By Jordi Gabarro Llop for Northern Ireland Foundation

Saturday 2nd April 2011. Ronan Kerr, a 25 Catholic police officer, only graduated from police training college three weeks ago, is killed in a car-bomb explosion. He is the second policeman to have been killed since the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) was formed in 2001.


6th April 2011 Belfast rally remembering Ronan Kerr, organized by trade unions at Donegal Square.

The first was Stephen Carroll, an officer with the PSNI who was shot dead while on patrol in nearby Caigavon in January 2009. Since 2007, dissident republicans have planted dozens of booby-trap bombs under the private cars of police officers. Moreover, in May 2008 and January 2010 two policemen lost their legs in attacks. The attack in Omagh is a chilling reminder of the worst single incident in the 30-year Troubles. Another Saturday afternoon, in 15th August 1998, 29 civilians were killed by Real IRA, with emerged in opposition to the IRA cease-fires.

David was a teenager when he saw the Omagh 1998 bombing. He is going to be parent soon. As most people hope, he wish the next generation will be the first one without such a political violence. If they success, Troubled Images will be less current than it still are nowadays. However, the rejection of violence and a determination to press ahead with peaceful democratic politics encompasses all the main players (press conference of Robinson and Mc Guinness). In other words, as BBC journalist Mark Devenport said, to avoid a deja vu. Except for a dozens of dissidents, everybody believe Omagh and all Northern Ireland has suffered enough (#Not in my name Twitter hashtag).

A lot of charity organizations have grown over the last years symbolizing the commitment to progress beyond mere co-existence. For instance, Northern Ireland Foundation works for a progressive and outward-looking future.

The next 5 May 2011 will occur the fourth elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the local government elections for the 26 district councils (#ae11 at Twitter). Seats may be will change a little bit but the main challenges since The Good Friday Agreement (1998) will remain.