If there can be peace in Northern Ireland…

…maybe it bodes well for other sites of historic hostilities. Now’s the time to find out.

Northern Ireland’s Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders, arch-foes during decades of bloodshed, launched a new power-sharing government in the British province on Tuesday aiming to put a final end to violence.

The government headed by firebrand Protestant cleric Ian Paisley completes a remarkable transformation of Northern Ireland from a symbol of violence and religious hatred into a peaceful, thriving community.

Somehow, this effort does more seriously aimed at putting a final end to violence. Especially when it culminates in this dialogue:

“From the depths of my heart I can say to you today that I believe Northern Ireland has come to a time of peace, a time when hate will no longer rule,” Paisley said.

McGuinness said it was a historic day, noting: “What we’re going to see today is one of the mightiest leaps forward that this process has seen in almost 15 years.”

With news like this, it seems like anything is possible.