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2007. Written by Stephanie Abrams |
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"Big
Changes in Policy and Politics for Northern Ireland"
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At
a time when the political process in Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland are moving at the speed of sound toward a permanent peace,
travel expert and nationally syndicated media travel expert Stephanie
Abrams had the privilege of meeting John
Hume, the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize winner whose efforts to find
peaceful solutions to the conflicts in Northern Ireland were recognized
by the Nobel Peace Prize committee.
Flanking a memorial to commemorate the role of the US Marines who
served in Derry, Northern Ireland, during World War II warding off
invasions of Nazi Germany's U-boats in the region, and whose officers
lived in the building facing the memorial, now the Beech Hill House Hotel, Stephanie Abrams and John Hume spent
7 hours discussing and reflecting on the road to peace. Some of
John's comments were captured in a recorded interview that aired
on Stephanie's nationally syndicated radio show, "Travel
WITH Stephanie Abrams" (April 1, 2007) and on "Traveling
Feet,"(March 31, 2007) archived at www.sabrams.com.
In conversations with long-time residents of Northern Ireland, John
Hume is compared to Nelson
Mandella, Ghandi,
and other great world leaders whose civil rights activism was focused
on peaceful solutions. Today, John Hume continues his tenure as
Tip O'Neill Chair in Peace Studies at Ulster
University's Magee Campus in Derry, Northern Ireland. Guest
speakers on the subject of peacebuilding issues who have accepted
the invitation from John Hume to address students focused on the
peace process incude UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, former President Bill
Clinton, who is credited by the Irish for his significant role
in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, US Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton who also receives high praise for her work to
establish peace there, and Prime Minister of France from 1998-91,
Michel
Rocard who chaired the negotiations which led to the Matignon
Accords to bring an end to violence in the French Paciffic territory
of New Caledonia.
Hume repeatedly emphasized the contribution of the US Government,
the American people and 6 individuals whose efforts helped to create
the peace in Ireland. With great thanks and much appreciatioin to
America, Hume gave high praise to former President Bill Clinton,
to Hillary Rodham Clinton, and to what he referst to as The Four
Horsemen: Massachusett's US Senator Ted
Kennedy and Speaker of the House Tip
O'Neill, and New York's Hugh
Carey and US Senator Daniel
Patrick Moynahan for their significant assistance on the road
to a peaceful solution for Northern Ireland. |
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| Stephanie
Abrams meets with 1998 Nobel Peace Prize winner, John Hume at the
US Marines Memorial in Derry, No. Ireland. |
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This
mural in a Catholic section of Derry City in Northern Ireland
was recently repainted by the artists to convert it from a black
and white mural to full, vibrant color to signify the hope and
wonderment of the peace in Derry. The portrait is of a 13 year
old girl, Annette McGavigan, who was killed in the crossfire of
past strife in Derry. The rifle on the right side of the mural
used to be painted in one piece. When the artists repainted the
mural in color, they redesigned the rifle and painted a broken
rifle to signify the peace that has come to this once strife-torn
region. |
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Travel
expert Stephanie Abrams with former Civil Rights Activist and
Member of Parliament, Ivan Cooper in Derry City, Northern Ireland. |
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Related
Links:
April 5, 2007: Breaking news: DUP leader Ian Paisley
has said the reason he agreed to share power with Sinn Féin
was to prevent the Irish and British governments from imposing
joint rule in the North.
more>>
April
4, 2007: Protestant leader Ian Paisley shook hands with
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in public for the first time
today, marking another small step on the path to peace in Northern
Ireland.
more>>
Click
here to visit Ireland Photo
Gallery's availabe on sabrams.com |
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