Northern Ireland teaches that incrementalism works because small steps distributing the heavy lifting of peacemaking over 25 years have paid off. The valuable insights from the once-troubled land are relevant to today’s Middle East.

Success in Northern Ireland can be measured by the installation of a republican first minister. Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill’s belief in a united Ireland is as strong as her commitment to serve all communities and denominations in her once war-torn land. A referendum is perhaps five to 10 years away, and the century-old dream of unification becomes a distinct possibility.