Occasional Paper #25:OP:2

by Charles A. Reilly

Guatemala and Northern Ireland interrupted years of conflict, signed peace accords in 1996 and 1998, and now struggle to make them work. Implementation has proven difficult. Despite very different economic development levels, both countries are culturally divided, politically dependent, and still beset by violence, growing poverty and inequitable distribution of wealth. This paper, part of a comparative study on peace-building and development, focuses on Guatemala and draws lessons from Northern Ireland. It concludes with propositions for more sustainable peace-building and development by government and civil society organizations, emphasizing mid- and local level contributions of religion, education, local government and migrant remittances.

Charles A. Reilly is currently an associate at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. He was Director of the Peace Corps in Guatemala from 1998-2003. He completed a Visiting Fellowship at the Kroc Institute at the University of Notre Dame in the Fall of 2003.

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