Stewart Finn

Peace-building - United Kingdom (Western Europe)

Over a decade since the Northern Ireland ceasefires began, Stewart Finn laments: “a legacy of violence and paramilitarism still remains. A major symptom is the alarming number of young men who are recruited into paramilitary organisations”. Stewart says that young men who join these organisations “see violence as the only way of achieving anything”. He believes the reversal of this trend would see more positive social action from youth. Stewart describes himself as part of a dwindling minority of “young people interested in politics and social justice”.

At 18, Stewart decided to become more involved in his community by joining the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) of Northern Ireland that is dedicated to bringing about an anti-sectarian, pluralist and equitable society. In his involvement with “Progressive Youth”, Stewart encouraged more young people to get into politics and ‘”to have a stake in the present and future of their country”. Now an assembly researcher to the PUP’s elected member, Stewart continues his activism in social justice. Stuart believes that his experiences of activism in a divided society will bring an enthused and different perspective to OIYP2004.