Co-operation Ireland held its 27th Annual Gala Dinner in London this month. This year’s keynote address was given by Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Mr. Christopher Moran, Co-operation Ireland’s Chairman, shared his reflections on the successes and challenges Co-operation Ireland has faced and will face as the charity builds peace on the island of Ireland.
Speaking of the work of Co-operation Ireland, and its Chairman, Christopher Moran, Ms. Villiers said:
“Ambassador, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen …
“It’s a great honour for me to be asked to give this year’s keynote address at the Co-Operation Gala Dinner.
“I’d like first to pay tribute to Christopher Moran … whose pursuit of peace and reconciliation across these islands is quite literally tireless!
“Over two years since I was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland I’ve seen at first hand the immense amount of time, energy and passion that he devotes to this.
“And there’s even a rumour that in his spare time he manages to run a business too.
“Christopher sets a shining example of commitment to public service … and we should be very grateful to him for all that he does.
“So Christopher, thank you.
“And at Co-Operation Ireland, Christopher has a great team … including his outstanding Chief Executive, Peter Sheridan.
“And once again this has been an excellent year for Co-Operation Ireland … delivering key projects such as their programmes on Youth Leadership, a Fair Chance, Entwined Histories, the Family and Community Engagement Project … and of course the National Citizen Service.
“All of these are making real differences to people’s lives in some of the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland.
“One heart warming example is provided by a young man from Portadown who on completing a Youth Leadership Project said …
““I was going to leave school last year before I started this programme and now I want to go to university to be a teacher”.
“Another success story is the 16 year old who took part in the Fair Chance Programme and said …
““The prejudice and discrimination course helped me out a lot because I used to be really bitter … and it just helped me to see that everyone’s the same, we’ve just got different views”.
“So while estates in Belfast, Derry-Londonderry, Portadown and elsewhere might seem a world away from this central London venue … the backing you give to Co-Operation Ireland this evening really will help turn people’s lives around and give them a chance they otherwise might never have.
“Building a stronger society and a genuinely shared future for Northern Ireland is a key objective of the Prime Minister and for me and Co-Operation Ireland plays a very significant role in taking us towards this goal.
“So speaking on behalf of the UK Government I’d like once again to express my gratitude for all the great work that you do … sentiments that Ambassador Mulhall made clear are shared by the Irish Government.
“As both the Ambassador and Christopher also reminded us earlier it’s been a great year for UK-Irish relations too.
“Of course this was demonstrated most clearly by the first ever state visit of an Irish President to the UK in April this year … following on from the 2011 visit of Her Majesty The Queen to Ireland.
“For four days we enjoyed a huge celebration of the economic, social, cultural and family ties that bind the UK and Ireland together.
“Let’s never forget that over six million people in Britain can claim an Irish grandparent … some of whom came here in difficult circumstances and faced hardship and discrimination.
“And so it was fitting … that with such a large and successful Irish community … that we were able to use the occasion of the President’s visit to mark the enormous contribution made by the Irish in Britain.
“And of course, Co-Operation Ireland was at the very heart of events … bringing together political leaders and representatives from right across the community for the Northern Ireland themed reception at Windsor Castle.
“Unionists, nationalists and republicans … UK and Irish government ministers … all mingling together at an event hosted by Her Majesty The Queen and President Higgins.
“Such an occasion would have been unimaginable a generation ago … and yet it proved to be another historic occasion in a process that’s seen Northern Ireland move from thirty years of terrorism and there bitterest of divisions to the relative peace and stability that its people enjoy today.
“It’s just over sixteen years since the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement.
“And make no mistake … that Agreement and its successors have transformed life for the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.
“The constitutional position has been settled on the basis of democracy and consent.
“The rights and identities of both main traditions … British and Irish … are fully respected with robust legal protections and an equal place in a power sharing devolved government.
“Practical common sense co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on a range of matters … for example healthcare … is working well.
“Relations between the UK and Ireland have moved to a new level.
“And with the main paramilitary campaigns at an end, the security situation is virtually recognisable from what it was twenty years ago.
“I’m also pleased to say that alongside the welcome upturns in both the UK and the Irish economies, the Northern Ireland economy is now clearly on the path to sustainable recovery.
“Unemployment is down … private sector employment is up … business confidence is growing … and Northern Ireland is predicted to grow faster than many major economies.
“Of course getting back on the right path has required difficult decisions … and times remain very tough.
“But the Northern Ireland economy is definitely heading in the right direction … and that means the more people there with the security that comes with bringing home a pay packet for their families.
“But of course economic growth relies on successful businessmen and women.
“So we’ll continue to do everything we can to boost enterprise and the private sector in Northern Ireland.
“And that’s why we are taking the calls to devolve corporation tax powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly very seriously … and we’ll take a decision in principle on whether or not this can go ahead in the next few weeks.
“Yet for all the positives from today’s Northern Ireland it’s clear that we’ve still a distance to travel if we’re to achieve the stable, peaceful and shared society we all want to see.
“There can be no doubt that the political institutions at Stormont are not working as well as they could, or should.
“We all have a duty to do all we can to ensure that Stormont works … and delivers the effective and efficient government that people in Northern Ireland expect and deserve.
“So that’s why at the end of September the Government made a realistic assessment that the time had come to convene a new round of cross party talks in a fresh attempt to lift the blockages that are holding Stormont back.
“In particular we need to deal with the long term financial position of the Executive … including welfare reform … and those legacy issues such as flags, parading and the past … that can cause such damage to community relations.
“Those talks are now in their fourth week and I’m just back from participating in the latest sessions with the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland parties.
“I can report that while the task is certainly a very difficult one … all the participants are engaging seriously and constructively in an effort to make genuine progress.
“At our work programme meeting in Stormont yesterday, all participants were present … and all acknowledged the crucial importance of reaching an agreement on these divisive issues.
“All participants agreed that we needed to intensify the process in the run up to the 28th November when a report will be sent to the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach.
“And all participants agreed that the sustainability and credibility of Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions depends on our making progress on these key issues.
“At this stage no one can predict the outcome of this process… but I will say this.
“While the UK and Irish Governments can facilitate, encourage, and come forward with ideas … the ultimate responsibility for bringing things to a successful conclusion has to rest with Northern Ireland’s political leadership.
“And make no mistake … there will be no lack of effort from us or from our colleagues in Dublin on helping them on that journey.
“Over the past two decades Northern Ireland’s political leaders resolved some hugely difficult problems.
“In the words used by Her Majesty The Queen in her speech in City Hall in Belfast in the summer, they have “made the impossible possible”.
“And I hope they will be able to do that once again.
“So in conclusion, we should never underestimate what’s been achieved in Northern Ireland … nor must we ever take it for granted.
“It’s taken a vast effort from a great many people and organisations to get to where we are today … and I can assure you it’s not something that either the UK or Irish Governments will allow to be undermined or blown off course.
“And working alongside organisations such as Co-Operation Ireland … we are determined to keep moving Northern Ireland forward towards a better, brighter future with a stronger, more prosperous and more united society which has left sectarian division behind forever.
Thank you”
You can read Mr. Moran’s full speech below:
“This year we saw yet another memorable and seminal moment in Anglo-Irish Relations with the first ever State Visit by a President of Ireland to Great Britain.
“Co-Operation Ireland played its’ part in the arrangements of this State Visit and I know some of you here tonight will have attended either of the Banquets, the Reception at Windsor Castle or the concert at The Royal Albert Hall.
“When I look back over the last ten years, from that very first meeting under the auspices of Co-Operation Ireland between The Queen and President Mary McAleese, it is hard to believe the progress that has been made. Co-Operation Ireland has played its’ role in the choreography of this journey. The Queen’s memorable State Visit to Ireland in 2011, the handshake with the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness. And now this years’ State Visit.
“There will be many more commemorative and seminal moments in this journey in the years to come and, Co-Operation Ireland will continue to play its’ part.
“Co-Operation Ireland contributed to the Shared Future Agenda, negotiated between the British Government and the devolved administration in Northern Ireland.
“Co-Operation Ireland looks forward to playing its’ part in the delivery of this Shared Future Agenda which involves Integrated Housing Schemes, Shared Campuses and a 10,000 persons National Youth Programme.
“The full fruits of our endeavours at Cooperation Ireland have been a long time in coming – but they are very visible and tangible amongst a host of communities throughout the island of Ireland. If our first thirty-five years were about building confidence and capacity our next phase will be about cohesion and shared future.
“We who work in peace-building know more than most that our work is far from done because peace-building is, by its very nature, a journey and not a destination.
“Over the past number of years my colleagues at Cooperation Ireland have been at the coal face of community relations – not only within Northern Ireland but between communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – as well as being at the heart of the improved relations and enhanced understanding that exists in modern Anglo-Irish relations.
“We have been nurturing and fostering relationships that promote trust, respect, mutual understanding and – more importantly – friendship since 1979. We believe we could not have done that without the wholehearted support of both the British and Irish Governments and the personal imprimaturs of Her Majesty The Queen, the former Irish President Mary McAleese and the current President of Ireland Michael. D. Higgins.
“We value and cherish that support and those relationships. The personal leadership provided by The Queen has been echoed by The Prince of Wales in recent weeks during his visit to war-ravaged Columbia, where he said that whatever the “bewildering and soul destroying anguish” caused by violence – we must “continue cultivating a commitment to peace and reconciliation”.
“Over the past number of years we have witnessed a series of seminal and historical moments which have required both political and personal courage by leaders within Unionism and Nationalism. In particular, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness deserve considerable credit and recognition for their bravery and leadership in recognising the symbolism behind events – whether they were meeting at the Lyric Theatre, Windsor Castle or making speeches to mark the contribution of the dead in the Great War or the significant role in peace-building played by the GAA. Quite simply, these events could not have happened without the support of the First and deputy First Ministers and their commitment is appreciated, not only by the two governments but also by the people of Ireland, north and south, and those in Britain who have watched relationships change in a way that was completely unimaginable ten years ago.
“Of course, there are still challenges ahead – not least with the creation of a truly shared future. We would be naïve to think that the scars of hurt or the walls of division would disappear because of some flowery prose that looked nice on a document.
“Tensions still exist and mistrust lies at the heart of the current talks process, but given what has been achieved we cannot be without hope for what yet might be achieved. And to that end we wish all the political parties in the process, the Secretary of State and the Irish Foreign Minister every success over the coming weeks.
“As we approach the 150th anniversary of the birth of WB Yeats I paraphrase him and ask you all to “tread carefully because you tread upon all our dreams- north-south –east and west”.
“In reflecting about a shared future and the challenge that exists for everyone to stop thinking in terms of their own segregated funnels, I was minded of the story of a wandering Buddhist monk visiting a monastery when he came across two groups of monks in the yard arguing over the flags fluttering in the wind. One group argued that “It is the flag that moves”, whilst the other group argued that “It is the wind that moves”.
“After hours of endless arguing with neither side giving an inch, the weary visitor said “Gentlemen! It is not that flag that moves. It is not the wind that moves. It is your mind that moves.”
“It is only when people see the need to stand back from self-made shibboleths and remove themselves from self-imposed hooks that they can truly start looking at issues from the view point of the other side.
“We in Cooperation Ireland understand that getting off hooks is much harder than getting on them, but we are determined to find ways of encouraging dialogue at every level of civic life – from the boardroom to the classroom – through our events and programmes.
“Too much of what passes for dialogue in peace-building is actually talking at people rather than with people, re-stating well-worn public positions without any meaningful engagement. Too often the megaphone of the airwaves proves too alluring to the measured tones of diplomacy. But we can’t give up just because the going gets a little tough from time to time.
“We in Cooperation Ireland are not the type of organisation to rest on our laurels. We are continually looking for new and innovative ways of engaging and challenging the imagination and perceptions of communities.
“Our goal is simple – to create an inclusive society where diversity is a strength, where difference is to be celebrated and where dynamism fuels our young people to be the best that they can be.
“In ending, let me leave you with the words of the late Adlai Stevenson, an American senator, which I think best reflects the challenge for us all but not least those engaged in the current talks process in Northern Ireland. He said: “I think that one of our most important tasks is to convince others that there is nothing to fear in difference. That difference, in fact, is one of the healthiest and most invigorating human characteristics without which life would be meaningless.
“So let’s help ourselves and others see some of the possibilities inherent in viewpoints other than one’s own, in encouraging free interchange of ideas, in welcoming fresh approaches to the problems of life.””
