Perspectives

For you to better understand the text “Belfast Protests Leaving Scars on Schoolchildren” by Brian Lavery, it is necessary to be able to put it into perspective. 

Periodical perspective

The text was written in 2001, just three years after the Belfast Agreement, also called the “Good Friday Agreement”. The agreement was signed both by the Irish and British governments and “The Troubles” was brought to an end.

However, conflicts did not entirely disappear. Political reforms have sometimes made one party or another feel ignored. This led to violent conflicts and to several deaths until 2002, most deaths being counted in Belfast.

How do you think the article was received in 2001, at the time of the publishing? You should take into consideration the fact that the article was published in an American newspaper, but it was also published online, so people in the UK had access to it as well.

Relevance today

What is the effect of “The Troubles” today? The killings and attacks have stopped in 2002 and ...