Born in Belfast and educated at Trinity College Dublin, Dr. John McGarry is a highly decorated political scientist specializing in conflict resolution who received extensive international praise for his role in the Good Friday Agreement. He was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada and is the Canada Research Chair in Nationalism and Democracy. He has acted as Senior Advisor on Governance to the United Nations-led negotiations in Cyprus, and he has advised on the conflict in Yemen as well. Dr. McGarry discusses the commonalities of injustice he has seen in ethnic conflicts and civil wars, as well as the forces behind a conflict’s instigation. One community often perceives itself as being repressed and discriminated against by the other community, leading them to be seen as “second-class citizens.” He also discusses the fair and balanced constitutional dispensation used Northern Ireland to successfully resolve the conflict between Catholic and Protestant communities.

Please visit the Department of Political Studies for more information about Dr. McGarry's research.