Social liberal peacebuilding and the case for a Universal Basic Income as a real peace dividend for Northern Ireland

However, this visage of success masks a Northern Ireland still marred by continuing structural violence demonstrated by high levels of poverty and deprivation, economic inequality and a deeply divided society. It is argued that the liberal peacebuilding project carried out in Northern Ireland has faltered in adopting a management approach to the conflict – ending violent conflict without addressing the structural political economy factors which contributed to the outbreak of the Troubles in the first place.

This risks further conflict and only through transforming Northern Ireland’s post-conflict political economy can we reduce the causes of further cycles of conflict and structural violence. It is argued that a new, reformed framework for conflict transformation is required, one which fuses the overarching values of liberal peacebuilding with a social liberal political economy to create ‘social liberal peacebuilding’, a new approach focused on human security, flourishing, emancipation and participation.