Over the last century we have seen an overwhelming majority of violent acts against minority groups such as blacks, Jews, homosexuals and others. According to the BBC, the problems in Northern Ireland represent one of the latest examples of religious, ethnic, geographical and political conflict. The problems began in the late 1960s and many believe they ended with the Belfast Good Friday Agreement of 1998. After more than 30 years of civil conflict, peace had finally been achieved. However, acts of random violence have continued since then. How did the Belfast Good Friday Agreement end Northern Ireland's problems and what is the country like today? In the 1920s the island was divided into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Through demographic compromise, Northern Ireland was created, which is part of the United Kingdom. Many theories have developed over time, but no exact theory has yet to describe the complex struggle of the “Troubles”. The troubles that erupted in the late 1960s had roots stretching back many decades and lasted until 1998. For many years society was narrowly divided between unionists/Protestants, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the union with Great Britain, and nationalists/Protestants, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the union with Great Britain. Catholics, who do not want this union. During the 19th century, a series of movements attempted to overwhelm the union. Some movements, such as the Repeal Movement in the 1840s and the Home Rule Movement of the 1870s, were congressional, but there were also movements dedicated to overthrowing the union using physical force, such as the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). The union would most likely have been repealed by a Home Rule Act had it not been for the interruption of the First World War. Durin...... half of the document....... Importantly, US President Bill Clinton took an active role, appointing veteran US Senator George Mitchell as chairman of the negotiation process which ended with the Good Friday Agreement. Negotiating with Sinn Fein was unpleasant for many trade unionists. Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party considered the whole process unacceptable. However, the Good Friday Agreement marked a significant change in Northern Ireland's political landscape. The Ulster Union Party (UUP) and the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP) have agreed to accept power-sharing with former members involved in the peace process. All members who signed the agreement supported the "consent principle", meaning that any change in Northern Ireland's constitutional status would occur if a majority voted for it in separate elections held simultaneously on both sides of the border..