Treaty Generation Reconciliation Group
Background: We are an a-political group of Irish citizens, descendants of those who negotiated the 1921 Treaty and of those who challenged it and subsequently fought on opposing sides in the 1922/23 Civil War. Their experience traumatised the combatants, their families and communities for over three generations.
Mission: Formed in 2019 on the eve of Covid with the mission to help resolve the ancient resentments and long-cherished hatreds nourished by memories of the civil war and thus contribute to building civic society on our island.
Our chosen method was respectful encounter with those with whom we historically disagreed, by means of deep listening, wide-ranging discussion and debate of difficult issues. This took place initially via regular, usually bi-weekly zoom sessions, subsequently in person at a series of round table meetings, an international conference, and through academic research and book publication.
Next steps: Thanks to the success of these endeavours, we learned that education is the key to building understanding, opportunity and mutual prosperity. This led us to ask what we can do to support equitable opportunity and access to education for all on these islands. We will therefore initially focus on the disadvantaged loyalist inner-city and rural communities in Northern Ireland where the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement has not brought an evident peace dividend through education. Having visited on their invitation and learnt from various stakeholders, among them Belfast’s High Sheriff, members of the Stormont Assembly, community leaders and primary school leadership from the Shankill Road, and having hosted return visits to Dublin, we believe our focus should now be on education, specifically to enhance the primary school sector. This can build a solid foundation for progress. In consultation with the teachers, parents and community workers, and advised by the responsible authorities, we aim to help provide greater equity of access to secondary education in these communities and to enable the learnings and opportunities to be scaled throughout the island of Ireland.
Our group is committed to fostering understanding and empathy by bridging divides that have persisted for a century. We believe that honest engagement and a willingness to face uncomfortable truths are essential steps toward healing. Through our collective efforts, we aim to create a safe space for dialogue, remembrance, and reconciliation, ensuring that the legacy of conflict evolves into a foundation for peace and mutual respect among all communities on the island.
February 2026