Building future coexistence or keeping people apart

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of cross-communal cooperation and its contribution to peacebuilding and reconciliation in Northern Ireland through the opinions of 752 respondents.Design methodology approach - A multivariate analysis of the respondents' opinions was gathered through a Public Opinion Survey (MBU 2006), which addresses the issue of physical separation of the Catholic and Protestant communities in the context of the Northern Ireland peace process.Findings - Findings indicate that religion is a key variable in any discussion of the sustainability of the Northern Ireland peace process in relation to cross-community initiatives, social and economic integration as well as existing divisions between both communities. Moreover, professional and skilled worker respondents disagreed that the impacts of physical separation between both communities supports the peace process. Catholic Nationalists and respondents from Belfast city and the Western region of Northern Ireland were less likely to perceive the physical separation of both communities as negatively impacting the peace process.Practical implications - The implication for practice necessitates that the liberal peacebuilding model includes hybrid approaches to harness external economic aid in post-accord societies that are inclusive of local people, ideas and concerns.Originality value - The value of the paper to practitioners and policymakers is that the research on the impact of external economic aid on cross community conflict must include the triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative methods to fully grasp its complexity.