The Irish Peace Institute (IPI) was established in 1984 by Dr. Brendan O'Regan. The Institute was created in order to promote peace & reconciliation on the island of Ireland, and to draw on the experience of conflict resolution in order to learn lessons that could inform other conflicts.
The IPI is a charitable, non-governmental organisation based at the University of Limerick in the Republic of Ireland (CHY 6773). The mission of the Irish Peace Institute is to contribute to the process of peace-building through programmes of education, research and outreach directed to the development of mutual understanding and co-operation between the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The IPI has contributed to peacebuilding in Ireland by promoting research, education and outreach through programmes of multi-track diplomacy and managed co-operation. These two terms were coined as a result of key initiatives set out by Dr. O'Regan in his early attempts to get people in the North and South of Ireland to begin a dialogue. The term multi-track diplomacy has been adopted by academics since its early use by Joseph Monteville at a conference on peacebuilding run by the IPI.
The IPI has a long track record of contributing to peacebuilding on the island of Ireland and has managed to contribute in a number of meaningful ways. The IPI pioneered cross-border networks between the peoples of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It established the first Chair of Peace & Co-operation Studies & Peace Research Centre on the island of Ireland, and developed innovative projects in conflict resolution and conflict management.