The recent Radio 4 series, 'The Young Devolutionaries' featured a number of young people from the home nations including Northern Ireland. Rick Wilford of Queen's University Belfast made a number of encouraging contributions. In particular Rick Wilford noted how, compared to precious generations, the young people of Northern Ireland are in a far different place compared to their parents. He said:
"One of the things that struck me post-devolution is how much for positive and enthusiastic they are. There isn't a deep seated animosity towards "the other". I think there is a recognition that because they share so much in common, in the sense of social media and music and so on, that they have more in common that what divides them."The reality is that Generation Y in Northern Ireland has largely got beyond the cold and uncompromising mental categories of the Troubles. This contrasts with a political class that is very much committed to serving the more extreme, intransigent and backward looking. The asymmetry between the young person, and the political forum is sharp and brutal.
