Mending troubled communities. To what extent does the Communities in Transition prograrmme in Northern Ireland realise community-based Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration of Pramilitaries?

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2021-11-16
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en
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This research investigated to what extent grassroots initiatives in Northern Ireland, under the Communities in Transition (CIT) programme, realise community-based disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR). Paramilitary groups remain in existence in Northern Ireland, 20 years post-conflict. The CIT programme uses varying community-based organisations from areas such as health and well-being, art and culture, restorative practices, community safety and young people to implement a formal part of the bottom-up reintegration process in Northern Ireland. CIT is used as a case throughout this research to help answer the main research question; To what extent does the CIT programme realise community-based DDR? Both the CIT programme, as well as how grassroots initiatives contribute to combatting paramilitarism, are currently under-researched. This research helps fill this knowledge gap. Furthermore, it can be used as a guideline for other post-conflict societies in similar situations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 relevant stakeholders in the CIT programme. Once data was collected, both thematic and discourse analysis were used to decipher relevant information. This research adds nuance to the debate in the literature on how to ensure DDR is reconciliatory in nature. This research found, to improve the likelihood of Northern Ireland achieving reconciliation, social capital, which includes, communication, cooperation, mutual respect and trust, must be enhanced between the CIT programme, and therefore, the state, and the ex-prisoner and former combatant community. Following that, social and economic reintegration can be implemented, granting these communities a greater chance of realising reconciliation.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen