Narrator: The shadow of history looms large over us here in Northern Ireland, and we can be a pretty divided place, but we also know a thing or two about finding creative solutions…
Narrator: Finding a way out of conflict, a way towards peace between the bitterly divided unionist and nationalist communities, after 30 years of violence - was the mother of all problems…
Narrator: It need the political will for peace on both sides. Not to mention community and church leaders, even the President of the United States.
Narrator: What all that negotiating led to, was a big fat legal document called the Good Friday Agreement, which set out an accord between the UK and the Republic of Ireland about the long term status of Northern Ireland, and proposed a new political structure.
Narrator: It was put to the citizens of Northern Ireland in a referendum, and passed. That meant the end of direct rule from Westminster, and the setting up of the Northern Irish Assembly in Stormont.
Narrator: The Assembly is a devolved government, so it has the powers that have been transferred to it - like health, education, policing, and culture.
Narrator: All ‘reserved matters’ though, like defence, foreign policy and currency are dealt with by Westminster, and so’s the decision about Northern Ireland’s overall budget.
Narrator: In those ways, we operate along very similar lines to Scotland’s devolved government. But being Northern Irish, we do politics a little bit differently.
Narrator: We vote for several candidates per constituency, ranking them by preference - a System called Single Transferable Vote - so in theory no one is ignored.
Narrator: The Assembly is a power sharing executive, which means no one party can ever control the whole government. The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister must be from opposing parties and ministries have to be shared out between whichever parties won most votes. That’s great in terms of maintaining peace, but not so fantastic when the whole government shuts down because nobody can reach an agreement…
Narrator: Of course when that happens, it reminds us all that as a country, we’re still in a precarious position, despite all the progress that’s been made. We’re still composed of two quite divided communities, and our education system reinforces that - many young people only go to school with people from their own community.
Narrator: Not to mention, of course, that we’re sandwiched between two countries.
Narrator:The Republic of Ireland is embracing its place in Europe more strongly, but following the Brexit vote, the UK is pulling away from the EU. Being in the middle makes it kind of tricky to know where we stand at the moment…
Narrator: It could be that being an intersection of two countries really puts us in an advantageous position - like for our top sports players, who can choose represent the UK or the Republic.
Narrator:Wherever we’re headed in the future will be partly determined by how much energy your generation can bring to the democratic process. And one thing we do know is that it is possible to build on the past, just as street artists in Belfast are proving.
Through a compelling mix of traditional illustrations and modern animation, this short film for secondary schools serves as an animated summary of citizenship issues as they relate to Northern Ireland.
It examines topics such national identity, Northern Irish politics and Northern Ireland's relationship to both the Republic of Ireland and to the United Kingdom.
A key message is the importance of being an active citizen in all levels of politics.
Please note that this video was created in 2018.
Teacher Notes
This film could provide a starting point for a class discussion and/or debate on how Northern Ireland may achieve peace and unity across divided communities.
Curriculum Notes
The film covers the following aspects of all UK curricula:
- The different ways in which a citizen can contribute to the improvement of his or her community, to include the opportunity to participate actively in community volunteering, as well as other forms of responsible activity.
- The legal system in the UK, different sources of law and how the law helps society deal with complex problems.
- Parliamentary democracy and the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, including the power of government, the role of citizens and Parliament in holding those in power to account, and the different roles of the executive, legislature and judiciary and a free press.
More from How Government Works:
British law and the constitution. video
An animated overview of the foundation of British law and the constitution.
What is political power? video
A summary of the key aspects of political power, including the history, forms and ideas that make and maintain it.
Citizenship and politics in Scotland. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Scotland, including national identity and the relationship with the European Union.
Citizenship and politics in Wales. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Wales, including national identity and Wales' relationship with the European Union.
Dinasyddiaeth a Gwleidyddiaeth yng Nghymru. video
Ffilm animeiddiedig fer yn crynhoi materion dinasyddiaeth a pha mor berthnasol ydyn nhw i Gymru.
