January 1998
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O'Malley Discusses Peace Talks
A senior fellow in the McCormack Institute and expert on South Africa and Ireland has played a vital role in bringing together the key players of Northern Ireland and South Africa for peace talks.
Padraig O'Malley, fresh off the plane from Belfast, Ireland, spoke twice last month about his diplomatic efforts. On Dec. 2 he updated the university community on the progress of Irish peace talks. On Dec. 9 he presented "The Great Indaba: How the University of Massachusetts Boston Brought the Key Players in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland and South Africa Together."
"The word 'indaba' is a Zulu word for 'gathering of the minds,'" O'Malley explained to an audience of about 20 people at the Dec. 9 lecture. The Great Indaba was the vehicle O'Malley used to bring together political leaders from Northern Ireland and key players in the South Africa to a governmental retreat in Arniston on the Western Cape.
O'Malley explained that he thought the Northern Irish had to see how South Africans orchestrated peace. South Africans dealt with two main issues -- a cease fire and a decommissioning of arms -- that are also issues in Northern Ireland today, O'Malley said.
In recent months, O'Malley has delivered several talks outside of the university, in addition to talks in Belfast with political leaders.