Keynote Speakers
What is socio-economic inequality? Some implications for political identity and participation.

Professor Peter Shirlow, Deputy Director of the Institute for Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast, gave the opening keynote at Parliament Buildings.

His research interests focus on the themes of political violence, post-conflict transformation, policing and community and the impact of ethno-sectarian reproduction. This includes a particular emphasis upon former combatants and their inclusion/exclusion within civic society. He has undertaken a series of consultations with political actors in Montenegro, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia. He has also undertaken significant survey research regarding ethno-sectarian based segregation that has studied inter-community immobility, the power and influence of prejudice and the psychological impact upon families living within interfaced communities.
What are the consequences of socio-economic inequality and how can Citizenship education respond?

Professor Tony Gallagher, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Queen’s University Belfast gave the second keynote on day two of the conference.

His main research interest lies in the role of education in societies marked by ethnic conflict, although he is also interested more generally in issues related to equality and social inclusion in education. Most of his research has been carried out in Northern Ireland, although he has also worked in the Middle East, with Israeli and Palestinian educators, and in South East Europe.

His current main work involves the exploration of effective methods of school collaboration to raise standards and promote new relationships across denominational divisions in Northern Ireland.