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The Bitter Conflict in Northern Ireland Essay examples

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The Bitter Conflict in Northern Ireland

Out of all the conflicts that have occurred in Western Europe since the Second World War, Northern Ireland has been one of the most bitter, long lasting and intractable. This conflict is based in the struggle of one side of the community for a unified independent Ireland and the opposition of the other part of the community to this aim and their desire for Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom. Due to the hostility between these two sides issues of discrimination in areas such as housing, employment, electoral manipulations and religious histories have been rife. Northern Ireland is torn over the balance of power relations between communities and questions of governance. …show more content…

Although this is good news there are many areas of employment which are still inadequate and unmonitored. The Policy of Appraisal and Fair Treatment and Targeting Social Need initiatives were intended to be set up in the 90's to act as monitoring and job creation schemes. Neither of these reached the goals they were hoped to achieve. PAFT received no consideration and hopes for reparation for past discriminations came to nothing when its function became reduced to 'equality' and TSN was sidelined with no real aims. Neither monitor the religion or gender of staff.

The allocation of public housing has also been an area subject to accusations of discrimination. In the 1960's civil rights movements began in protest against the lack of civil and housing rights of the Catholics of Northern Ireland. In June 1966, a nationalist councillor Austin Currie squatted in a house in the Tyrone village of Caledon to oppose the treatment the Irish people were receiving. Though it was meant to be a peaceful protest there was a violent reaction. In 1969 The Cameron Report examined the causes of the civil disorders which started on 5 October 1968 in Londonderry. They found that the discrimination in the allocation of housing, together with lack of housing provision was among the main grievances of the Catholic population. At the time, housing was an important political issue, in addition to being of great socio-economic importance - sub-tenants were not given a vote in local

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