Billboards put spotlight on political failures in North

Campaign based on series of articles and infographics published by The Detail website

A poster campaign highlighting political failures in the peace process has been launched by the Northern Irish news and analysis website The Detail.

The Imaging NI billboard and poster campaign is based on a series of articles and infographics first published by the website in May. It aims to spark debate on a number of issues which the editor of The Detail, Steven McCaffery, said had not formed part of the latest political talks in the North.

"The Irish and British governments are seen to have engaged with the peace process at times of crisis, but failed to intervene on issues that routinely affect the lives of people in Northern Ireland, " he said.

Taking statistics from various sources the campaign paints a picture of an increasingly diverse society. More than one in 10 of the population were born outside the North, while ethnic minority and gay communities are more prominent.

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The proportion of Catholics and Protestants has never been closer, while 40 per cent of people describe themselves as British, 25 per cent identify as Irish and 21 per cent as Northern Irish.

“Our data research tells the story of a society that is changing, but Stormont has become deadlocked to a degree that would be unacceptable in Dublin or London,” Mr McCaffery said. “We have interviewed groups tackling racism, homophobia, sectarianism and poverty that say routine policies that could help their work have been delayed for years.”

The legacy of the Troubles is also explored in the campaign, with one poster pointing to the number of victims: “Over 3,500 killed, at least 50,000 injured, 200,000 bereaved, 200,000 traumatised”.

It also touches on specific topics, including that the vast majority of unionist parades (92 per cent) go ahead without restriction.

The campaign, which has seen billboards and posters appear in major towns and cities across Northern Ireland, is the latest phase of the project based on a series of infographics produced by The Detail. The project was produced with financial support from the Community Relations Council.

The full series can be viewed at thedetail.tv