Reflections on Belfast/Good Friday Agreement: Seminar Series Programme. Series Launch & Seminar 1 - Reflections on Belfast/Good Friday Agreement & Power-sharing

NI Assembly RaISe

This is a free event

Get ready to immerse yourself in a thought-provoking seminar series as we reflect on the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement's 25th anniversary. The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, along with the Assembly’s Research and Information Service (RaISe) and local universities, will lead the discussions. Our academic presenters will share insights from their areas of expertise and explore key themes, including power-sharing, the economy, reconciliation, rights, and gender. After each presentation, we'll open the floor to discussion. These seminars are open to everyone, so secure your seat as soon as possible. The series will run from the end of April through early June 2023 on specified Wednesdays, starting at 1:30pm. We'll be hosting the events in the Senate Chamber of Parliament Buildings, located on Stormont Estate. Please be aware that Parliament Buildings is a public building, and there may be photography, filming, and recording in its public spaces. Don't worry; we'll be recording all the presentations, but not the group discussions. If you prefer to sit away from the camera, just let us know. Free parking is available, but make sure you give yourself enough time to walk from the car park and pass through Assembly Security before entering Parliament Buildings. We're committed to fulfilling our responsibilities to those with special needs, including wheelchair accessibility. Please let us know if you have any specific requirements when registering. To secure your spot at these insightful seminars, please register at RaISeCSU@niassembly.gov.uk.

Wednesday, 26 April 2023

Series Launch & Seminar 1 - Reflections on Belfast/Good Friday Agreement & Power-sharing

1.30pm Attendee Registration

1.45pm Welcome & Housekeeping - Eileen Regan, RaISe

1:50pm Launch Opening – Alex Maskey, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly

2.00pm “What the Northern Ireland public think about power-sharing under current devolution arrangements” - Professor John Garry, Queen’s University Belfast

A quarter of a century after the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, debates over power-sharing arrangements in Northern Ireland continue. This presentation briefly describes the current power-sharing arrangements; and then addresses public attitudes to those arrangements, highlighting key findings arising from survey data collected directly after the May 2022 Assembly Election. It examines: Was the public strongly in favour of existing power-sharing arrangements; or, was there support for reforming the arrangements? Also, how did views vary by community background; and, what were the views of those who did not fit neatly into a “unionist” or a “nationalist” category, such as those who identified as “Northern Irish”?

2:20pm “A deliberative forum on possible reforms to power-sharing” - Dr Sean Haughey, University of Liverpool & Dr Jamie Pow, Queen’s University Belfast

Twenty-five years after the signing of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, debate emerges about the future of the power-sharing institutions established under the Agreement. This presentation reports on the findings of a small-scale citizens' assembly – a deliberative forum – which brought together a broadly representative sample of people from across Northern Ireland, to ascertain citizens' views on: maintaining the current power-sharing system; replacing the present system with a government formation system based purely on negotiation between political parties; or, replacing the current system with a government formation system based on both negotiation and cross-community inclusion. The findings assist in better understanding public attitudes towards the status quo and potential alternative government formation models. Importantly, they shed light on the reasons behind these attitudes and the process by which any potential reform(s) could come about.

2.40pm Discussion/Question & Answer

3.25pm Closing Remarks - Eileen Regan, RaISe

3:30pm Refreshments & Networking

3.50pm Close

Date and Time

Wednesday / 26 April 2023 1:30pm - Wednesday / 26 April 2023 3:50pm

Location

Northern Ireland Assembly
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX
United Kingdom

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Contact Details

RaISeCSU@niassembly.gov.uk

More Information

https://www.gfa25.com/lectures