The Open University Marks 30th Anniversary of Northern Ireland Ceasefires with New Educational Resource on OpenLearn
The Open University is proud to announce the launch of a new educational resource on OpenLearn to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Northern Ireland ceasefires.
Developed in collaboration with Honorary Graduate Brian Rowan, a distinguished BBC journalist who covered the Troubles, this resource draws from his latest book Impossible Peace.
Funded with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, Impossible Peace provides an in-depth analysis of the long and challenging road to peace.
The free resource, titled “Ceasefire anniversary in Northern Ireland: 30 years of an impossible peace,” explores the complexities of the ceasefire, the peace process that followed, and the impact of these events on society.
It features exclusive insights from Impossible Peace, Rowan’s personal reflections, and contributing essays from key figures who played pivotal roles in achieving peace.
Highlights of the OpenLearn resource Include:
- Video and introduction from Brian Rowan.
- Full PDF download of Impossible Peace by Brian Rowan.
- Audio clips, actual time clips that capture the nervousness and the fears of peace.
- A picture gallery of key figures behind the ceasefires.
This resource aims to foster deeper understanding among students, academics, and the wider public about the significance of the ceasefires and their legacy for future generations.
Whether used as a learning tool or an exploration of history, it serves as a testament to the power of reconciliation and the lessons from one of the most transformative periods in Northern Ireland’s history.
Brian Rowan said: “Thirty years ago, I didn’t appreciate how the ceasefires would become such a moment in our history.
“With each year that passes, we learn more – about what we have achieved, and the work still to be done. We have a peace-in-progress.”
John D’Arcy, Director of The Open University in Ireland, added: “As we mark this significant anniversary, The Open University is proud to offer a platform where learners can explore the lessons of the peace process.
“Impossible Peace provides an invaluable perspective, and our resource is designed to make this accessible to all.”
The resource is available now for free on OpenLearn.
Brian will also be speaking at an event as part of this year’s BookWeek NI, ‘Finding the Words’.
The event will be a conversation with Brian on ‘Impossible Peace‘ and a chance to discuss creative ways of telling the story of Northern Ireland or the North, how its past still lives in the present and the haunting fears of ‘truth’.
Join the event on Thursday 24th October at 6:15pm in Belfast Central Library.
To register for the event email:
belfast.central@librariesni.org.uk
or phone 028 9050 9150.
