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2023

Agreement 25: A Round-Up of Day Two

Day Two of the conference opened with keynote addresses from senior government figures and other leaders followed by a recording of 'The Rest is Politics' podcast.

Hillary Clinton being interviewed at the Agreement 25 Conference
Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, Secretary Hillary R. Clinton

A three-day conference in Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (B/GFA) hosted by Queen’s University Belfast continued today under the theme of ‘Renew.’

The second day of the conference at Queen’s campus was hosted by Donie O’Sullivan, US Broadcast Journalist, who said: "There is no better place than Belfast to meet people from different backgrounds and see first-hand how they try to live and work together."

Professor Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast welcomed guests to the Whitla Hall for day two. He said: “At Queen’s, we take great pride in our civic and social responsibility. We support social change and economic growth in the region and we’re proud that the University continues to offer a key platform for debate and discussion on important issues to help shape a better world for our society."

During a video address General António Guterre, United Nations Secretary-General said:  

“The women of Northern Ireland were trailblazers and visionaries who put gender equality and integrated social development at the heart of the agreement.”

The Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Micheál Martin TD, Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence also took to the stage.

Micheál Martin TD, said: "Together, we agreed that all state action in Northern Ireland must be anchored in human rights, with the European Convention on Human Rights as the threshold."

Chris Heaton-Harris MP said: “For every person who wants to drag Northern Ireland down, there are thousands determined to lift it up. To those who pursue violence I will say only this, ‘You will never succeed.’”

A lively party panel chaired by Mark Simpson featured panellists including: Doug Beattie MLA, Leader, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP); Naomi Long MLA, Leader, Alliance Party; Mary Lou McDonald TD, President, Sinn Féin; Colum Eastwood MP, Leader, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, Former Junior Minister, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Colum Eastwood MP said: “The sense of hope as a young teenager, after all that we’d been through, was immense."

Naomi Long MLA said: "For the first time in my life there was some hope that things were going to change... Not a naive hope, because I knew it was going to be difficult and even the Agreement had difficult parts of it, but just that belief that somehow things could be better."

Mary Lou McDonald TD said: "I am so conscious that as time ticks away we are missing precious opportunities and I don’t think we can collectively defend that, nor should we try... We need to get the show back on the road and we need to do it very quickly."

Emma Little-Pengelly MLA said: "I cannot say this more clearly, you will not exclude your way out of this issue... We need to get around a table... Find a way of agreeing better. Find a way of listening to each other, not allowing these grievances to rumble and get to the point where it causes a collapse. "

Doug Beattie MLA said: "I remember saying, 'Dad, what are we going to do?' and he said, 'We must give this a chance. We cannot keep going the way we are going now. We cannot go back to killing each other again. We have to move forward and therefore we have to vote YES.'”

A second panel, ‘The Good Friday Agreement: A Template For Resolving Global Conflict’ was chaired by Ambassador Mitchell B. Reiss, Former US Special Envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace Process. The panel featured Dr Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Congressman Richard E. Neal, Ranking Member of the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee; Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight and Dr Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Europe, National Security Council.

Congressman Richard E. Neal said:"Concessions, compromise and consent. Convincing people of a new path; that’s what the experience of the Good Friday Agreement has meant... America, as a co-guarantor, we are all in."

Adding "Our job is not to entertain the voters. Our job is to inform the voters…When we reach our potential, our potential expands."

Maroš Šefčovič recalled:

"I was glued to the TV screen watching the final days of the negotiations of the Good Friday / Belfast Agreement to see the vision, to see the hope which was created by this deliberation... After 25 years of peace, now you need to focus on how you can combine the peace with increased prosperity for Northern Ireland.”

Dr Mary Robinson added:"I hope that this commemoration, which has been so well planned by Queen’s University Belfast, will help encourage valuing, and now implementing fully, this very special Good Friday Agreement."

Later, Jamie-Lukas Campbell, Queen’s University Postgraduate Student introduced Ambassador Jane Hartley, US Ambassador to the UK, saying:

“Opportunity is rife here at Queen’s... and I will say that Queen’s has helped make Belfast my home, and its people make this place a beacon of impact.”

Ambassador Jane Hartley said: “The task now is for all parties to walk a few more brave steps and get back to the hard work of government. Because democracy, however messy, however imperfect, remains the best way for Northern Ireland to decide its own destiny."

During a recording of the Rest is Politics Live, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Alastair Campbell considered whether the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement would have been possible in an era of social media, saying: "Would it have been achieved, in the way it was, in the era of social media? I’m not convinced. I’m not convinced.”

Closing the podcast recording, Alastair Campbell played the bagpipes to honour those involved in the peace process who are no longer with us.

Honorary degree ceremony

Afterwards, during a graduation ceremony, Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, Secretary Hillary R. Clinton bestowed its highest honour on Pat Hume (posthumously) and Lady Trimble who received honorary degrees for services to the community for the role they played in the peace process here.

Also receiving honorary degrees were former United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer and former Secretary of the United States Senate and deputy to Senator George Mitchell during the Agreement talks, Martha Pope.

Speaking about the awards, Queen’s University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer, said: "The role that Pat Hume and Lady Trimble played in securing peace for this region 25 years ago cannot be understated and that it why we are honouring them as part of our Agreement 25 events. While often politics was played out by men, without these inspirational women we would not be where are today.

"We are honoured to welcome them into the Queen’s family by bestowing the highest distinction upon them."

Academic panel sessions 

A number of academic panel sessions were delivered by The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen's University. These panels including discussions around themes including Rights and Social Justice, Peacebuilding, Legacy, The Dynamics of Peace and Conflict, and The Impact on Victims.

Collaborative events

Other collaborative events took place throughout the day including Women in Business – International Voices of Leadership in Association with the Chief Executives Club at Queen’s in the Mandela Hall, during which Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, Secretary Hillary R. Clinton told the audience: “If you don’t see yourself as potential leader, you will never be a leader. You have to believe that you are a leader.”

Meanwhile, Sir Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of the UK and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute and Professor Bertie Ahern, Former Taoiseach of Ireland met with over 250 young people from Schools across Northern Ireland at The Voice of Tomorrow: Politics in Action in the Peter Froggatt Centre.

Elsewhere, in the Peter Froggatt Centre, a Cancer Knows No Borders session focussed on the theme of Health - How the Good Friday Agreement helped save thousands of lives on the island of Ireland and delivered international impact in cancer research and care.

Later, a screening of the film Victims’ Voices will focus on the stories of eight victims of the "Troubles " in Northern Ireland and England with no political or sectarian agenda.

The Troubles during a Media in Conflict and Peace

This evening, Tara Mills and William Crawley will host a celebration of journalism and the role the media has played during The Troubles during a Media in Conflict and Peace event in the Queen’s Film Theatre.

The Seamus Heaney Centre Presents…Hope

The day will finish with The Seamus Heaney Centre Presents…Hope with special guests including Gary Lightbody and Lisa McGee in the Mandela Hall, while a very special event in the Guildhall, Derry/Londonderry will pay tribute to John Hume and David Trimble with the keynote address delivered by President William J. Clinton, Former President of the United States.

The conference continues tomorrow. For full coverage of the events follow @QUBelfast on Twitter.

For more information on the Agreement 25 conference, please visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/agreement25/ 

Media

Media enquiries to comms.office@qub.ac.uk 

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