The second day of the conference, with the theme of Renew, was hosted by Donie O’Sullivan, US Broadcast Journalist.  As well as providing an opportunity to consider the dynamics of peace and conflict, these sessions provided an opportunity to reflect on the politics of the past, present and future

After a video address from General António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, addresses were provided by The Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Micheál Martin TD Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence.

Watch the addresses here.

Journalist Mark Simpson chaired a panel The Parties In Conversation with representatives from each of the main political parties in Northern Ireland including Doug Beattie MLA, Leader, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP); Naomi Long MLA, Leader, Alliance Party; Mary Lou McDonald TD, President, Sinn Féin; Colum Eastwood MP, Leader, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, Former Junior Minister, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Watch the Panel session here.

After addresses by Jamie Lukas-Campbell, QUB Student Union Officer and Ambassador Jane Hartley, a second panel took place discussing The Good Friday Agreement: A Template for Resolving Global Conflict.  This panel was chaired by Ambassador Mitchell B Reiss, Former US Special Envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace Process, with contributions from Dr Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Congressman Richard E. Neal, Ranking Member of the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee; Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight and Dr Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Europe, National Security Council.

Watch here.

There was a special live recording of The Rest is Politics Podcast, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Jamie Stewart. 

 

Mitchell Institute Panel Sessions

The Mitchell Institute hosted five panel discussions in the afternoon.

Rights and Social Justice

Institute Theme Lead (Rights and Social Justice) Prof Kieran McEvoy chaired this panel with contribution from Institute Fellows Prof Colin Harvey, Prof Christopher McCrudden and Honorary Professor Christine Bell, Professor of Constitutional Law and Assistant Principal (Global Justice), Edinburgh University

Peacebuilding

Prof Fiona Magowan, Institute Theme Lead (Religion, Arts and Peacebuilding) chaired a panel with contributions from Institute Fellows Prof Dominic Bryan, Prof Gladys Ganiel and Honorary Professor of Practice Rory Montgomery, former Irish Diplomat.

Legacy

Mitchell Institute Theme Lead (Legacy) Prof Louise Mallinder chaired this panel with contribution from the Institute’s Prof John Brewer, Fellow Dr Anna Bryson and Honorary Professor of Practice Michael Maguire, former Police Ombudsman.   

The Dynamics of Peace and Conflict

Chaired by Institute Director Prof Richard English, this panel featured contributions from Prof Chris Blattman and Prof Roger Myerson, both from the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflict, University of Chicago and the Dame Louise Richardson, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The Impact on Victims

Chaired by Institute Fellow Dr Cheryl Lawther, this panel involved contribution from Paul Crawford, Paul Gallagher, Mary Moreland, Minty Thomson members of the Victims and Survivors Forum and Ian Jeffers, the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors.    

 

Masterclass with Senator George J. Mitchell

Masters degree students on the Conflict Transformation and Social Justice programme and US Scholarship students attended a Masterclass, hosted by Senator George J. Mitchell and Institute Director, Prof Richard English. 

 

Collaboration Events

A number of collaboration events were held on Day 2 including:

Women in Business – International Voices of Leadership in Association with the Chief Executives Club at Queen’s.

Young Voices – Politics in Action which brought over 200 young people from across Ireland to discuss and share their ideas on what peace means to them.

The Agreement 25 Cancer Showcase event will celebrate the past successes which led the island of Ireland to take its place on the global cancer research stage and also look to the future and how the island of Ireland and the creation of an All Island Cancer Research Institute, bringing together the best minds on the island of Ireland, can significantly contribute to a world without cancer.

A film screening of Victims Voices was followed by a panel discussion with some of the people involved in the film, who lost family members to violence from the British Army and both Republican and Unionist paramilitaries.

A celebration of journalism and exploration of the role of the media during The Troubles, in the panel session Media in Conflict and Peace which included a short film.

An evening of music, readings and poetry was hosted by the Seamus Heaney Centre with special guests Gary Lightbody, Lisa McGee and Tara Lynne O'Neill.

Read the full overview of Day 2 here.