 The
Cost of the Troubles Study
Who are we?
The Cost of the
Troubles Study is a recognised charity and a limited company. The
Board of Directors is composed of a team of people from all parts
of the religious/political spectrum who have all been directly affected
by the violence of the troubles. The Board also contains two researchers,
one full-time, - Marie Smyth, Research Fellow, INCORE (the United
Nations University and the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland)
who is the project director and one part-time, Mike Morrissey, Senior
Lecturer in Social Policy, The University of Ulster and Director of
The Urban Institute, Belfast. The project also employs two other members
of staff, - Marie Therese Fay, the Research Officer and Sarah Oakes,
the Project Administrator.
What are
we doing?
Conducting action
research which:
-establishes
a directory of self-help groups and other organisations which offer
support to those affected by the troubles;
-facilitates
the building of a network throughout Northern Ireland among such
groups and grass roots organisations;
-documents
the nature and extent of the effect of the troubles on the population
of Northern Ireland;
-establishes
a credible measure of the distribution of the troubles in the six
counties, and quantifies the relationship between the troubles and
deprivation;
-creates a
range of well researched and accessible sources of qualitative and
statistical information on the impact of the troubles on the range
of people contained in the population. This material will be written
and disseminated in ways which maximise its accessibility, both
to people in affected communities and to the general public. It
will also be presented in a manner whereby it can be used by groups
to argue for further resources for their self-help and other programmes.
How are
we doing it?
- by using a participative
action research approach, which assumes that research is not a neutral
activity, but that the research should make a positive contribution
to those individuals and organisations participating in it;
- by bringing
research expertise to work in partnership with grass roots organisations,
in a way that is democratically accountable;
- by establishing
and maintaining working relationships with individuals and groups
who have direct experience in the field, and by using their expertise
in the work of the project;
- by using credible
and professional qualitative and quantitative research techniques,
and producing work which is both accessible to local people and capable
of withstanding academic scrutiny.
One of the most
devastating effects of the troubles on people affected by the violence
is the sense of disempowerment that many feel. We have planned research
as a team composed of those who have been physically and emotionally
affected by the troubles and researchers working in partnership. Collaboration
across the sectarian divide is also a significant part of the work
of the project. The directors and researchers are drawn from both
sides of the sectarian divide and this is explicitly designed to ensure
inclusiveness and to inform methods of work and the analysis.
Why are
we doing it?
Research on
the effects of the troubles has largely been psychiatric or psychological
in focus, and has focused on specific populations, such as the Enniskillen
bomb victims, There has been only one study which looks at the long
term affects (20+ years) of violent loss in the troubles. Little or
nothing is known about the extent of the impact of the troubles on
the population as a whole. Those who do not seek services, - but nonetheless
have suffered effects, - are undocumented. This lack of epidemiological
information means that policy and service provision has been piecemeal
or non-existent, partly because of piecemeal information, Recently,
there has been an increase in the political will to address these
issues and we are taking advantage of that climate to propose further
work.
What is
the value of it?
- to Northern
Ireland as a whole
The study will provide reliable, non-sensationalist and ethically
collected data on individual experiences of the troubles. This can
act as an alternative source to some existing sources which do not
share these characteristics, and will provide data for the first time
on groups and individuals whose experiences have been under-represented.
The establishment of the prevalence of troubles-related difficulties
in the total population will be of value to policy-makers, and DHSS
staff have described the availability of such data as very valuable.
The study will also explore the relationship between troubles-related
difficulties and deprivation, and this part of the study will have
implications for a broad range of policy areas, including all of those
agencies currently who are involved in using frameworks to target
social need.
Who are
we?
We are a group of people from both of the main traditions
in Northern Ireland, who have been bereaved or injured in the troubles,
and who work with two researchers.
What do
we want to do?
We wish to collect evidence on the effect the troubles have had on
everyone in Northern Ireland.
How are
we doing it?
We have carried out about sixty interviews with men and women, old
and young, Catholic, Protestant and "other", from various parts of
Northern Ireland. These interviews provide a variety of personal stories
of people's experiences of the troubles. We are conducting a survey
of a sample of 3,000 people throughout Northern Ireland who have been
randomly chosen. We are asking people about the economic, health,
social, occupational and other effects of the troubles on them.
We will publish
the results of what we find, so that voluntary and government agencies
can take into account the effects of the troubles and so that everyone
becomes more aware of the issues and the situations in which people
continue to live.
What will
people get out of it?
People we interview have been listened to respectfully, and
have had the chance to tell their story and have it listened to and
carefully recorded. This record will be handled with discretion and
confidentiality will be guaranteed for those who wish it. This can
be valuable in a situation where some people, have the sense that
no-one listens to them. When people want us to, we will put people
in touch with helping agencies. Trained interviewers give people information
about where to go for advice and help should they need it, how to
help themselves, and what voluntary groups exist for people affected
by the troubles.
We intend
to exhibit our range of findings for the general public, and publicise
them in the media, so that the public know what we found and what
we have concluded. We will also publish them in booklet form.
What if
we ask you to be interviewed?
We may ask you to be interviewed; or you, or someone you know may
wish to offer to be interviewed. If we interview you, we will guarantee
following:
- we will
give you a complete transcript of your interview and you can make
any changes you want to it after the interview is over
- anything
we publish will be anonymous, unless you wish to put your name
to it
- anything
we publish will be seen and agreed by you BEFORE we publish it
- complete
confidentiality will be guaranteed by us
- you can
withdraw your interview at any time before publication
We think our work
is valuable, and we hope you agree. If you would like to know more
about the project please contact us on 01232 747470 or 01232 742682
and we will answer any questions you have about our work.
Marie Smyth
Project Director
We can be
contacted at:
The Cost
of the Troubles Study
Unit 14, North City Business Centre
2 Duncairn Gardens
Belfast
BT15 2GG
Tel 01232 747470 or 01232 742682 (voice and fax)
The Cost
of the Troubles is a recognised charity and a company limited
by guarantee and not having share capital. We are funded by CCRU
through PSEP, the Special Support Fund for Peace and Reconciliation
through the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, the Joseph Rowntree
Trust, Making Belfast Work, and private donors. The study is conducted
by people in communities with researchers from the University
of Ulster, INCORE and the Urban Institute. A number of organisations
such as Survivors of Trauma and WAVE are represented on our Board.
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