Northern Ireland was a part of the UK I had always been wary of visiting. Those of us over a certain age remember the Troubles. During the 1970s and 1980s bombings and violence seemed to dominate the news. Yet there were always people working for peace, and their efforts finally bore fruit in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Since then Northern Ireland has built a new reputation as a place that is safe and welcoming.
Drawn by the attractions of Belfast, including the Titanic Experience, we recently paid a visit. It is a fascinating city, shaped by its history as a great seaport of the British Empire and famous for industries such as linen production and shipbuilding. Yet alongside that proud heritage runs a history of deep division between communities who held very different views about identity, nationality and faith. From the late 1960s, those tensions erupted into violence, and over the next thirty years around 3,500 people lost their lives, with many thousands more injured.
Today visitors can walk freely around the Falls Road and the Shankill Road, once among the most troubled areas of Belfast. Murals still proclaim the history and beliefs of the communities that live there. Peace was not achieved because people abandoned their convictions. Rather, it came because they learned to live alongside one another while recognising the right of others to hold different views.
Yet one feature of Belfast remains striking. A large Peace Wall still stands between parts of the Falls Road and Shankill Road communities. Built to reduce violence, it remains in place today, with gates that are closed overnight. The wall is covered with artwork, hopes for the future and messages from visitors, including world leaders.
Standing there, I found myself asking a simple question. If peace has been achieved, why is there still a wall?
Perhaps it is a reminder that peace is more than the absence of conflict. True peace is found when barriers are no longer needed and when trust becomes stronger than fear. That is a challenge not just for Belfast, but for all of us.
Michael Kingston