The conflict in Northern Ireland has always driven young people to pursue their higher education and their lives outside the region in places such as the Republic of Ireland, Britain and as far-flung as the United States. Over two decades on from the signing of the Belfast Agreement, it appears that the North’s brain drain hasn’t dissipated, with a new report highlighting that systemic sectarianism remains a significant push factor for the region’s young people.
The report provided by Pivotal – aptly titled Should I Stay or Should I Go? – gathered views from over 300 students, along with 48 interviews with emigrants at a later stage of life. The results indicate that political instability, segregated education, poor community relations and a general lack of opportunity are leading to large-scale educational migration. Every single participant raised the issue of political instability as a concern, with sectarianism a recurrent theme in deterring individuals from returning home. A staggering 88 per cent of those surveyed stated they had no plan to return to Northern Ireland after graduation.
Young people have long voted with their feet; opting to seek out areas to live and work unencumbered with a legacy of decades of sectarian violence. And who can blame them?
Fragments of the past remain strewn throughout even the most innocuous and mundane of daily interactions. Language, for example, may still be misinterpreted as an indication of one’s political beliefs – sometimes a subconscious tendency, other times a strategic choice deliberately weaponised by those stuck firmly in the past. Participants in Pivotal’s survey felt “dismay” about the persistence of political assumptions based on names, schools and where they grew up, motivating them to seek out the freedom and quality of life afforded by setting down roots where something as commonplace as a name isn’t misconstrued to be an indicator of one’s religious beliefs or political leanings.
Causes of sectarianism
The Pivotal report also included a number of recommendations to try to stymie the exodus of the North’s youth, including free university fees for students from Northern Ireland, youth involvement in policy development and programmes of integration between members of different communities historically at odds with one another.
A staggering 88 per cent of those surveyed stated they had no plan to return to Northern Ireland after graduation
The participants also identified what they perceived to be the primary causes of sectarianism – segregated education, housing and a lack of opportunities to meet with other communities. The first integrated school opened in Belfast in 1981; 40 years later, and despite legislation to advance integrated education, only 7 per cent of school-aged children are educated in integrated schools. Educational reform is not only desired but needed if we are to unlock the full potential of the next generation and those that follow.
A recent survey from the Northern Ireland Youth Forum provides even further insight into the views and perspectives of young people. A majority of those surveyed expressed high levels of interest in local politics, believing political engagement to be a worthwhile focus of their time and energy. Despite this level of political interest, respondents felt that “young people have no opportunities to influence decision-making”, a sentiment which correlates with data from last year’s Northern Ireland Life and Times survey in which 82 per cent of 18-24 year olds expressed the feeling that they had no influence at all over decisions in Northern Ireland. This level of disenfranchisement indicates worryingly low morale in political institutions with participants citing a high level of distrust for those holding public office.
Disenfranchised by structures
Evidence suggests that young people are forgoing voting in favour of other means of political participation: protests, petitions and additional forms of active citizenship. This indicates that younger demographics still remain politically engaged but are disenfranchised by the political structures which have systemically failed generations of young people.
Living under the weight of dysfunctional and divisive politics, it can be easy to become disenfranchised or to believe that one vote won’t make a difference. However, it isn’t hyperbolic to state that each and every individual genuinely does possess the power to enact meaningful change at the ballot box.
The political structures have systemically failed generations of young people
There exists a potent desire for a shared future with year-on-year data illustrating increased demand for integrated education, removing peace walls, enforceable rights and further measures which would increase social cohesion. The ever-persistent obstacle remains Northern Ireland’s tumultuous politics. As it stands, the North has no climate targets, no Bill of Rights, welfare reform was blocked, abortion rights were blocked, a ban on hunting wild animals with dogs voted down, the Irish language mocked. The level of harm inflicted by the region’s dysfunctional politics is enormous, severely impacting economic growth and failing a whole new generation who can only hope for a better future.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland has been ranked second in the world for quality of life, according to a new study by the United Nations. As the South continues on a path toward achieving a more liberal, progressive and inclusive society with greater economic opportunities, is it little wonder that polls indicate that 18-24 year olds overwhelmingly support a united Ireland?
This is a new generation with a new set of priorities, wishing to live lives unhindered and unburdened by the traumas of the past. In order to achieve that goal, they’ll need a new and progressive political landscape only achievable when young people become invested in changing the political structures holding Northern Ireland back.
Emma DeSouza is a writer and citizens’ rights campaigner