Mary Montague has over 40 years of experience in peacebuilding in Northern Ireland. As the co-founder of TIDES Training (2001), she delivered peacebuilding and mediation interventions both in her own country and internationally. Mary has an established background in community capacity development with a particular interest in mediation and conflict resolution. She designed and implemented mediative interventions to address highly contentious and volatile emergency situations.

Mary was a director on highly commended European projects such as TIDES Training of Trainers, Stepping into Diversity, and Building Relationships in Communities. BRIC was one of the first using the Systemic Mediative & Restorative Approaches project delivered across N. Ireland in partnership with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Rural Development Council.

She is a Restorative Practitioner and has supported the transition of armed groups, communities, and civil society towards peace. She is a founding member of Women Waging Peace a global network created at the J.F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Boston, USA.

In 2016 and 2017, Mary was a visiting Professor at Washington & Jefferson College Washington PA USA delivering classes on mediation and restorative approaches.  She lectures on the mediation course  for the Common Security and Defence policy programmes held under the auspices of the European Security and Defence College at The Edward Kennedy Institute, Maynooth. She is a member of the Kennedy Institute Peace group.

She sits on the Northern Ireland Women, Peace and Security Consultative Group for the implementation of the Irish Government Third National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security 2019-2024.  She is a member of the Global Peacebuilder Summit, a forum of 30 eminent peacebuilders from around the world, providing global discourse on the role of civil society in the field of conflict transformation.

Mary is the European Representative for Mediators Beyond Borders International and is one of the IPTI trainers and mentors.

National and International Awards

  • Nomination for 2019 Fulbright Prize for International Understanding 2019
  • Awarded Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Washington & Jefferson College 2018. 
  • Bremen International Peace Prize 2015 for Civic Society Engagement
  • Mediator of the Year 2015 Mediators Beyond Borders
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for Peace Building 2014 N.I. Community Relations Council.

Areas of Expertise: Mediation; Community Development and Community Relations; Training; Conflict Management; Peacebuilding; Reconciliation; Communities in Transition; Human Rights; Training
Country of Origin: N. Ireland
Current Residence: N. Ireland
Languages: English