The first Research Workshop of the new academic year will be a Talk hosted by Mitchell Institute Sabbatical Fellow Professor Colin Harvey.

The post-Brexit wave of reflection on a united Ireland should not be a surprise. The Good Friday Agreement guarantees a choice about the constitutional future (principle of consent/right of self-determination).

It is not difficult to imagine why the option is attracting attention. The prospect of referendums is being taken seriously and the dominant narrative remains one of planning and preparing well. An attempt to ease tensions by wrapping deliberations in the language of bureaucratic management is evident. This makes good sense for those who wish to see necessary work completed well in advance. The opposing tendency to fill heads with bleak visions of dangerous and even violent consequences risks neglecting the opportunities for new conversations.

In this Talk, Colin will explore constitutional pathways to a New Ireland, particularly for those who hope for transformative possibilities.

Professor Colin Harvey

Colin Harvey is Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, a Fellow of the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and a Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.