{"id":377,"date":"2012-04-25T13:25:01","date_gmt":"2012-04-25T12:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=377"},"modified":"2012-05-03T19:55:04","modified_gmt":"2012-05-03T18:55:04","slug":"the-ceasefire-soldier-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=377","title":{"rendered":"The Ceasefire Soldier"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many in the ranks of Loyalism today are too young\"\"<\/a> to remember any significant events in the conflict in Northern Ireland.\u00a0 This has lead them to become known as Ceasefire soldiers, people who became involved after the 1994 Combined Loyalist Military Command ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.<\/p>\n

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While many it is sad to say involved themselves for reasons other than to ensure the wellbeing of Northern Ireland, many others were simply born too late.\u00a0 They have the same determination and drive in the peace process as the many men who fought and died at times of war.\u00a0 When you look at the period from 1969 to the present day we can see the nature of both the conflict and the peace process \u2013 both periods light years apart from the perspective of violence but yet intertwined with the same outcome, ensuring the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

I believe that my generation were a lot more mature than the teenagers of today and understood what was happening in the twilight years before the 94 ceasefire.\u00a0 At home silence broke on our house for the 6 o clock news, any noise was quickly shouted down to hear of the days unfolding events.\u00a0 It was then I began to grasp what was happening in our country; reading books, news clippings and taking an interest in current affairs shaped my life for the path I was to take in early adulthood.\u00a0 Looking back now, things were not always as rosy as people remember,\u00a0 if we look to the late 90\u2019s, republicanism was still violently active right up until 1997 and the shaky process was brought back many times from the brink of failure.\u00a0 The issues around parading and parades were our daily diet and the problems from that time are still evident and the wounds from those days are still festering at present.\u00a0 The year of 2002 saw some of the worst interface violence since the outbreak of the troubles, protestant homes destroyed in petrol bomb attacks and shots fired from republican areas across the peace lines.\u00a0\u00a0 Loyalism at the time was in unchartered waters and many children of the 80\u2019s were happy to enlist in the ranks as many of the older generation had done in the early 70\u2019s.\u00a0 Young men, in entirely different era\u2019s yet still with the same objective \u2013 to defend and now newly promote Northern Ireland, the land of our birth.<\/p>\n

Indeed in many ways now winning the peace is as equally, if not more important as winning the war.\u00a0 We must ensure that our people are as well represented now in peace time so that the memories of those who gave their lives are entrenched in our history.\u00a0 We must not leave politics to the politicians alone, it is the duty of our young people to stand against inequalities and speak up for our community in a constructive yet peaceful manner.\u00a0 While we must share space with republicans we must ensure that they are not allowed to re-write our history, or sully the efforts of our organisations in securing a lasting peace.\u00a0 Loyalism was not found wanting by our older generations in times of conflict so we must ensure that our communities are not found wanting at times of peace.\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

The challenge now to the older ex combatants must be to nurture and educate our young so that when the time comes the mantle will be passed on so that our ship remains seaworthy, steady and in British waters for centuries to come.\u00a0 The older generation of Loyalism must pass on the school of knowledge which was received in the compounds of Long Kesh to ensure our younger generations, the future of our organisations and the new standard bearers of Loyalism have all the \u2018tools\u2019 to ensure our progress as a people to win the peace.\u00a0 The challenge must also be laid down to our \u2018Young Citizens\u2019 they must listen and learn from men who were at the forefront of defending their people, learn from their mistakes, share experiences and take the lead from old dogs of war but more importantly men of peace.<\/p>\n

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