Marie Breen Smyth

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Marie Breen Smyth (born 26 January 1953) is an author, teacher and researcher from Northern Ireland. She has published on topics such as the Northern Ireland conflict, particularly the human impact, trauma, victim politics, children and armed conflict, research ethics and methods, religion and conflict, and issues to do with political violence in Southern Africa, Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland.

Contents

She was previously known as Marie Smyth but adopted the surname of her husband, Alan Johnston Breen, after his death on 7 July 2005.

Career

From February 2011 to August 2015 she was Chair in International Politics at the University of Surrey, England, UK. [1]

She was previously Reader in International Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Contemporary Political Violence at Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK. [2]

Between 2002 and 2003 she was Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington DC. [3]

She left the University of Surrey on 1 August 2015 and moved to the United States.

Contemporary debates

In March 2005, Breen-Smyth, (then Smyth) gave evidence to the House of Commons' Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Inquiry into Dealing with Northern Ireland's past. Her evidence was based on her work with victims, through the "Cost of the Troubles Study". [4]

In 2006 Breen-Smyth with Richard Jackson and Jeroen Gunning co-authored a paper The Case for a Critical Terrorism Studies proposing that a new discipline was required to stimulate debate and widen the discourse within orthodox terrorism studies.

On 13 February 2007, The Guardian published an article 'The abuse of research' [5] by Breen Smyth and Jeroen Gunning in which they argue that the sources of funding and the political agendas of think tanks should be taken into account when interpreting their findings, and may mean that their reports need to be treated with care. The article argues that the politicisation of research can lead to serious distortions in the understanding of policy issues.

In April 2008, Breen-Smyth was the subject of an attack by right wing journalist Melanie Phillips who based her attack on the assertions and documentation provided by an anonymous student who took one of Breen-Smyth's courses at Aberystwyth. [6] Phillips wrote to the Vice Chancellor of Aberystwyth complaining that Breen Smyth was a 'subversive' and shouldn't be allowed to teach. [6] However, Breen Smyth was supported by the university and many claiming to be her students. [6]

In 2007 Breen-Smyth was one of those shortlisted for what was envisaged as a single post of Victims Commissioner for Northern Ireland, [7] [8] but she was not among the four Commissioners eventually appointed in January 2008. [9] Breen-Smyth opposed the appointment of four commissioners instead of one, which required new legislation [10] delayed by an unsuccessful judicial review brought by victims' representative Michelle Williamson. [11] [12] [13] Breen-Smyth separately launched a legal challenge to the appointments in the employment tribunals, [14] [15] claiming discrimination on the grounds of religious belief, political opinion and sex, but this was rejected in February 2011. [16]

Voluntary work

Breen-Smyth is currently involved in "Healing Through Remembering," a project established to consider how Northern Ireland might deal with its past, which involves people from all sides of the conflict. Her latest book Truth Recovery and Justice After Conflict: Managing Violent Pasts. (Abingdon: Routledge) [17] deals with the subject of truth recovery.

In the 1980s, Breen-Smyth co-founded "Derry Well Woman", a free health and support service for women based in the North West of Ireland. [18]

Publications

With Richard Jackson (University of Otago), Jeroen Gunning (Durham University), Piers Robinson (Manchester University) and George Kassimeris (Wolverhampton University) Breen Smyth currently edits the Routledge journal Critical Studies on Terrorism. [19] This team, including Breen Smyth, have argued for the establishment of a new critical turn in terrorism studies, and the development of critical terrorism studies.

Selected books

Selected edited works

Public exhibitions

Film and video

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provisional Irish Republican Army</span> Paramilitary force active from 1969 to 2005

The Provisional Irish Republican Army, officially known as the Irish Republican Army and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reunification and bring about an independent republic encompassing all of Ireland. It was the most active republican paramilitary group during the Troubles. It saw itself as the army of the all-island Irish Republic and as the sole legitimate successor to the original IRA from the Irish War of Independence. It was designated a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom and an unlawful organisation in the Republic of Ireland, both of whose authority it rejected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism</span> Use of fear to further a political or ideological cause

Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of intentional violence and fear to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war against non-combatants. The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century but became widely used internationally and gained worldwide attention in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Basque conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The increased use of suicide attacks from the 1980s onwards was typified by the 2001 September 11 attacks in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Troubles</span> 1960s–1990s conflict in Northern Ireland

The Troubles were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "irregular war" or "low-level war". The conflict began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Although the Troubles mostly took place in Northern Ireland, at times violence spilled over into parts of the Republic of Ireland, England, and mainland Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Ulster Constabulary</span> Police force of Northern Ireland (1922–2001)

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) following the partition of Ireland. At its peak the force had around 8,500 officers, with a further 4,500 who were members of the RUC Reserve.

The English word militant is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier". The related modern concept of the militia as a defensive organization against invaders grew out of the Anglo-Saxon fyrd. In times of crisis, the militiaman left his civilian duties and became a soldier until the emergency was over, when he returned to his civilian occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remembrance Day bombing</span> 1987 Provisional IRA terror attack in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland

The Remembrance Day bombing took place on 8 November 1987 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb exploded near the town's war memorial (cenotaph) during a Remembrance Sunday ceremony, which was being held to commemorate British military war dead. Eleven people were killed, many of them elderly, and 63 were injured. The IRA said it had made a mistake and that its target had been the British soldiers parading to the memorial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Bogside</span> Communal riot that took place from 12 to 14 August 1969 in Derry, Northern Ireland

The Battle of the Bogside was a large three-day riot that took place from 12 to 14 August 1969 in Derry, Northern Ireland. Thousands of Catholic/Irish nationalist residents of the Bogside district, organised under the Derry Citizens' Defence Association, clashed with the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and loyalists. It sparked widespread violence elsewhere in Northern Ireland, led to the deployment of British troops, and is often seen as the beginning of the thirty-year conflict known as the Troubles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster loyalism</span> Pro-UK political ideology in Northern Ireland

Ulster loyalism is a strand of Ulster unionism associated with working class Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland. Like other unionists, loyalists support the continued existence of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, and oppose a united Ireland independent of the UK. Unlike other strands of unionism, loyalism has been described as an ethnic nationalism of Ulster Protestants and "a variation of British nationalism". Loyalists are often said to have a conditional loyalty to the British state so long as it defends their interests. They see themselves as loyal primarily to the Protestant British monarchy rather than to British governments and institutions, while Garret FitzGerald argued they are loyal to 'Ulster' over 'the Union'. A small minority of loyalists have called for an independent Ulster Protestant state, believing they cannot rely on British governments to support them. The term 'loyalism' is usually associated with paramilitarism.

The Troubles were a period of conflict in Northern Ireland involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries, the British security forces, and civil rights groups. They are usually dated from the late 1960s through to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. However, sporadic violence continued after this point. Those that continued violence past this point are referred to as "dissident republicans and loyalists". The Troubles, internationally known as the Northern Ireland conflict, claimed roughly 3500 lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Banner</span> 1969–2007 British military operation in Northern Ireland during the Troubles

Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initially deployed, at the request of the unionist government of Northern Ireland, in response to the August 1969 riots. Its role was to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and to assert the authority of the British government in Northern Ireland. This involved counter-insurgency and supporting the police in carrying out internal security duties such as guarding key points, mounting checkpoints and patrols, carrying out raids and searches, riot control and bomb disposal. More than 300,000 soldiers served in Operation Banner. At the peak of the operation in the 1970s, about 21,000 British troops were deployed, most of them from Great Britain. As part of the operation, a new locally-recruited regiment was also formed: the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR).

Events during the year 1998 in Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of terrorism in the United Kingdom

Terrorism in the United Kingdom, according to the Home Office, poses a significant threat to the state. There have been various causes of terrorism in the UK. Before the 2000s, most attacks were linked to the Northern Ireland conflict. In the late 20th century there were also attacks by Islamic terrorist groups. Since 1970, there have been at least 3,395 terrorist-related deaths in the UK, the highest in western Europe. The vast majority of the deaths were linked to the Northern Ireland conflict and happened in Northern Ireland. In mainland Great Britain, there were 430 terrorist-related deaths between 1971 and 2001. Of these, 125 deaths were linked to the Northern Ireland conflict, and 305 deaths were linked to other causes, including 270 in the Lockerbie bombing. Since 2001, there have been almost 100 terrorist-related deaths in Great Britain.

Critical terrorism studies (CTS) applies a critical theory approach rooted in counter-hegemonic and politically progressive critical theory to the study of terrorism. With links to the Frankfurt School of critical theory and the Aberystwyth School of critical security studies, CTS seeks to understand terrorism as a social construction, or a label, that is applied to certain violent acts through a range of political, legal and academic processes. It also seeks to understand and critique dominant forms of counter-terrorism.

Healing Through Remembering (HTR) is an extensive cross-community project in Northern Ireland, made up of a diverse range of individual members with different political perspectives and social experiences.

Maxwell "Max" Taylor is a criminal and legal psychologist. His early work specialised in the study of terrorism but he also became involved in the study of sex offenders, and in the development of capacity building activities for disadvantaged children in conflict zones, returning later to the study of terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dissident Irish republican campaign</span> 1998–present insurgency in Northern Ireland by republicans opposed to the Good Friday Agreement

The dissident Irish republican campaign began at the end of the Troubles, a 30-year political conflict in Northern Ireland. Since the Provisional Irish Republican Army called a ceasefire and ended its campaign in 1997, breakaway groups opposed to the ceasefire and to the peace agreements have continued a low-level armed campaign against the security forces in Northern Ireland. The main paramilitaries involved are the Real IRA, Continuity IRA and formerly Óglaigh na hÉireann. They have targeted the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the British Army in gun and bomb attacks as well as with mortars and rockets. They have also carried out bombings that are meant to cause disruption. However, their campaign has not been as intensive as the Provisional IRA's, and political support for groups such as the Real IRA is "tending towards zero".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transitional Justice Institute</span>

The Ulster University's Transitional Justice Institute (TJI), is a law-led multidisciplinary research institute of Ulster University which is physically located at the Jordanstown, and Magee campuses. It was created in 2003, making it the first and longest-established university research centre on this theme. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) Law at Ulster University was ranked 4th overall in the UK. Ulster was ranked first for impact in law with 100% of impact rated as world-leading, the only University to achieve this in law.

On 22 August 1972 a bomb planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, an Irish republican paramilitary group, detonated prematurely at a customs office in Newry. Three IRA members killed six civilians and themselves in the explosion. The event was one of the bloodiest of 1972, the deadliest year of the Troubles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramilitary punishment attacks in Northern Ireland</span> Informal criminal justice system operated by loyalist and republican groups in Northern Ireland

Since the early 1970s, extrajudicial punishment attacks have been carried out by Ulster loyalist and Irish republican paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Attacks can range from a warning or expulsion from Northern Ireland, backed up by the threat of violence, to severe beatings that leave victims in hospital and shootings in the limbs. The cause of the attacks is disputed; proposed explanations include the breakdown of order as a result of the Northern Ireland conflict, ideological opposition to British law enforcement, and the ineffectiveness of police to prevent crime.

References

  1. ↑ "Professor Marie Breen-Smyth". University of Surrey. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Aberystwyth University – Department of International Politics". Aber.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Marie Smyth: Guide to Specialists Archive". United States Institute of Peace. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008.
  4. ↑ "The House of Commons – Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Reports". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  5. ↑ Marie Smyth and Jeroen Gunning (13 February 2007). "Marie Smyth and Jeroen Gunning: The abuse of research | Politics". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Melanie Phillips (15 April 2008). "Terror in academia". The Spectator . Archived from the original on 1 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Paisley urged to appoint new victims' commissioner – Local & National, News". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Lady trimble on Victims shortlist – Local & National, News". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 24 September 2007. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  9. ↑ "The work starts now, says new Victims Commission – Local & National, News". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 29 January 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "'New laws needed to aid victims' commissioners' – Local & National, News". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2008. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "Victims commissioners face first challenge – Local & National, News". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 1 February 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "UK | Northern Ireland | 'No note' kept of victim meetings". BBC News. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  13. ↑ Judgment in Williamson judicial review case [ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ Meredith, Des (31 July 2008). "Belfast Telegraph". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  15. ↑ "Aberystwyth University: Lecturer sues over lost post". Times Higher Education. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Discrimination claims rejected". Equality-group.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  17. ↑ Breen, Marie (18 October 2007). "Truth Recovery and Justice after conflict: Managing Violent Pasts (Hardback)". Routledge. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  18. ↑ "Health and Social care services to Women in Derry and North West Ireland". Derry Well Women. Archived from the original on 23 April 2008.
  19. ↑ "Critical Studies on Terrorism - Editorial Board". Taylor & Francis.
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