Paul S. Adams, PhD, associate professor of Political Science at Pitt-Greensburg, is immersed in Irish and Northern Irish politics through his research, writing, and teaching. April 10, 2018, marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that ended the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland, a period of violence and political strife lasting more than 30 years from the late 1960s.
On Tuesday, April 10, Adams will discuss the meaning of the Good Friday Agreement, its accomplishments, its challenges, and the current crisis of the Northern Ireland government that has persisted since early 2017. His program will begin at 5:45 p.m. in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center (University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, 150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601). This event is free and open to the public.
Adams, who along fellow faculty member William C. Pamerleau, II PhD, associate professor of Philosophy, escorted a group of Pitt-Greensburg students to Ireland over spring break. The professors offered inter-disciplinary classes that focused on the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland: “Politics of the Troubles in Northern Ireland” (Political Science) and “Justice and Ethics of the Troubles in Northern Ireland” (Philosophy and Criminal Justice). This study abroad trip/course allowed Pitt-Greensburg students to engage with ex-combatants, politicians, youth organizations, and scholars who all had experience in both the conflict and the resolution of the “Troubles.” A service-learning component allowed the students to actively participate in the community by working with children at a youth organization.