The way that language can shape or wreck peace deals came under scrutiny today at an international conference, entitled "When Words Collide", at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus.

High profile speakers, including peace-builders, academics and researchers, are spelling out their views to more than 100 participants from community, development and political groups on both sides of the border during three days of workshops starting Thursday 25 November.

"The conference isn’t focusing on the idea of conflict. It is focussing on how we can use language for peace," said Professor Máiréad Nic Craith, Acting Director of the Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages, who is the conference convenor.

"The conference is exploring the problems that people have when they interpret words differently. Conflicting views on common words and phrases, or a radically varying understanding of the tone which they might imply, can upend the best-laid plans."

Keynote speakers at the opening session included Professor John Hume MP, who holds the Tip O’Neill Chair of Peace Studies at Magee and the Very Reverend Dr John Dunlop, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland who is a leading conciliator in the province’s search for a lasting peace.

"The participants are trying to get to grips with how we in Northern Ireland and other groups trying to emerge from conflict elsewhere in the world can reach an understanding of each other in words that often mean different things to different people," said Professor Nic Craith.

"Take the concept of equality, for instance. To one person, that may mean treating everyone exactly the same as herself or himself. To another individual, equality may mean simply taking account of difference. In our own context, the Good Friday Agreement is an obvious example of a text that has resulted in people taking different meanings out of the same words.

"Most of our understanding of peacemaking is through English but we will also be discussing in depth the difficulties encountered when negotiators or peacemakers are using other languages. We are examining the role of language and the need for precision and clarity so that peace making is developed in ways that let people know where each is ‘coming from’, and to appreciate that some words and phrases carry vastly differing connotations."

Professor Hume said the European Union was the best example of conflict resolution. "It is the duty of everyone to study how it was done and to apply its principles of conflict resolution internationally."

The principles behind the EU also underpinned the Good Friday Agreement. "We cannot heal the wounds of centuries in a few years. The violence of recent decades in particular has left deep wounds. The hurts that have been inflicted and suffered do not go away just because the Agreement has been made. The Agreement cannot take away the pain, but it is the start of the healing process."

Other opening speakers included Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian human rights lawyer and peace activist, from Jerusalem and Professor Javaid Rehman, of the School of Law at Magee. An international lawyer with research interests in comparative law, largely Asian and Middle-East laws, Professor Rehman examined current tensions between Islam and the West, and the role of words in the so-called war on terrorism.

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young