Parallel Histories Cross-Community Peace Process Debates at Stormont

Parallel Histories brings young people from across Northern Ireland together at Stormont in mixed teams to investigate and debate: Who should be blamed for the slow progress of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland?

Students explore issues including paramilitary activity, equal rights, policing, constitutional questions and cultural identity. They test competing historical claims against evidence and debate first from one position and then the other, before reflecting together and taking part in a Q&A with MLAs.

Event 2

Event name
Peace Testimony and Evidence Activity; in schools in October.

Short summary
Students gather or examine testimony about what has helped peace last in Northern Ireland, then test what those accounts can and cannot be used as evidence for.

Full description
Students explore the question: What has helped peace last in Northern Ireland? They gather an anonymised response from someone at home, then test what that testimony can and cannot be used as evidence for.

Back in school, students sort and evaluate the evidence, applying the same critical thinking used at Stormont. Parallel Histories provides the materials and guidance.

Event 3

Event name
Online Peace Process Reunion Debate: 12th November

Short summary
Young people reunite online to debate who has done most to make peace last in Northern Ireland, testing competing claims against evidence and debating first from one position, then the other.

Full description
Students reunite online to debate: Who has done most to make peace last in Northern Ireland: unionists or nationalists?

They investigate constitutional compromise, the movement from violence into politics, power-sharing, policing and security, and the role of women, communities and the next generation. Students prepare and debate first from one position and then the other, with feedback from teachers and the Parallel Histories team.