NORTHERN IRELAND: BELFAST: FORUM CONVENES TODAY FOR FIRST TIME
(14 Jun 1996) English/Nat The Northern Ireland Forum convenes for the first time in Belfast today amid continued wrangling between unionist parties over the appointment of US Senator George Mitchell. The former US senator was finally appointed forum chairman after two days of protracted negotiations between British and Irish governments and Ulster's main political parties. But as the politicians continue to reach agreement on the future of Ulster, the people of the province are keeping a close watch over the historic talks. They hope that the negotiations will finally lead to a lasting peace. At Belfast's Mayfield Leisure Centre, schoolchildren from both the Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland are taking part in a local sports festival. It is a sign of how much things have changed in the province since the start of the Troubles 17 years ago. The IRA ceasefire in August 1994 brought a halt to the armed conflict in Northern Ireland - albeit intermittently. But the symbols of the bitter divisions in Ulster are still visible, particularly in west Belfast. The so-called "Peace Line" still separates the Catholic Falls Road from the Protestant Shankhill area. But the street fights between the two communities which once plagued the area are now a thing of the past. Bernie McMillen was 15 when the Troubles broke out. She has lived amidst violence and fear for most of her adult life. The past 17 months of ceasefire has had a huge impact on her day-to-day life and upon that of the other Catholic families in the area. SOUNDBITE: "Before the ceasefire came about, the peace process came about, you were sitting, you were worried about them, are they going to come home, are you going to get a phone call? Now you don't have that, you can relax at night when your kids go out. The wee one he can go out and play you know, I can go into the town I can take them into the town, you're not afraid of anything happening you know. You can walk in and out of shops without being searched, you know, there's loads of things that has come about that I've had to live with for a long time, that a lot of people have had to live with for a long time which has really changed." SUPER CAPTION: Bernie McMillen, resident of the (Catholic) Falls Road area The signs of the nationalist struggle are found all over the Catholic areas of Belfast. Just as the symbols of the loyalist campaign are written on the walls of Protestant Belfast. The heart of Protestant west Belfast is the Shankhill - most of its inhabitants want to stay part of the United Kingdom and not become part of Ireland. Another local who also grew up with the Troubles believes his community is being betrayed by the British government. SOUNDBITE: "I could never see a united Ireland here because the Protestant population of Northern Ireland would never let it happen. We do not want to be part of the south, we want to stay part of the United Kingdom because we support the Queen. We don't support the Republicans at all, we want to stay where we are but the British government at the moment, especially Major. He's pushing us down the river, he's put us in the boat and now he's pushing it down the river towards the south." SUPER CAPTION: John Devine, resident of (Protestant) Shankhill Road area The current peace process is not the first time that the two communities have been united in hope for a peaceful future. In 1976, thousands of people marched through the streets in a massive "peace protest". Out of those marches came the "Peace People" - an organisation founded to end the violence. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
