Youth Attitudes to Peacebuilding and Politics in Northern Ireland
In Brief

Peace does not end when conflict fades from the headlines. In Northern Ireland, younger generations have inherited a fragile peace shaped by division, silence, and unresolved tensions, but also by the possibility of something better. Their voices reveal why the future of peacebuilding depends not only on memory, but on creating trust, belonging, and real space for change.

In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement formally marked an end to the Troubles, a thirty-year conflict in Northern Ireland. I was born the following year in Northern Ireland and form part of a post-agreement generation that grew up in relative peace, without the widespread political violence that shaped the lives of our parents and grandparents. Although we did not experience the conflict firsthand, its legacy continues to impact our communities, institutions, and political landscape.

As my generation reaches young adulthood and becomes more politically involved, our attitudes towards the peace process and the institutions created to sustain it have become increasingly important. Youth perceptions of peace are shaped by how they engage with the legacy of the conflict, their experiences of integration, their trust in political institutions, and the socioeconomic challenges that affect their daily lives.

This raises an important question:

How do young people perceive post-conflict Northern Ireland, and where do they see room for improvement?

Peace across generations

Peace is a continued platform of negotiation, a dynamic concept rather than a linear process. As a result, those born after the Good Friday Agreement often understand peace differently from those who lived through the conflict.

Mitchell and Wallace (2025) emphasise the importance of temporality in peacebuilding, arguing that attitudes towards peace are subjective and evolve over time in post-conflict societies.

While peace agreements are often accompanied by narratives of progress and optimism, public expectations of peace are not static. In Northern Ireland, repeated suspensions of devolved government and declining public services have contributed to falling levels of political trust. These challenges pose risks to long-term peace, particularly for young people who did not experience the conflict directly but will be responsible for carrying peace forward.

Young people’s engagement with the legacy of the Troubles

Although the post-agreement generation did not experience the conflict firsthand, they are not detached from its legacy.

A 2023 study by the think-tank Pivotal found that more than two-thirds of young people still feel the conflict’s impact in their daily lives, particularly through residential segregation and the continued presence of paramilitary influence in their communities.

Young people also place strong importance on understanding the past and the peace process:

83% believe it is important to learn about Northern Ireland’s history.
62% report having a good understanding of the Good Friday Agreement.
Integration and diversity beyond traditional divides

Northern Ireland is becoming an increasingly diverse society.

Historically, the conflict divided communities along religious and political lines, mainly between Catholic and Protestant communities and Unionist and Nationalist identities. Today, young people are looking to extend integration beyond these traditional binaries.

The region has experienced significant demographic change:

In 2021, 6.5% of the population was born outside Northern Ireland, compared to 1.8% in 2011.
Religious affiliation is declining.
A growing number of young people identify as having no religion.

Yet while sectarian violence has decreased, racist incidents have risen.

Amnesty International reported record levels of racist hate crime in 2025, particularly during episodes of unrest in the summers of 2024 and 2025.

At the same time, many young people express concern about discrimination and support stronger protections for minorities and greater social cohesion.

Despite strong support for integration, structural barriers remain:

Most people continue to live in highly segregated communities.
92% of children attend non-integrated schools.
Nearly two-thirds of young people would prefer to study alongside peers from different backgrounds.

Studies show that young people often perceive opportunities for integration as temporary or symbolic rather than embedded in everyday life.

To address this, they call for more community events, cultural initiatives and shared spaces where diversity is celebrated and peace can be discussed openly.

Waning political trust amongst young people in Northern Ireland

Young people’s political attitudes have been shaped by prolonged instability.

The aftermath of the Brexit referendum and repeated collapses of the Northern Ireland Assembly have undermined confidence in political institutions. The Assembly was operational for only 60% of its first 25 years.

Trust in political actors remains low:

10% trust political parties.
13% trust parliament.
17% trust government.

Although interest in politics remains high, many young people feel disconnected from Northern Ireland’s identity-based political system.

According to research, fewer than one-third believe political parties represent their views.

What matters to young people today?

Young people care deeply about peace and reconciliation but also feel that their everyday concerns are often overlooked.

Research shows that their top priorities include:

Mental health
Education
Cost of living
Addiction
Rights and equality

While young people are knowledgeable about the Troubles and interested in politics, only 10% feel politicians effectively advocate for the issues that matter most to them.

For many young people, reconciliation is inseparable from social justice. Tackling inequality, discrimination, poverty and poor mental health is not separate from peacebuilding; it is how peace becomes meaningful in everyday life.

Looking forward

Young people in Northern Ireland are engaged and informed, yet increasingly disillusioned with political structures they feel do not reflect their priorities.

If peace is to endure, youth voices must be meaningfully included in political and peacebuilding processes. Recognition of youth concerns, inclusive integration and social equality will be essential to ensuring that peace is strengthened for generations to come.

About the Author

Orla Tracey is a Master’s candidate in International Relations at the University of Bologna. She grew up in Northern Ireland and graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in European Studies in 2022. She completed an internship with the Agency for Peacebuilding in 2026.