THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES IN ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Abstract

The article highlights the importance of special international financial programmes and funds in establishing and maintaining peace in Northern Ireland. The role of economic assistance for peacebuilding in Northern Ireland is analysed. It is stated that international financial funds and projects strengthen intercommunal relations between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland by combating inter-confessional confrontation, which is associated with the activities of radical religious and political groups, contribute to the consolidation of society and reconciliation through the participation of opposing sides in joint projects. The role of a series of cross-border programmes is analysed: «Peace-I» (1995–1999) – aimed at bringing communities involved in conflict in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland together and supporting economic and social stability; «Peace-II» (2000–2006) – aimed at consolidating progress towards a peaceful and stable society and promoting reconciliation; «Peace-III» (2007–2013) – continued some of the priorities of previous programmes; «Peace-IV» (2014–2020) – focused on investment aimed at children and young people; «Peace-Plus» (2021–2027) – a €1.1 billion programme to support peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and Ireland’s border counties. Euros, jointly funded by the UK and the EU; the International Fund for Ireland (IFI); the Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation; and the «Interreg» programme series, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, covers Northern Ireland, the border areas of the Republic of Ireland and the West of Scotland. The «Interreg» programme supports strategic cross-border cooperation to create a more prosperous and sustainable region. It is argued that Northern Ireland is an excellent example of the impact of targeted peacebuilding funding on conflict transformation. International governmental and non-governmental organisations, financial institutions that allocate targeted funds for peacebuilding in Northern Ireland need to have more empirical data to make decisions. This is particularly important in the context of the relationship between dedicated peacebuilding funding and outcomes in a divided society with a history of protracted violence. Economic hardship is now recognised as a key cause of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Civil society organisations (CSOs), with the support of international financial funds and programmes, contribut to the establishment and maintenance of peace. CSOs contributed to local economic development and community relations throughout the «Troubles», even before external funding was available.