The IAUC is pleased to share the following statement from Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the Friends of Ireland, in support of West Belfast's Cultural Economy Conference.  IAUC President Kate McCabe will be participating in the important event: 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2008

CONTACT: William Tranghese (202) 225-5601

STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RICHARD E. NEAL
CHAIRMAN OF THE FRIENDS OF IRELAND
ON THE CULTURAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE
AND THE ROLE OF U.S. INVESTMENT
IN NORTHERN IRELAND

(WASHINGTON) The following is a statement issued today by Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the Friends of Ireland in the U.S. House of Representatives, on the Cultural Economic Conference in West Belfast and the role of U.S. investment in Northern Ireland.

“On the first anniversary of the historic return of the power-sharing institutions, I would like to extend my personal greetings and best wishes to the participants of the Cultural Economy Conference in West Belfast. Having been a regular visitor to West Belfast for nearly 20 years, I am very aware of the long and distinguished history of that community. I have many close friends from West Belfast, including Gerry Adams and Bairbre de Brun, and those relationships are stronger than ever. In fact, I look forward to visiting with them and the people of West Belfast at the end of the month.

As someone whose ancestors were from Ireland, I am a strong supporter of the use and promotion of the Irish language. I know how important it is to the local culture, and I appreciate what the language means to so many people across the island of Ireland. As a result, I am confident that the Cultural Economy Conference will succeed in its worthwhile effort to preserve and promote the Irish language in the 21st Century.

As Chairman of the Friends of Ireland in the United States House of Representatives, I also want to mention the major investment conference that is currently underway in Belfast. More than 100 senior American business executives have traveled north to participate in this important event. They recognize the potential for economic growth that now exists. And their visit serves as another reminder that Northern Ireland is a society in the process of unprecedented transformation.

I was very pleased when the New York City Comptroller announced in April that he was investing $150 million in the Emerald Infrastructure Development Fund. This unprecedented action represents the largest public investment in Northern Ireland from the United States. I am strongly encouraging others from both the public and private sector to do the same.

But I also hope that these historic investments are done in a fair and equitable manner. To help underpin the peace process, the peace dividend must benefit the people and communities that need help the most. As we enter this new era of peace, prosperity and equality, I will continue to tell my colleagues in the United States that Northern Ireland is now open for business. But I will also remind them that investing in a shared future must be done fairly, equitably and justly. Thank you very much.”

Matt Morrison, Chair of the Political Action Committee, was a guest speaker at the Indiana-Purdue University campus in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday, April 7. Matt was invited to the campus by Dr. Robert White, Dean of the Liberal Arts College. Students in attendance were undergraduates from various backgrounds, but all are enrolled in Dr. White's Sociology course entitled, Social Movements.

Matt delivered a very factual account of his life growing up in Derry, which he emphasized was typical of all nationalists during the same time frame. After Matt concluded his presentation the remaining time was spent with questions from the students. The ensuing dialogue was very candid and at the conclusion everyone walked away with a new sense of enlightenment.

The future of Irish language daily newspaper, Lá Nua, hangs in the balance after the paper's primary funders have threatened to stop supporting the paper. Lá Nua editor Concubhar Ó Liatháin has created a petition to urge Foras na Gaeilge to continue to provide funding for the 24-year-old community resource:

We request the Board of Foras na Gaeilge, the cross border Irish language body, to support Lá Nua, the Irish language daily newspaper,to ensure its survival and to put a proper basis under the future development of the Irish language print journalism. We also request the Irish and British Governments to come to the aid of the newspaper by guaranteeing it equality of treatment with regard to the publication of public advertisements in Irish and in English.

Click here to sign the online petition.

January 21, 2008—The Irish American Unity Conference today condemned the recent anti-Irish language actions of DUP Minister Edwin Poots, emphasizing the potential of such blatantly discriminatory decisions to overshadow recent attempts to attract foreign investment and promote fair employment in the “new Northern Ireland.” In October, Poots blocked the Irish Language Act promised by the British government at St. Andrew’s despite receiving overwhelming support, citing the belief that the promotion of the language could “undermine good relations” and “entrench patterns of antipathy and suspicions.” Now, the Minister’s office has removed the funding for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund from the budget. Poots’ stated position on the promotion of Irish as divisive calls into question his department’s ability to foster dialogue and serves only to polarize community relations.

The IAUC believes that such decisions are a blatant display of the sectarianism of the past, and not only work against the encouragement of foreign investment, but run the risk of replicating the problems of the past regarding resource allocation and investment—thereby undermining any attempt to build a solid foundation for just and inclusive social,economic, and political change.

IAUC President John Fogarty said, “Rights-based Irish language legislation would provide many opportunities for the growth of the language and for the provision of services to current speakers. We fear that the lack of funding and support from the government has the potential to choke economic renewal opportunities in the growth of the tourism industry related to the Irish language, as well as in other community-based development initiatives such as Fobairt Feirste.

“During their recent visit to the States, First and Deputy First Ministers Paisley and McGuinness told American politicians and businesspeople alike that the best way to determine whether Northern Ireland is good for business is simply to look at the political developments taking place there,” Fogarty pointed out. “Anti-Irish language policies operate as a deterrent to prospective investors who many of us are working hard to convince that the days of sectarianism and bigotry are in the past.”

Unionist politicians who stand in the way of Irish language legislation are abdicating their responsibility to the Northern Ireland community by undermining prospects for increased investment and lasting economic change. The IAUC pledges its full support for a rights-based Irish language act and will continue to act as a watchdog to ensure fair and equitable investment and employment in Northern Ireland. To this end, the IAUC will seek meetings with key members of Congress and all contenders in the Presidential race.

In January, the IAUC sent questionnaires to the Presidential candidates to determine where each stood on a variety of Irish issues. What follows is the text of the questionnaire--stay tuned to see what your favorite candidate has to say!

The Irish American Unity Conference is committed to promoting the peaceful reunification of Ireland and promoting justice throughout Ireland. The IAUC has been active here for 25 years. It is in this context that our organization is seeking your position on a number of issues which fall under the broad heading of “Ireland”. We are committed to the task of keeping the peace process on a forward momentum. We recognize the invaluable role of the United States in providing direction, resources and an atmosphere that has framed frank and open dialogue between all the stakeholders.

The IAUC is interested in seeing United States continue in the role of “honest broker”.
There are many challenges facing Northern Ireland, the peace process, and the US relationship to Ireland today. Our questions fall into 5 broad categories:

Policing:
The British Government has agreed in principle to the transfer of policing and justice powers from their hands to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the All Ireland Ministerial Council. A defined time frame has not been set for this transfer. Policing is one of the most important issues at the heart of conflict resolution. Any police service must be democratically accountable and representative of the people they serve.

Do you support our call for the British Government to establish a definitive time frame for the transfer of the power of Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly as outlined by the Patton Report and the Good Friday Agreement?

Collusion/Truth Recovery:
The role of the police force in Northern Ireland has been a highly controversial one. Both the nationalist and loyalist communities are gravely concerned about the issue of collusion (state sponsored crime involving the police - RUC/PSNI - and loyalist murder gangs) and truth recovery. Full disclosure would expose those within the RUC/PSNI responsible for past atrocities and bring about their removal from the police service. This disclosure would increase the community’s confidence in the police and make them more accountable to the communities they serve.

Do you support our call for full disclosure and truth recovery?

Immigration:
The United States historically owes its strength to the successive waves of immigrants who came to flee oppression and seek a new life safeguarded by an open democratic system. In recent years, the issue of immigration has been framed by increasingly acrimonious debate.

Do you support immigration reform that would bring closure to families suffering in the United States?

Former Irish Republican Activists/Deportation:
Within the context of the previous question, there is a small sub-group of immigrants in which this organization has a particular interest. There is a group of former Irish Republican Activists (numbering approximately 16 individuals) who have faced deportation because of their prior affiliation with the Irish Republican Movement. The US Government has pursued a policy against these men which is very much out of step with recent developments in the peace process, specifically the voluntary disarming by the Irish Republican Army and the dissolution of the IRA itself and their commitment to a peaceful, political resolution. Our organization calls for
full legal status for these men and their families, in support of the peace process.

Do you support an approach to this issue which would suggest a ‘peace dividend’ for these men and their families?

US – UK Extradition Treaty:
The new extradition treaty between the U.S. and Britain, as well as a number of other recent treaties, has provisions that shift key decisions about extradition from the courts to the executive branch and otherwise weakens the ability of the person sought for extradition to mount an effective defense. The IAUC is especially concerned that they would enable the threat of extradition to be used to stifle opposition to British policies by people in this country.

Would you support revising the treaty to restore protections against biased or politically motivated extradition requests, and ensure due process?

Stay tuned for updates on the candidates’ responses!

Unionists spark heated debate at IAUC convention
By Irish Echo Staff
letters@irishecho.com

Unionist voices at the Irish American Unity Conference annual convention in Boston last weekend brought a new dimension to the annual gathering of the pro-United Ireland activists.

The most heated exchanges of the day followed repeated assertions by Raymond McCord that the IRA ex-prisoners present were "terrorists".

McCord, whose son Raymond was murdered by a loyalist gang leader who was a police agent, rebutted claims by former republican prisoner Gabriel Megahey that the IRA had acted in defense of embattled nationalist communities in 1969.

"I have acted in defense of my family," said McCord. "I have beaten up loyalist paramilitaries who threatened my family but when did the IRA's defense become putting bombs in pubs in the middle of Belfast?"

On several occasions, McCord challenged his audience to tell him how his three grandchildren would be better off in a united Ireland.

"Convince me they'll be better off and I'll vote for a united Ireland," he said.

However, McCord remained unimpressed by the answers he received.

"No one here has answered my question satisfactorily," he told Saturday's closing session of the convention.

Ulster Unionist Roy Garland said dialogue was the cornerstone of continuing reconciliation in Northern Ireland. He had harsh condemnation for Dr. Ian Paisley's DUP, recalling that Ian Paisley Jr., now a minister in the Northern Ireland Executive, had demanded Garland be drummed out of the UUP for being pictured with Gerry Adams and Albert Reynolds.

Fr. Aidan Troy, the North Belfast priest who famously defended schoolchildren who were the focus of angry loyalist pickets outside Holy Cross school told the convention that education was crucial to the future of Northern Ireland.

"The key to carrying the process forward is education," he said.

Responding to questions about the need to encourage integrated education, Troy defended the right of parents to chose a Catholic education for their children.

"But I would like to see the Catholic hierarchy come forward and to say, what contribution can we make to integrated education. However, we can't expect the children at integrated schools to carry the burden of integrating their communities if at home their parents and grandparents are carrying a contrary message," he said.

This year's annual convention will be held October 5-7 at Boston's Hyatt Harborside Hotel. Register for the convention by clicking on the green button on the right.

Friday, October 5

6-7pm Registration and Cocktail Hour

7pm Welcome
Opening Remarks by Former Boston Mayor and
Ambassador Ray Flynn

7:30pm Dr. Peter Shirlow, Queen's University, Belfast
Raymond Stewart, Finaghy Community Center,
Belfast

8:30pm Live Music

Saturday, October 6

8:30am Continental Breakfast and Registration

9:30am Welcome and Moment of Silence for Those Who Died
in the Conflict

9:45am Former Irish P.O.W.'s: Their Hopes for the Future
Paul Harkin, Terry Kirby, Bobby Lavery and Matt
Morrison

12pm Lunch - Presentation of Awards

1:30pm Roy Garland,UUP and Gerry McHugh, Sinn Fein
Two Opposing Views: Where Do We Go From Here?

3pm Máirtín O'Muilleoir- Belfast Media Group

4pm Raymond McCord, Collusion from a Unionist
Perspective

4:45pm Nuala O'Loan - Police Ombudsman, Final Report
Before Leaving Office

6:30pm Cocktails and Dinner
Opening Remarks - Dr. Robert Linnon, Chairman of
the Board
Welcome - John Fogarty, National President
Presentation of Frank Durkan Award
Presentation of Special Recognition Award to
Massachusetts Senator Jack Hart
Keynote Speaker: Fr. Aidan Troy, C.P. Holy Cross,
Belfast: Understanding and Ending the
Escalating Cycle of Teen Suicides

Sunday, October 7

9am Continental Breakfast

10am Celebration of Mass by Fr. Aidan Troy, C.P.

11am General Membership Meeting

If you would like any additional information, please contact Gretchen Bales, Boston Convention Committee Secretary, iauc.convention@sbcglobal.net or 1-800-947-4282.