29th October 2013
The Public Management of Conflict
Venue: Riddel Hall, Queen’s University, Belfast
Considerable time, research money and expertise has been spent exploring the complex reality of conflict in Northern Ireland, the practical challenges of managing within, through and beyond such a conflict, particularly in the public sector, have often been neglected, or their importance not properly recognised. This seminar aimed to put a framework around the real experience of the public management of conflict issues in Northern Ireland as they have affected organisations and their staff. We are interested in both the period when violence was a daily reality and the implications of and experience of the prolonged process of conflict transformation.
19th September 2013
Place or Past? Violence and Commemoration in the New Northern Ireland
Venue: Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast
This half day conference brought together social commentators, historians, social scientists, politicians, public and private stakeholders and a range of community and statutory organisations to reflect on the relationship between violence and commemoration in Northern Ireland. The findings from the project were displayed in an exhibit which included a series of academic posters and a multimedia audio-visual display. This event provided an opportunity to engage with contemporary debates and reflect upon the key findings and discussions to emerge from the exploratory AHRC grant, ‘Place or Past?’
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16th August 2013
Gender and Commemoration Roundtable
Venue: Belfast Campus, University of Ulster
Welcome: Dr Sara McDowell (UU)
Facilitators: Claire Pierson (UU), Niall Gilmartin (NUI Maynooth)
Closing Remarks: Dr Fidelma Ashe (UU)
Women’s roles in commemoration and remembering the past includes opportunities to gather and collect and tell stories about their experiences and histories. This roundtable discussion gathered many from a range of organisations responsible for the performance, presentation, representation and archiving of commemoration in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A key consideration of this event focused on the diversity of the female history that is mirrored in the contemporary expressions and opportunities to perform and protect their histories and cultural memories. Furthermore, the discussion focused on how the female experience of commemoration and violence affords an opportunity to reflect on lesser understood and underappreciated dynamics of memory, culture and identity.
26th June 2013
Violence and Commemoration in Northern Ireland: Challenges Facing the Public Sector
Venue: Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast
This event explored the challenges facing public bodies in managing, co-ordinating and policing commemorative events in Northern Ireland. commemorating not only the recent but more distant past in Northern Ireland has proved extremely difficult not least for public bodies and cultural organisations who are tasked with engaging, managing and policing it. In bringing together a range of diverse stakeholders it identified the memorialisation and commemoration of historic events that have sparked contention and considered the key challenges facing public bodies.
24th May 2013
Commemoration, Memory and Identity: Reflections from the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist Communities
Venue: Belfast Castle
This event explored the interconnected issues of commemoration, memory and identity and their resonance in contemporary societies within Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist communities. It brought together representatives from these communities from across Northern Ireland to discuss the importance of the past and the importance of place.
Place or Past? 