The writings selected here are based mainly on talks and lectures delivered by Dr Norman Porter during the period 1994-1998. This period, stretching from paramilitary ceasefires through to the signing and endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement, represented the most promising in Northern Ireland's history.

Norman Porter's advocacy of political change, as reflected in these writings, captured something of the period's promise. His advocacy also triggered fears and resistance, forms of which are still discernible. The writings included in this book retain a surprising salience.