NOTABLE MEDIATORS: MARY MONTAGUE

Mary Montague lived in the Catholic district of West Belfast.

She was able to gain trust with conflicting parties and became a go-between for armed groups and the police to reduce the use of violence and persuade conflicting parties to participate in inter-community peace talks. Her unassuming, quiet role contributed to ceasefires and the historic Good Friday Belfast Peace Agreement.

With that experience, Montague co-founded TIDES, a program to train others in Practical Mediation, Conflict Management, and Peacebuilding skills she applied in the Balkans, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sudan, as well as training women peace leaders in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.

Montague received recognition for her work, including the Mediator of the Year Award from Mediators Beyond Borders International in 2015. She strongly believed peace begins with each of us individually. She said "For the world to change, it starts with… respectful relationships with others… I sow seeds for change that restores right relationships, builds resilient relationships leading to reconciliation."

In 2026 the book “The Go-Between: Memoirs of a Wee Belfast Girl Who Became an International Peacemaker” was published. As stated in the book’s introduction, Mary Montague worked behind the scenes communicating equally with the privileged and powerless to help others achieve their quest for peace.

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Fred Jandt is the author of several books, including his latest, “How To Survive a Mediation.”