Defence Forces Review 2010

Peace Dividends and Statecraft Instrumentsequitable cross community manner, were essential in cementing the process in place. Thesefunds focused on projects, schemes and initiatives, which promoted reconciliation and greatermutual understanding. They were apportioned on a cross-community or cross-border basis,and attempted to address serious disadvantage and deprivation.SourceIFI(1986-2008)US Contributionto IFI (1986-1998)EUSSPPR(1995-1997)849 million EURO 307.4 million USD 350 million GBPFigure 1. Economic Assistance to Northern Ireland.The Psychology of the ‘Peace Dividend’ – The Impact of the Economic Instrument onInter-Communal ViolenceQuantifying the actual impact of economic incentives on the Troubles is somewhat abstract,but both qualitative and quantitative measures can be reviewed. It is possible to develop acause and effect relationship between the application of financial support and a decreasein violence. Irvin and Byrne provide such empirical evidence, through survey instruments,examining whether external financial support helped reduce the levels of violence. Theirfindings establish that both the IFI and the EU SSPPR have economically empowered bothcommunities. Furthermore a correlation between correctly targeted economic assistance, andan environment in which politics and not violence can flourish was developed. Economicdeprivation and systematic discrimination of Catholics is presented as the most commonargument to account for the conflict, alongside suggestions of economic opportunism of thosewho actually profit from the ongoing conflict. 10The Peace Dividend effect in the Northern Ireland example also has to overcome the significantincome available to ‘Securocrats’, 11 resulting directly from the Troubles. The establishmentof a durable peace adversely impacts the financial wellbeing of this Securocrat constituency.Employment and overtime opportunities are reduced in organizations, such as the PoliceService of Northern Ireland, and the security forces in general. Paramilitaries on both sidesof the divide also have reduced market opportunities as protection rackets, extortion anddrug activities are curtailed, with a resulting major negative impact on their local economiccircumstance.The psychology surrounding the development of a ‘carrot’ solution of economic interventionsconcerns the development of a Peace Dividend or a Win-Win solution for all parties. Theactual impact of foreign funding was reinforced with the espoused notion of a Peace Dividend;the carrot becomes more attractive to the belligerents. A significant Peace Dividend has beenidentified in relation to a solution to the conflict. A major lesson must be that economicinitiatives and progress are vital in providing support to the constituencies that are seekingpeace. The Northern Ireland Process was protracted and difficult, but the light at the end of the10 Neuheiser, Jorg and Wolff, Stefan. (2002) Peace at last: the impact of the Good Friday agreement on Northern Ireland. New York, Berghahn Books.11 RUC, prison officers and other members of the security community with considerable financial incentives and overtime payments due to politicalinstability.91