The comprehensive analysis by Dr. Edward Horgan, an Irish peace activist and former army commandant, presents a deeply researched and passionate case for positive, active neutrality as a viable and necessary alternative to militarism and war in the 21st century.

Drawing from history, international law, Irish constitutional principles, and moral philosophy, the author critiques Ireland’s drift from neutrality—especially through US military use of Shannon Airport, complicity in war crimes, and proposed abandonment of the Triple Lock (government, Dáil, and UN approval for military missions). Horgan argues that such shifts endanger Irish sovereignty, violate international humanitarian law, and make Ireland complicit in global violence.

The research also highlights:
- The history and types of neutrality (constitutional, active, default, etc.);
- The erosion of the UN and EU as peace-building institutions;
- The environmental and human costs of global militarism;
- Ireland’s role in UN peacekeeping and the potential of unarmed civilian peacekeeping;
- The global legal frameworks (e.g., Hague, Geneva, Genocide Conventions) being undermined by powerful states.

Horgan makes a compelling ethical and legal argument that active neutrality, grounded in international law and humanitarian values, should be central to Ireland’s identity and foreign policy—and part of a broader global movement for peace, justice, and demilitarization.

Full version: NEUTRALITY FOR PEACE AND HUMANITY ALTERNATIVE TO MILITARISM AND WAR

By Dr. Edward Horgan, a former Irish Army commandant, who served with UN peacekeeping missions in Cyprus and the Middle East in the 1960s and 1970s. He is a committed peace activist with Shannonwatch, member of the Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance, founder member of Veterans For Peace Ireland, and Veterans Global Peace Network, and member of the board of directors of World Beyond War.

Discussed during the International Colloquium on Neutrality: A call to action for active neutrality and world peace, 26th and 27th of June, 2025.