Involving public opinion is crucial to future peace in the Middle East according to Dr Colin Irwin from the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool.

Dr Irwin will be speaking in Dublin as a guest of MEP Proinsias De Rossa, who is President, European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, on Friday 15th January 2010 at 6.30pm in Europa House, Dawson St., Dublin 2.

Dr Irwin carried out extensive peace polls in Northern Ireland ten years ago to establish what the people living through the conflict believe the core problems are and identifying where the common ground is between the two sides in that conflict. Peace polls of this kind also show where the gaps are between the two sides and can provide a measure of the gap.

Such research showed that 52% of Protestants described the idea of power sharing as 'unacceptable' while 27% of Catholics shared this view. This meant also that 48% of Protestants did not find power sharing 'unacceptable' and such positive findings offer encouragement and a way forward to all those trying to negotiate peace. Dr Irwin has done similar polling in Kashmir, Kosovo, Cyprus and Serbia and he is confident that the views of the public were crucial in guiding peacemakers in their difficult negotiations.

Dr Irwin has carried out preliminary polling in Israel and Palestine and is encouraged by those findings. With more polls he says that it is possible to "assess the prospects for a successful outcome" in the Middle East.. Dr Irwin believes that motivating public opinion is essential in any peace process as people then become stake holders and have a real interest in driving peace when they are involved. He adds that it is important that such polling is non-partisan and that the results they offer must be publicised so that all sides know what is being said.