Cessation of Violence: What is the History Behind the Headlines?

20 years on from the IRA order to end their armed campaign, what can a reporter’s scribbled notes and archive tell us about decommissioning, demilitarisation and today’s legacy discussions?
Simple headlines can disguise the myriad of conversations, meetings, statements and uncertainty that preceded a piece of news being reported. Brian Rowan believes that his archive of scribbled notes, annotated printouts, diary entries and even coffee receipts can help tell the stories behind some of the major events he reported on as BBC NI Security Correspondent over 17 years.
The Open University are hosting online materials looking back at the period 2005-2010, a period that included decommissioning, demilitarisation and the restoration of Stormont institutions with Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as First and deputy First Ministers.
What are the lessons for today? Will such evidence exist in 20 years’ time given modern ways of negotiation?
Audrey Carville is joined by Brian Rowan, Joanne Murphy (professor of inclusive leadership at the University of Birmingham and author of Policing for Peace in Northern Ireland), and John D’Arcy (Director of Open University’s in Ireland).
The programme also hears from Rod Dreher about introducing US Vice President JD Vance to the priest who carried out his conversion to Catholicism in 2019.
And ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euro final between England and Spain, we’ll be talking to Northern Ireland defender and pundit Caragh Hamilton about football and faith.