo-Fontan
Irish
Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Government of Ireland Post-graduate Scholarships
Scheme
The objective of this research is to analyse the social dynamics of the
Lebanese conflicts in order to understand the requirements for a
sustainable positive peace in Lebanon. The work will consider the
extent to which the current state of negative peace in Lebanon could
plunge the country into yet another civil war. It will be argued
that social discontent should have been addressed more thoroughly by the
Lebanese establishment before and since the end of the war. The
hypothesis that this issue has been addressed by popular groups, and
that it resulted in the politicisation of various communities outside
the current state system of social control, thus threatening the
country’s internal security, will be explored
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While the project will be based on an evaluation of social discontent
within Lebanese society, a wider analysis of social dynamics through
women studies will enable the researcher to develop a model of dual
patriarchy as a barometer for assessing the possible shift from negative
peace towards armed conflict or positive peace in the country. The
integration of first and second generation human rights to the idea of
social discontent and patriarchy will be carried out through a study of
international and local NGOs in relation to a) sustainable development
in the Irish Area of Command in South Lebanon and b) violence against
women and its consequences on Lebanese civil society.
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Information Technology
and Sustainable Development in Developing Countries
Rashad Hussein
Information technologies have, and are, affecting the economy,
business and social structures throughout the world. This
represents a significant opportunity for every country, including
developing and less developed countries. These structural advances
play a key role in sustainable development and in ensuring co-ordination
of programmes to speed the transfer of appropriate technologies to
developing countries and to stimulate co-operation between the public
and private sectors in this domain.
The research focuses on the implications for populations in
developing countries and associated problems such as poverty and social
inclusion. The study also concentrates on the distribution of aid
and the role of the World Bank in development. Finally, the role
of information technology in achieving regional development in the Third
World countries is assessed.
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An Analysis of the Role of TRIPs (Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) in the Political Economy of
Developing Countries
Gerard Downes
Irish
Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Government of Ireland Post-graduate Scholarships
Scheme
This research is currently
examining the impact on developing countries of the pharmaceutical and
biodiversity aspects of the TRIPs (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights) agreement. TRIPs was initiated in 1995 in the wake of
the so-called ‘Uruguay Round’ of trade talks due to the increasing
demand for patent and copyright protection by organisations aggrieved at
the high level of copyright and patent piracy world-wide.
TRIPs was envisaged as a
means of protecting inventors’ rights in areas such as
pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and software. Signatories to the WTO
(World Trade Organisation)
are obliged to make their legislation “TRIPs-compliant” and
to protect the copyrights and patents of organisations. TRIPs specifies
that patents should have a duration of 20 years for what the agreement
classifies as “new and inventive” products.
One of the most contentious
aspects of TRIPs is in regard to pharmaceuticals. Prior to TRIPs, many
developing countries that belong to the WTO had excluded medicines from
patenting. Under the new agreement however, these countries’
governments are obliged to enact legislation which conforms to the
strictures of the WTO. This scenario results in many countries being
unable to produce cheaper, generic copies of drugs which have been
patented by pharmaceutical corporations. Likewise in the field of
biodiversity, countries such as India have found that much of its
indigenous genetic materials have been patented by corporations, the
most notorious example being the patenting of basmati rice by the
Texas-based firm RiceTec.
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Transforming
Societies through Policing
Barry Ryan
Irish
Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Government of Ireland Post-graduate Scholarships
Scheme
This work aims to examine attempts by
transitional societies to improve relations between the police and
marginalised or formerly disenfranchised sectors of society. It will need to assess the efficacy of training methods
adopted by police services that are attempting to fundamentally alter
entrenched cultures of partisan policing so that it is able to
investigate their depth of commitment to human rights. It will also look
at results by examining the extent of changed relations (if any) between
reforming police services and minority groups. It will look for examples
of ‘best practice’ among other police forces and apply appropriate
theoretical frameworks (such as communitarian theory) that may assist
police management in its efforts to reduce crime rates and improve its
relationship with minorities. Ultimately,
the project’s finding will contribute to the development of a theory
of police in change.
Two case studies have been chosen as vehicles
for this work. The
transformation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary through the Patten
Report into the Police Service of Northern Ireland as an example of
agency reformation will compare and contrast well with the structural
reform of the police in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The research will analyse the ‘vision for policing’ in these
two regions and assess what can be learnt from the experience of
policing reform in the Republic of South Africa and from the efforts
made by other police forces – for example the Garda Siochana – to
improve policing in the community.
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UN Peacekeeping or ad hoc
peace-enforcing? Prospects for international security in the ‘new
world disorder’
Edward Horgan
Irish
Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Government of Ireland Post-graduate Scholarships
Scheme
Despite the best intentions and some successes throughout the world,
the failures of the peace initiatives of the United Nations of the 1990s cost millions of lives and
damaged its reputation. This PhD thesis will analyse
whether the peace-enforcement strategy, implemented by the USA and its
NATO allies, is a more effective method of ensuring international
security for the future.
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Security Communities
in the Context of European Security:
Perspectives for Development
Oleg Piletsky
The post-cold war security landscape is changing almost daily. Gone
is the monolithic threat from a communist bloc led by the Soviet Union.
In its place are scores of new concerns: the challenge of system
transformation and political and economic reconstruction in central and
eastern Europe; the re-emerging threats of ethnic conflict from the
former Yugoslavia to the new central Asian republics; and, perhaps most
important, the problems associated with the reconstruction of the
Russian superpower – including economic and political instability,
emerging threat from the international terrorism. As these threats
change, so must existing European security institutions. This change we
suggest should be founded on the redefinition of security, which is
necessary for the development of mutual trust and a growing sense of
mutual identification in Europe.
The theoretical and empirical material of this
project has the collective aim of: better identifying the conditions
under which security communities are likely to emerge; focusing on the
relationship between transnational forces and interactions, state power,
and security politics in ways that depart from traditional realist
readings of security politics; harnessing the conceptual architecture of
a security community to offer an alternative look at regional
interactions and their relationship to security practices; using the
case material (OSCE, NATO, EU, CoE), identify the perspectives for the
growing influence of the OSCE upon security arrangements in Europe.
Building on constructivist theory, the project
will be an important contribution to international relations theory and
security studies, attempting to understand the conjunction of
transnational forces, state power and international organizations that
can produce a security community.
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The Role of Primary
School Education in Conflict Resolution:
Exploring the use of collaborative problem-solving methods as
aids to conflict resolution in the school curricula of both Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Maria O'Dwyer
Research
demonstrates that children as young as three years old are capable of
holding prejudicial attitudes. Influences may come from a
multitude of sources - the family, peer groups, the playground
etc. This research, however, focuses on the role which primary
school education can play in helping children to understand the basic
principles of tolerance and mutual understanding.
In
societies where conflict, and perhaps political violence, are already
established, the implementation of tolerance programmes etc. can be more
problematic. In addition, the type of educational systems in place
in the society must be taken into account. The contrast between
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland should therefore serve as a
working example of these institutional changes.
This
research will attempt to demonstrate that curricular modifications,
rooted firmly in a child-centred approach, can make a significant
contribution to the awareness of children of the elements of conflict
and its possible resolution.
MASTERS
RESEARCH
Policing
in a Multi Agency Society
Eddie MacEoin
The research programme studied the degree of communication, co-operation and
relationships that exist between the Garda Siochana and the multi-agency society
which it serves. The research
analyses these relationships with particular reference to the agencies involved in
the field of child abuse in Ireland.
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