The visit included a community conversation with local representatives, an interactive session with A-level pupils, and a Ripple of Hope lecture honouring the legacy of Bobby Kennedy 100 years since his birth.

The lecture drew on the renowned Day of Affirmation Address delivered by the then New York Senator to the National Union of South African Students at Cape Town University in 1966.

In the midst of the US Civil Rights movement, and during South African Apartheid, what became known as the “Ripple of Hope" speech emphasised the importance of inclusiveness and youth involvement in society, and highlighting the power of individual action. After the keynote, two panel discussions respectively hosted by Fergal Keane and Barbara Stephenson, further explored the content including a panel of young people, in partnership with Politics in Action, and a panel of expert leaders. 

In-keeping with the legacy of the former US Attorney General, his grandson, Dr Joe Kennedy III,  joined community leaders from the Shankill, Market, Donegall Road and Sandy Row areas for a “Groundwork in Belfast” community conversation, discussing opportunities for collaboration amongst local leaders, researchers, and policy partners that drive shared prosperity.

Speaking during his visit, Dr Kennedy said:

“Northern Ireland’s strength lies in its people, and the power of people is what this visit is all about. 

“Conversations in this visit has reaffirmed for me that it is the resilience of communities to overcome division, and their determination to build a future with dialogue and partnership as the foundations, that has seen, and will keep seeing, enduring progress in this region.”

Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s, said of the visit:

“We were honoured to host Dr Kennedy for this important lecture. The prevailing message in Ripples of Hope are ones which ring as true today as they did almost sixty years ago. 

"This truly reinforces Queen’s mission as a civic university in bringing communities together, inspiring young people, and contributing to a shared and prosperous future.”

Fionntán Hargey, Director at the Market Development Association, added:

“This was a valuable opportunity to engage directly with Joe Kennedy on how joined-up partnerships better empower communities. No-one knows more about the issues in our communities than the people living in them, so these research collaborations enable our areas to shape their own path forward, creating meaningful change for ourselves, and the generations coming up behind.”

In an interactive session hosted by BBC NI Political Correspondent, Jayne McCormack, over 200 A-level pupils from across Northern Ireland explored the differences between the US and UK political systems and mechanisms. During the course of the discussion, Dr Kennedy reflected on the issues his grandfather is likely to have focussed on in a modern-day America, the importance of keeping hope alive even when progress is slow, and the ways in which the Kennedy family legacy has shaped his own approach to public service.

Remarking on the enthusiasm of the young people, Dr Kennedy encouraged the pupils to see themselves as future leaders, noting that their generation “has the chance to write the next chapter of Northern Ireland’s story.”

Over the two-day visit, Dr Kennedy also visited the University’s Seamus Heaney Centre for an evening of selected readings from Ciaran Carson’s essays, as well as taking part in the annual TEDx conference under the theme 'Hope & History', in conjunction with the University’s 180th anniversary.

Media

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