UU lecturer to address ‘shattered community’ conference

Leaders from some of the world’s ‘shattered communities’ meeting in Hungary will hear from a University of Ulster expert this weekend about segregation in Northern Ireland - and ways in which community activists are trying to ease its divisive repercussions.

A leading authority on Northern Ireland segregation, Dr Peter Shirlow’s extensive investigations into the problem have led to his invitation to speak at the high-profile ‘Divided Cities in Conflict Zones’ conference.

It is hosted by the Centre for Media and Communications Studies Unit at the Central European University based in Budapest.

"The obvious reality is that our political situation is less volatile than that of Palestine-Israel. However, the Palestinian and Israeli delegates seek knowledge on how other peace strategies survive despite obvious difficulties," said Dr Shirlow, who is a senior lecturer in human geography at the University of Ulster’s Coleraine campus.

"It is clear that despite some remaining instability within Northern Ireland, our peace process is seen as having achieved some degree of success and sustainability. Similarly, cities such as Mostar are dealing with a situation, like Belfast in the 1970s, that was affected by rapid processes of societal corrosion and segregation."

Among the speakersat the conference will be Menachem Klein, Professor of Political Science at Bar Ilan University, who was advisor to Israel's delegation to the 2000 Camp David summit and a member of the Israeli team that negotiated the Geneva Accord.

Klein recently spoke in Washington at the Carnegie Endowment under the sponsorship of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and Americans for Peace Now.

(MB/GMCG)