Politicians from most parties in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Britain are spending this week at Harvard University learning how to make the Belfast Agreement work. Studies include police reform and economic development models based on experiences in South Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Of the 38 politicians attending the workshop, 13 are elected members of the Northern Assembly. The programme is focusing on the challenges facing the Assembly, including the creation of cross-Border bodies, taking the military presence off the streets of the North and forming new political institutions.
The workshop is co-sponsored by the Kennedy School of Government and the Foundation for a Civil Society.
Prof Paul Arthur, of the University of Ulster, who is an adviser to the project, said: "The historic significance of this meeting should not be understated, because the workshop is hosting parties for and against the May referendum. On the heels of a particularly tense marching season in Northern Ireland, all parties come knowing that the workshop is based on dialogue and inclusion."