The third annual Winter School will explore how some of the main issues that have been identified by the United Nations as being central to the process of peace building and conflict transformation have been addressed in Northern Ireland over the past twenty years.

Please download the flyer for further information on the programme and speakers - Winter School Flyer.

We will outline and analyse a number of key themes that are applicable to societies transitioning from conflict, including:

• The process of reaching a peace agreement and establishing new institutions of governance
• Creating a broader framework for a peaceful and just society through building a culture of respect for human rights and equality and re-establishing the rule of law through a process of police reform
• The challenges of addressing the legacy of conflict, including dealing with past violence and supporting the needs of victims and survivors
• Exploring the diverse role of civil society organisations in the ongoing process of conflict transformation.

The aim will be to consider some of the successes of the process of transition in Northern Ireland, while also exploring some of the challenges that remain to be addressed.

The school will be taught by a mix of experienced members of staff from the Mitchell Institute and academics from across Queen’s University, and will also have a significant input from non-academics and practitioners who have been actively involved with the issues being discussed.  

The course will be based in Queen’s University but will include a number of field trips to key locations in Belfast over the course of the week.  All sessions will be interactive and time will be provided for participants to engage in discussions to explore issues of comparative relevance and pertinent to different contexts.

Field trips include:

• Guided bus tour of Belfast to see the murals and security architecture within the city
• Visit to Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings at Stormont
• Visit to an operational Police Station in Belfast
• Visit to Crumlin Road Gaol

The University campus is one of the best-equipped in Europe and includes everything you need from nightclubs to sporting facilities, restaurants and our own art house cinema. Everything is within walking distance from student accommodation, with the city centre only 15 minutes walk to complete your experience at Queen’s.‌ We are at the of the city's culture, arts and social scene!

The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice is a newly established international centre of excellence at Queen's University Belfast. The Institute fosters collaborations across a range of subject areas which allow the Faculty to address some of the key global challenges faced in seeking to achieve fairness, security, prosperity, social harmony and progress.

We are “a gateway to interdisciplinary research... Harnessing the national and international experience and expertise of staff in the fields of Conflict, Peace-Building, Human Rights and Transitional Justice."

We benefit from a depth of expertise amongst our staff and a range of internationally renowned specialists. The global impact of our teaching and research is a defining feature of the University. As a member of the Russell Group of the UK's leading research-intensive universities, Queen's inspires its students to be the pioneers of progress who change society for the better.

Students enrich our thriving research culture and contribute much to our academic activity. In return, we provide a stimulating learning environment where individual interests can be pursued and academic ambitions achieved.