Channels, Fall 2018

Page 44 Holm • A Call to Peace a corrupt government and a guerilla group. Finally, the Colombian peace process is still very much in its beginning stages. Due to the similarities, the Northern Irish peace process may be used as an example to predict the factors influencing the outcome of the Colombian peace process. Third-Party Actors The involvement of third-party actors has characterized the post-Cold War peace processes. Almost eighty percent of all modern peace negotiations utilize third parties to some degree (Fisas, 2015). Herding Cats discusses some of the developments in international politics that have allowed for this change. The first being the end of the Cold War, which allowed international organizations to operate free of bipolar constraints. The second development was the rise of non-governmental organizations (NGOS). The third development was the recognition of mediation as a relatively cheap option compared to the use of force, tribunals, etc. Finally, changing international norms have made the use of mediation a more popular option (Crocker et al., 1999). The Northern Ireland peace process came to characterize peace processes of the 20th century because it did the seemingly impossible in ending eight centuries of conflict. The role that third-party actors played in the process cannot be overemphasized. From individuals to interest groups, the Northern Irish peace process would probably not have been successful without these third-party actors. Groups that had the biggest impact on the Northern Irish peace process were Irish- American interest groups. This is hardly surprising given that a 1980 census showed that eighteen percent of Americans claim Irish heritage (Guelke, 1996). There were various Irish-American interest groups that attempted to sway the U.S government. The first major ones were the Irish Northern Aid (NORAID), the Irish National Caucus, and the Friends of Ireland. From its inception, NORAID was closely linked to the IRA. NORAID was founded in the early 1970s. Its primary role was fundraising in the United States for the IRA. Gradually, the Irish National Caucus (INC) came to replace NORAID in the 1980s. The Irish National Office had offices in Washington D.C. and was much more focused on lobbying. Its lobbying efforts paid off, as evidenced by the fact that they persuaded Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter to call for Irish Unity. The INC’s main goal was to convince the United States to put pressure on the British government over their violation of human rights in Northern Ireland. Specifically, they were concerned with police interrogation methods, prison condition, the use of rubber bullets, and the discrimination against Catholics. Gradually, these interest groups were able to lobby the United States until President Clinton became invested in the Northern Irish Peace Process (Guelke,1996). The work of Irish-American interest groups led the United States to become heavily involved in the Northern Irish peace process. Within this involvement, two individuals stand out. This first is President Bill Clinton; in 1994, President Clinton gave Sinn Fein Republican Leader, Gerry Adams, a visa to the United States. This was a risky move for Clinton, as it risked angering the United Kingdom, an important ally. However, Clinton was convinced it would be beneficial for the peace process, as it showed the republicans in