Poverty and inequality need to be addressed as part of the North's peace process, writes Helen Johnston.
The negotiations in the Northern Ireland peace process will soon be picking up momentum again and the main players in the discussions will be developing their positions on the key issues.
The focus will be on the political aspects of the discussions but there is another context that requires additional emphasis. There is a need for more consideration to be given to addressing poverty issues. There is a complex inter-relationship between poverty and conflict and this needs to be better understood and reflected in a greater focus on addressing poverty and inequality in peace-building.
Many successful projects have been doing this over the past few years through the EU-funded peace programmes but there is a need to go further than this and recognise that tackling poverty and social exclusion needs to be a core element of any agreement and be given a high-priority focus.
In Northern Ireland, the number of casualties has been greatest in the most disadvantaged areas. Of course poverty on its own will not necessarily lead to conflict, but a reduction in poverty and inequalities will reduce the likelihood of conflict. More equal societies are more stable.
Conflicts have a range of economic and social consequences, including destruction of physical infrastructure, expenditure devoted to defence and security, higher mortality and morbidity, mental and physical health problems, and displacement of populations.
Experience from other societies that have experienced conflict, such as South Africa, shows that there is a need to focus on social issues, reconciliation and civic participation as well as physical and economic "reconstruction" to begin the long and difficult road to genuine reconciliation.
The term "reconstruction" is one of those terms on which there is little common agreement. The rebuilding of physical infrastructure and economic regeneration are both, of course, important elements but the term has a deeper meaning.
There is a vital need to reconstruct civil society, education and health services - as well as relationships between communities and individuals.
The political discussions would benefit from this approach. A key element of this would be a greater acknowledgement of the need to address poverty within peace-building plans, and within anti-poverty policies an understanding of the need to address the legacy of conflict in disadvantaged communities.
The problems that the conflict have caused have often been set within the context of Northern Ireland alone. The reality, of course, is that it has affected and damaged communities on both sides of the Border.
While the casualties have been concentrated on the Northern side of the Border, considerable and sustained damage was done to communities in this State, particularly in Border areas, in economic and social terms. This is a major element of peace-building that also needs to be factored into plans.
At a grassroots level the Peace programmes have contributed much to building reconciliation in Ireland since 1994. But the key lesson learned from the many excellent schemes is that peace building is a slow and long-term process. It is critically important, therefore, to continue this work to make real and lasting progress.
It is also important that this work needs to be complemented by a strategy at a higher level, in effect a macro-strategy, to ensure that social inclusion, rights and equality legislation are made a cornerstone of the "big picture" discussions.
Some examples of projects supported through the Peace programmes give a good sense of what will continue to be needed if we are to deal successfully in the long term with the causes of conflict.
Shankill Community Association in Dublin has been working for a number of years in nurturing and developing a strong cross-community/cross-Border relationship with the Shankill Road, Belfast.
This link has been strengthened through exchange visits between senior citizen clubs, women's football teams, school exchanges, and the amalgamation of school choirs.
In particular a special youth initiative has been developed where students between 12 and 17 from the Shankill areas in Belfast and Dublin are encouraged to participate in a structured programme of cross-Border youth exchanges.
Another example is the Opportunities for Women Learning (OWL). I recently attended a graduation ceremony of this programme, aimed at women who left school early. OWL has a number of short, accredited community education programmes, which are offered right across the Border counties to women living in their home communities. Approximately 1,000 women studied under this programme last year.
This kind of scheme in the Border counties is designed to help communities acquire the skills they will need to develop economically, and to get a real peace dividend. At the same time, they also help empower women socially to gain educational qualifications and self-confidence, a vital component of social inclusion activity.
Next year discussions will be taking place on the future of EU funding. While it is anticipated that the amount available to Ireland will be substantially reduced in an enlarged Europe, an important case can be made for funding from the EU and from the Irish and UK governments to continue the work of the Peace programmes.
Peace-building and reconciliation are long-term processes, with no easy solution. Our hope is that the political parties will achieve a deal on the major political questions - and that there is recognition of the importance of the social dimension in building peace.
• Helen Johnston is director of the Combat Poverty Agency, the national advisory body on poverty which is part-responsible for implementing elements of the EU-funded Peace II Programme in the Border region.