choosing peace?

I remember exactly what I was doing when I saw the newsflash about the Good Friday Peace Accords in 1998. In that case, after years of sectarian violence, Northern Ireland had a chance for peace. It was so momentous that the two architects of the agreement, David Trimble and John Hume, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. A Northern Ireland Assembly was elected, with its representation also indicating majority support for the agreement.

So this morning, I stopped mid-bite when I heard that ETA, Spain/ France's Basque separatist movement, has declared a permanent cease-fire. The Spanish are (understandably) skeptical. ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) has waged a four-decade-long war for independence, killing over 800 people in the process. It declared a temporary cease-fire in 1998, which ended after 14 months.